Which Variety Shows Are Hooking Each Generation Right Now A Fresh Ranking Revealed

Locked in a room until a game is cleared, or a stranger entering a comedian’s home to surprise them upon their return — with these borderline compliance stunts, Wednesday’s Downtown (TBS) continues to attract strong attention from multiple generations.

“The prank segments are often executed without the comedian’s knowledge, even if their manager has approved it. These nerve-wracking setups seem to keep viewers glued to the screen. The show ranks in the top three in engagement across a wide age range, from people in their 20s to those in their 60s,” explains Saori Yasutake, PR and marketing representative for television audience data analytics company REVISIO (hereafter R Company).

Unlike traditional viewership ratings, which increase if a TV is simply left on while doing other things like cooking, R Company measures how closely viewers actually watch the screen, analyzing this as a glued-to-the-screen rate (engagement level). They conducted an independent survey of variety shows broadcast on commercial TV stations over the past six months since October last year (details of the measurement method can be found in the column at the bottom).

They ranked the top 15 shows with the highest engagement in four generational categories: the Bubble Generation, the Employment Ice Age Generation, the Yutori Generation, and Generation Alpha. Yasutake continues:

“Overall, engagement tends to increase with age. The average engagement rate for prime-time variety shows (from 7 PM to 11 PM) on the five major commercial stations is about 59%, but the top three shows for the Bubble Generation all exceeded 70%.”

On a relaxing weekend night

Let’s take a look at each generation. In the “Bubble Generation,” the number one program is Ariyoshi eeeee! (TV Tokyo), a show where host Hiroiki Ariyoshi (50) and comedians play online games together. It might seem surprising that viewers in their late 50s to early 60s are so fond of it, but this is the same generation that grew up with arcade games and the original Famicom.

“The viewership rating isn’t particularly high (2.2%), but it seems to have a passionate core audience. I think the broadcast time — 10 p.m. on Sunday nights — also plays a part. It suggests that people around 60 enjoy quietly watching programs that align with their hobbies on a relaxing weekend night,” says Ms. Saori Yasutake, a spokesperson and marketing representative from TV viewership analytics company REVISIO.

Looking at the rankings, TV Tokyo’s strong performance stands out, with seven shows making it into the top 15.

“Compared to other commercial networks, their budget isn’t as large, so they produce programs in a unique style — and that might be why they resonate with the ‘Bubble Generation.’ For example, Achi Kochi Audrey, which ranks third, is a late-night show set in a casual izakaya-style setting, where MCs Toshio Kasuga (46) and Masayasu Wakabayashi (46) simply chat with guests. Since the ‘Bubble Generation’ grew up listening to radio talk shows like All Night Nippon, this kind of format likely feels familiar and appealing to them,” she continues.

Loved by all generations — that’s a thing of the past

Next up is the employment ice age generation.  Topping the list is “Do You Mind If I Come Home With You?” (TV Tokyo), as explained by Aoyagi Taichi from R社’s customer success team.

“This is a program where staff approach people on the street and, with their consent, interview them in their homes. It’s a documentary that focuses on life’s hardships, like battling illness or going through a divorce. For the generation in their 50s who experienced difficulty during the employment ice age in their youth, it resonates deeply as something they can personally relate to. Other high-ranking programs like ‘Nani Kore Chin Hyakkei’ (TV Asahi) and ‘Sekai no Hate Made Itte Q!’ (NTV) are long-running weekend golden-time shows. Street topics and adventure-based shows are popular because they’re safe for family viewing.”

For the “Yutori Generation”, ‘Cambrian Palace’ (TV Tokyo) ranks second.

“It’s a program centered on economic information and is quite a serious show. The ‘Yutori Generation’, made up mainly of younger employees to mid-career workers, seeks to gather trend-based business information to help in their professional lives. They watch with a strong sense of purpose, which is why the level of attention is high,” says Aoyagi.

For the “Alpha Generation”, mainly elementary to high school students, shows like ‘Sekai no Hate Made’ also make the list as they are safe for parents to watch with their children.

“Second on the list, ‘THE Kamigami Challenge’ (TBS), is a program aimed at younger viewers. Popular idols like Snow Man challenge things like crane games that children love. It’s no surprise that the ‘Alpha Generation’ is hooked,” says Aoyagi.

Entertainment journalist Yuka Sakaguchi comments:

“There’s a clear difference between the 40s and younger generations. The former tend to prefer shows that let them share experiences of their generation, like ‘THE Generation Feel’ (TV Asahi), while the younger generation prefers programs that embody admiration and the unknown, like ‘Crazy Journey’ (TBS) or ‘Sekai no Hate Made’.”

Legendary shows like 8 Ji Da Yo! Zenin Shugo (TBS) that appealed to all generations are a thing of the past. These days, targeting all generations is difficult. To keep viewers engaged, you need to understand the tastes of the specific age group you’re targeting.

Measuring the degree of nail-biting by generation

The “Kugizuke Degree” (Attention Level) is a unique measure developed by R Corporation to assess how much viewers focus on the screen while watching TV. For example, if 70 out of 100 people in front of the TV are actively watching the screen, the Kugizuke Degree would be 70%. This method excludes passive background viewing, such as when people are engaged in other tasks like cooking, as the screen isn’t being closely watched in those cases, resulting in a lower attention level. This is different from traditional TV ratings, which can increase even during background viewing.

R Corporation conducted this analysis with the help of around 2,000 households (about 4,800 people) in the Kanto region and 600 households (about 1,500 people) in the Kansai region. They studied which variety shows viewers from different generations watched between October of last year and March of this year, focusing on programs aired between 7:00 PM and 11:59 PM on terrestrial channels in the Kanto area. Programs with fewer than seven episodes were excluded from the analysis.

From the April 18, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”