Hama-chan ga! Cancelled on Its Final Day — Rift Grows Between Hamada and Yomiuri TV

Downtown DX has just recently ended as well

“Most of the staff weren’t informed about the show’s cancellation — we were really shocked,” said a director from Yomiuri TV’s production department.

The variety show “Hama-chan ga!” (Nippon TV network, produced by Yomiuri TV), hosted by Masatoshi Hamada(62) of Downtown, ended its 17-year run since its debut in October 2008.

On September 24, Yomiuri TV held a programming lineup press conference at its headquarters in Chuo Ward, Osaka, announcing that the program would end with its final broadcast that very night — an unusually abrupt decision, as cancellations are rarely made public on the same day as the final airing.

When asked why there had been no prior announcement before the last episode, the network’s Content Center Director, Masahiro Tanaka, explained:

“We just couldn’t find the right timing.”

However, this explanation left many unconvinced.

The station had already ended “Downtown DX” in June, and with the conclusion of “Hama-chan ga!”, it effectively severed ties with Downtown entirely. When “Downtown DX” ended, neither Downtown themselves appeared in the studio, nor were any past clips of them shown — a strangely detached finale that raised eyebrows.

Behind all this, insiders say, lies a rift between Hitoshi Matsumoto (62) and Yomiuri TV.

When allegations of sexual misconduct against Matsumoto surfaced, Yomiuri TV’s program “Miyaneya” (also on Nippon TV network, produced by Yomiuri TV) aired a reenactment segment claiming that someone from Matsumoto’s side had requested negotiations to prevent “Ms. A,” who accused him, from appearing in court as a witness.

Studio commentators also discussed the issue as if the allegations were already factual, prompting Matsumoto’s lawyer to denounce the coverage as biased reporting. Matsumoto himself posted the lawyer’s statement on X (formerly Twitter) — a silent act of protest against the network.

They tried to find a way to keep the program alive, but in the end

“The president of Yomiuri TV maintained that Miyaneya had done nothing wrong, and discussions between the two sides went nowhere. After the tense ending of Downtown DX, people inside the station began whispering, ‘What’s going to happen to Hama-chan ga!?’ A little before the official cancellation announcement, there was an internal programming meeting for staff, and we were shocked to see Hama-chan ga! quietly replaced with a different show,” said another Yomiuri TV insider.

The show’s ending was known only to a handful of key staff and executives, and behind the scenes there had reportedly been intense negotiations between the network and the Downtown side.

“Apparently, Yomiuri TV was still trying to find some way to keep the program alive, but the Downtown team was absolutely firm about ending it. That’s what ultimately led to the abrupt cancellation announcement. On the other hand, while Hama-chan ga! was a long-running show, its ratings in the Kansai region were consistently at the bottom. So for Yomiuri TV, aside from losing their connection with Downtown, the damage wasn’t that significant,” the same source explained.

The final episode was a “Celebrity Gourmet Gift Compilation”, with Masatoshi Hamada himself not appearing, giving the show an unexpectedly plain send-off. Moreover, the program’s official website had listed an upcoming October 1 episode titled “Card Game: Bob Jiten Compilation”—which, of course, will never air.

Taking over the time slot from October 1 is a new variety show, “Yoshida to Soshina to”, hosted by Black Mayonnaise’s Takashi Yoshida and Shimofuri Myojo’s Soshina. It was a chaotic end for Hama-chan ga!, but Yomiuri TV appears set to continue working with Yoshimoto Kogyo on other projects.

After provoking Hitoshi Matsumoto’s anger and effectively being cut off by Downtown, Yomiuri TV now faces an uncertain future. Whether this break will prove to be a blessing or a curse—remains to be seen.