<figure id="attachment_416903" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1282px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-416903"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="960eaca7"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/03/3d6c720e608b3dbd7d37483a6ffa317b.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-416903" class="wp-caption-text">Higashino, who has co-starred with Nakai on various programs, engaged in witty banter with him during the press conference announcing THE MC3’s regular broadcast.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Other TBS programs featuring Nakai also terminated</h3>
On March 7, TBS Television held a press conference to announce programming changes for the April 2025 season. During the event, it was revealed that the variety show THE MC3, in which retired entertainer Masahiro Nakai (52) had been a host, would continue airing.
At the end of December 2024, Nakai was embroiled in a female-related scandal, and on January 23 of the following year, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry. Given that he had numerous regular TV shows, networks scrambled to respond.
&#8220;Nakai Masahiro no Kinyoubi no Smile-tachi e (Kinsuma, TBS), Nakai Masahiro no Doyoubi na Kai (TV Asahi), and Dareka to Nakai (Fuji TV) were all canceled. Meanwhile, The! Sekai Gyoten News (Gyoten News, Nippon TV) and THE MC3 continued without Nakai. However, while Gyoten News has aired post-Nakai episodes since February 11, THE MC3 has not aired a single episode since December 9, 2024—over three months of hiatus,&#8221; said an entertainment journalist from a sports newspaper.
THE MC3 premiered in October 2024 in the Monday 9 PM slot. Hosted by Nakai, Koji Higashino (57), and Hiromi (60), the show’s concept was &#8220;Japan&#8217;s most unnecessary but intriguing variety show,&#8221; where they investigate how people are perceived by others and relay the findings to their guests. However, since Nakai&#8217;s scandal surfaced, the show has faced tough times.
&#8220;Special editions of variety show Crazy Journey and music program CDTV Live! Live! were aired instead. TBS had taken similar measures for the Kinsuma slot, but recently, they have been struggling to keep enough special programs in stock. According to the press conference, Higashino and Hiromi will continue on THE MC3. However, when asked about the show&#8217;s future format, TBS only said they are currently considering how to proceed, without revealing specifics,&#8221; the journalist added.
Losing one of the three main MCs, a key feature of the show, has had a significant impact. However, the reason for the over three-month hiatus goes beyond that.
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Nakai's &quot;teased Nakai&quot; was his main selling point."></div>
<h3>The contents of the revised plan for survival</h3>
A TV network insider reveals:
&#8220;The main segment involved conducting street interviews on various themes, such as &#8216;The most reliable MC&#8217; or &#8216;Someone who seems likely to slack off at work,&#8217; and ranking the three MCs and guest celebrities based on public perception. Nakai played a key role in hosting the show while also being teased by his senior co-hosts, Higashino and Hiromi, over the ranking results.
In a way, &#8216;Nakai being playfully teased by two senior hosts&#8217; was one of the show&#8217;s selling points. Now that he’s gone, the production team is considering a complete overhaul of the format, shifting focus away from street surveys. The delay in resuming broadcasts seems to be due to these adjustments.&#8221;
As of March 8, THE MC3&#8217;s official website no longer displays the cast’s photos or program details, suggesting that the production team is still struggling to determine the show&#8217;s future.
&#8220;It seems they are exploring the possibility of adding a new MC alongside Higashino and Hiromi, given that the show’s title includes the number &#8216;3.&#8217; While they intend to retain the three-MC format, there’s also talk of transitioning the show into a more traditional talk variety format instead of relying on street surveys. However, finding a third MC who can hold their own alongside veterans like Higashino and Hiromi is no easy task,&#8221; the insider adds.
With THE MC3 on the verge of a major transformation after only five months on air, the show’s fate hinges on how well this revamp is executed.
&#8220;So far, only six episodes have aired, and just as the show was starting to build an audience, its format may now undergo drastic changes. The previous program in this time slot, Johnson, featuring popular comedians like Kamaitachi and Mitorizu, lasted just one year before getting canceled.
TBS had likely envisioned turning THE MC3 into a hit by bringing together three well-known MCs. While they are rushing to relaunch it for the April programming season, the long three-month gap and the absence of Nakai raise concerns about whether viewers will embrace the revamped show,&#8221; the insider notes.
The fate of the most meddlesome variety show in Japan remains uncertain.
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 Kyodo News

 The continuation of "THE MC3," which was facilitated by Masahiro Nakai, has been announced. However, the show has only aired six times since it became a regular program. With no set policy in place, a major renewal of the program is inevitable.

THE MC3 to Continue Without Masahiro Nakai—But Will It Avoid the Fate of Canceled Shows?

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