From Mainstream Favorites like Itte Q! to Quirky Gems like Zun Kissa: Experts Recommend TV Shows Adults LoveFrom Mainstream Favorites like Itte Q! to Quirky Gems like Zun Kissa: Experts Recommend TV Shows Adults Love
Special Entertainment Research Project [Part 2
While video streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are on the rise, TV networks have long struggled with viewers drifting away from television.
However, despite recent challenges, there are still high-quality programs that, armed with strong planning and editing skills, have gained passionate support from many fans.
Therefore, FRIDAY asked six experts—TV producers, TV columnists, and scriptwriters, who can be called professional viewers—to each list five TV programs that adults enjoy watching. Why should you watch them? Let’s explore the shows carefully selected by these experts.
The Reappraisal of Classic Variety Shows
While shows that minimize production and editing elements, such as Gekitotsu Meshi Agare and Document 72 Hours, receive strong support, classic variety shows are also being reevaluated and appreciated once again. Sekai no Hate made Itte Q! (Nippon TV) is a prime example. Last October, it drew attention when Yuya Tegoshi (37), who had suspended his entertainment activities due to partying during the COVID-19 pandemic, made his terrestrial TV comeback on the show after four years.
Professor Gotoin Okada of the Department of Sociology at Yamato University points out that Itte Q! is a program that the whole family can watch with peace of mind.
“Although popular segments like ‘Which Festival Is the Most Exciting in the World?’ and ‘Beast Hunter Imoto World Tour’ feature many physical challenges by the cast, the show has very little erotic or grotesque content. That’s why it has lasted nearly 20 years as a long-running program. Also, casting popular comedians like Teruyoshi Uchimura (61) and Daisuke Miyagawa (52) as regulars is a big factor.
At the same time, the narration inserted in the video has little humorous spices that make viewers chuckle. In today’s environment where programming is polarized between extreme content and overly cautious compliance, a show that both adults and children can enjoy together is a precious existence.”
Speaking of classic variety shows, Sanma no Owarai Kojo Iinkai (Fuji TV) cannot be overlooked. Each episode invites one comedian or comedy duo as a guest, and Akashiya Sanma (70), the improvement chairman,”along with the comedy committee members, brainstorm ideas to help improve the guest’s skills.
Broadcast writer Mihoko Yamada, who previously worked on Koi no Karasawagi (Nippon TV) and others, praises the show as a program that reaffirms Sanma-san’s greatness.
“Even when almost unknown comedians sit on the panel, Sanma-san actively moves around, imitating their gags more than anyone else. Both veterans and newcomers face unexpected challenges, making this a true test of skill. With the rise of formulaic variety shows, this is a program where discerning adults who want to see spontaneous interactions among comedians can truly laugh.”
Alongside Kojo Iinkai, the show Zenryoku! Datsuryoku Times (Fuji TV), where guest comedians are often thrown off balance, is also a must-watch. Styled as a news program but actually a sketch comedy show, viewers enjoy seeing comedians scrambling to meet the unreasonable demands made by actors and models appearing on the show.
Yamada continues:
“Main MC Tetsupei Arita (54) of ‘Cream Stew’ is involved in production, and the scripting is meticulously crafted. Guest comedians appear somewhat like in a hidden-camera prank and must respond to the cast’s setups, which clearly exposes their individual abilities. This show has high attention within the industry, with a common understanding that if you leave a mark on Datsuryoku Times, you’ll get invited to other programs. That’s why everyone seriously tries to get laughs, resulting in a very entertaining show. Since it takes the form of a news program, the sketches often revolve around economic and social issues, making it suitable for middle-aged and older audiences.”
Niche but Fascinating
In recent years, with the rising popularity of BS (broadcast satellite) channels, there are programs that, although niche, have garnered strong support from core fans. Because BS operates on a low budget, it often features laid-back, small-scale location shoots, which ironically has contributed to its popularity. One such example is Kazuki Iio’s Zun Café (BS TV Tokyo), a show starring Kazuki Iio (56) from the comedy duo Zun.
“This program features Iio visiting retro-style cafes, enjoying meals while chatting with the owner and regular customers. Unlike many comedians, Iio doesn’t try to hog the spotlight. The conversations center on everyday casual topics or the owner’s old stories. Iio rarely goes for exaggerated laughs but sprinkles in subtle, chuckle-worthy jokes and retorts. The nostalgic atmosphere of the shop and episodes evoking the Showa era likely appeal to many middle-aged and older viewers,” explains Takahiko Kageyama, professor at Doshisha Women’s College.
Another travel show starring a comedian, Ken Koba’s Tipsy Business Hotel Stay – Nationwide Edition (BS Asahi), was ranked third by Tamami Hiyama, a TV columnist and director of the NPO Broadcast Criticism Council. As the title suggests, comedian Kendo Kobayashi (53) stays at business hotels around Japan and enjoys light drinking in nearby nightlife areas.
“While many recent travels shows rush to visit trendy spots, this show consistently focuses on business hotels. Each episode introduces the hotel’s price, room facilities, and shower water pressure. After that, Kobayashi heads to local bars or snack pubs to chat with patrons.
This combination of business hotels and bars is highly useful for salarymen on business trips to regional areas. Unlike a luxury villa in Karuizawa, which most wouldn’t visit, viewers can easily imagine themselves saying, ‘Next time I’m in this town, I’ll stay at this hotel and try this bar.’ The freedom of BS programming and Kobayashi’s character perfectly match here,” says Hiyama.
Even more niche is Local Verification Variety Show: Fukuoka-kun (FBS Fukuoka Broadcasting), which airs in Fukuoka, Saga, and Nagasaki prefectures. Its concept is “Not even 1mm funny to anyone outside Fukuoka Prefecture,” but last year it won an excellence award in the TV variety category from the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association, and its popularity is soaring. TV producer Hiromichi Shizume praises it highly despite having no personal connection to Fukuoka.
“For example, the ‘Fukuoka Chopstick Lifting Championship’ features local gourmet reporters competing in how they lift food with chopsticks. Another award-winning segment researches the prestigious Higashi Fukuoka High School, following school life and sports festivals to reveal the realities of this mysterious powerhouse. These are very detailed Fukuoka-specific topics, but they are crafted so that viewers nationwide can laugh along. It has already taken root as a popular show in Fukuoka. I’d love for people across Japan to watch it.”
Despite ongoing concerns about television’s decline, there are still many entertaining shows out there. Now is the time to truly enjoy TV.
From the September 12 and 19, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”
PHOTO： Takahiro Kagawa (Tegoshi) Kojiro Yamada (Sanma) Yusuke Kondo (Arita)
