Night Scoop” is under fire… TV’s “programs featuring ordinary people” are declining.

On the January 23 broadcast of “Detective! Night Scoop” (Asahi Broadcasting Corporation), the episode “Replacing the eldest son of six siblings,” was “Young Carer, isn’t it?” caused a firestorm of controversy. The station added fuel to the fire by revealing that the episode was partially staged.

The situation finally came to a head when the eldest son responded to a web media interview by saying, “I don’t want my mother and father to be talked about badly,” and Seiya (33) of SHIMOFURI MYOJO, who served as a reporter, spoke sincerely about the uproar on his radio.

However, in addition to young caregivers, the number of “amateurs” who have become difficult to handle on Reiwa’s TV programs is increasing. When featuring them on TV, it is better to research the backgrounds of the performers more thoroughly than before,” said a director of a production company.

The director of a production company said, “The “Unnan Extreme Neta Battle” aired on December 29, 2011! The Iromonaire” (TBS), which aired on December 29 last year, drew a flood of criticism from the general judges who did not laugh at all. The station issued a warning to the judges.

In this program, five studio spectators are chosen at random to serve as general judges, but if all of them are laughing, the project will not work. From the TV man’s point of view, it is natural that people who are strict about laughter should be included. I reconfirmed that the concept of the program itself is no longer in line with the times.

Nowadays, even amateurs who appear for street interviews are asked to sign a written pledge to appear on the show. More and more TV people are hesitant to do so.

On the other hand, there are projects in which amateurs participate, such as the “school hide-and-seek” game in “New Key” (Fuji Television Network), that are not associated with flames.

The students are positive about the project because they participate in it on a school-by-school basis. This is a big difference. The production is also skillful in creating opportunities for students who are not in the “first group,” who say and do things that are suitable for TV, and in avoiding negative teasing.

For example, students who are old-looking are only described in positive terms, such as “mature” and “solid. The production company director said, “The show is successful only because the values of the cast and crew have been updated to the newest level.

However, even the successful “Gakko Hide and Seek” was only broadcast as a special program. However, even the successful example of “Gakko e Ikurenbo” (School Hide and Seek) was only broadcast as a special program. (TBS), it is difficult for regular broadcasts to feature ordinary people,” points out a broadcaster.

It takes too much effort to research ordinary people every week. I think the use of people other than experts who are familiar with the media will decrease.

This is not in keeping with the age of Reiwa, where “missed programs” have become commonplace,” says the broadcaster.

It is risky to keep programs dealing with ordinary people in the archives for too long. And yet, it is difficult to get numbers for a variety of programs through distribution. It is also difficult to monetize, so there are few advantages for TV stations.

It is probably the city tours that are most useful for missed broadcasts. It is safe because it does not require a budget, and because the main objective is to interact with the people at the stores, who have the advantage of appearing on the program. And the celebrities who appear on “Machi-bura” are all very likable and talented.

The days when amateur stars were born on TV seem to be long gone.

From the March 6, 2026 issue of FRIDAY