THE MC3 Struggles, But Nakai’s MC Reputation Remains Strong

The level of 1/20 of a popular program.

One month has passed since the broadcast began, but the start has been tough.

The new show “THE MC3” (TBS) started on October 21. In the same time slot, the variety show “Johnson,” which had featured many popular comedians, had been airing until the previous season, but it was canceled after just one year due to poor ratings. The show that replaced it was this program, which had previously aired as a special.

The three hosts are Masahiro Nakai (52), Masahiro Nakai (57), and Hiromi (59). Each episode features various guests, and the hosts and guests investigate how the public perceives them.

“The fourth episode aired on November 11, but the household rating was 5.3%, second to last in its time slot. The number of registrants on the popular streaming service ‘TVer,’ which is one of the key metrics, was only 55,000. Considering that popular variety shows usually have over a million registrants, this is about 1/20th of that level, so it’s quite a disappointing figure.

The discussions around the show have tended to focus on negative topics. For example, in the first episode, Nakai’s career was described as a national MC active in variety and sports shows but many viewers found it strange that his time in SMAP was not mentioned.

In the second episode, when the theme was marriage and family, street interviews asking about annoying husband behaviors showed overly critical opinions about men and husbands, leading to doubts about the content.” (TV magazine writer).

For Nakai, this is his fourth golden talk variety show, following the long-running “The! World Astonishing News” (NTV), “Nakai Masahiro’s Friday Smile” (TBS), and last year’s “Dareka to Nakai” (Fuji TV). This is his second show with TBS, and the background to this is a shift in the station’s policy.

“TBS has raised the target viewer age range for its variety shows from 49 to 59 years old in the autumn programming revision. This shift, moving from a show with mid-career comedians as hosts like ‘Johnson’ to a show with three hosts in their 50s, is part of that influence. However, results haven’t been seen so far.” (production company insider).

Despite the tough start, Nakai’s reputation has not declined, and support from the production side remains strong.

Even Winning in Horse Racing, He Pays Transportation Fees to the Staff

A variety show director from a major TV network reveals:

“His diligence in thoroughly reading the script before filming has not changed. Like in ‘Dareka to Nakai,’ his interview skills in drawing out guests’ true feelings are highly regarded, and it’s the same in ‘THE MC3.’ Despite being a hard worker, he doesn’t show any signs of it during the show, progressing with the viewer-first approach, enjoying the experience together with the audience, which gives us encouragement.”

The support from TV professionals is also due to his behavior off-camera. The aforementioned director continues, “He’s also a good older brother to the staff.”

“It seems that his good rapport on set is also due to his casualness in the dressing room. Although he’s in the position of a veteran, he never complains about anything, whether it’s the bento or snacks provided. On the contrary, he even recommends convenience store food, like saying, ‘Have you tried the new dish from Seven-Eleven?’ to his fellow celebrities, showing his down-to-earth side.

Previously, when he visited a racetrack incognito, he ordered McDonald’s when staff were about to get snacks for everyone. On that day, since Nakai had won, he gave 10,000 yen to the staff as transportation fees (laughs).” This older brother persona is also a reason why TV professionals like him.

Despite the program’s reputation, Nakai’s evaluation from the field is still positive.

However, there’s still potential for THE MC3 to become a long-running show.

“Nakai’s strength lies in his interaction with senior talents. From his younger years, he’s been interacting with prominent seniors like Tamori (79), Takaaki Ishibashi (63), and Hitoshi Matsumoto (61), so he’s adept at playing the role of the younger, adorable colleague. If he uses his excellent junior skills while leveraging his cultivated MC abilities to steer the show effectively, there could be a turnaround,” says a TV magazine writer.

The question remains: can Nakai save the show from its crisis?