Takuya Kimura and Takako Tokiwa in the lead roles… “The 3 Wise Men of Drama” talk about their ranking of the “Best Sunday Gekijo” of all time!

Sunday Gekijo,” all of which are masterpieces.

TBS’s “Sunday Gekijo” started in 1956 and has the longest history of any drama series in existence. Broadcasting every Sunday night from 9:00 p.m., the program has produced many national dramas that have achieved viewership ratings of over 40%. Reboot,” which is currently airing, also recorded a 13.3% viewer rating for its first episode, and continues to do well even in this day of declining television.

This time, FRIDAY invited TV producer Hiromichi Shizume, TV columnist Tamami Hiyama, and freelance writer Wakako Tajuki for a roundtable discussion. The three wise men, all well versed in TV dramas, chose the best “Sunday Gekijo” of all time.

Chinmoku: I had a hard time deciding, since there are so many masterpieces, but I would have to say my best is ” Beautiful Life: The Days We Were Together” (’00). It is a love romance that is not typical of Sunday theater, depicting the love between a hairdresser who cannot hold his own and the heroine who is afflicted with an incurable disease. I rewatched it this time and found no gaps in the script, acting, or editing.

Takayuki Tak uya Kimura (53) and Eriko Kitagawa (64), who wrote the script, were both in the groove at the time, and TBS had an ample budget. The actors and crew, as well as the TV station, were at their peak. The average viewer rating was 32.3%, and the final episode achieved an astounding 41.3%.

The heroine, played by Takako Tokiwa (53), lives in a wheelchair. The camera is positioned at the same height as when the heroine is sitting in her wheelchair. This kind of attention to detail in the camera work and other aspects of the film can be felt. There are many other shots that make you wonder, “How did they do that?

Taiga Dramas that Transcend NHK

Hiyama: I would recommend ” JIN” ( 2009). NHK Taiga Drama was the king of period dramas, and with “JIN” they took on the challenge of a middle-of-the-road period drama, and it was a great success. While many dramas fail by altering the original story, “JIN” tried to be as faithful to the original story as possible. The cast of actors, including Takao Osawa (58) and Haruka Ayase (40) in the lead roles, is also perfect. I think this is a “Taiga Drama that transcends NHK.

Takayuki: Yoshiko Morishita (55), who wrote the script for “Jin,” was also in charge of the NHK historical drama “Belabo: Tsutaje Eika No Yume Banashi. JIN” crossed the unique genres of medical drama and historical drama, and at the same time, it also delved into the theme of “sexual exploitation” in the Yoshiwara brothels. It seems to me that the roots of your later work, “Bekabo,” are already packed into “JIN-JIN.

Hiyama: When “JIN” was broadcast in 2009, there were not many dramas that delved into the structure of “sexual exploitation” to this extent. I think it is amazing that you were able to carry out such a theme in a Sunday drama series that often portrays a male-dominated society.

Takayuki: I strongly recommend ” Diamonds in the Sea ” (’24). It is a work that goes back and forth between postwar Gunkanjima (Hashima Island, Nagasaki Prefecture) and modern-day Tokyo, depicting the lives of people living in each place and a story of a family that transcends time. Ryunosuke Kamiki (32), who plays the lead role, brilliantly plays the dual roles of a young man living on the postwar Gunkanjima and a host living in the modern age. After “Diamonds in the Sea,” Kamiki’s reputation as an actor has risen. Unlike the conventional Sunday theater, the film depicted the life and atmosphere of the city people, which was refreshing.

Chinmoku: From a TV person’s point of view, the Sunday Gekijo series after ” Hanzawa Naoki ” (’13), starring Masato Sakai (52), had a huge increase in the number of “close-up” shots. The dialogue is delivered in one fell swoop, along with a close-up of the actor’s face. However, in “Diamonds in the Sea,” there are many close-up shots of Gunkanjima, the island where the film takes place. The world of Gunkanjima was created by combining parts of images shot in various locations. The latest technology and analog techniques are well combined.

Hiyama: “Hanzawa Naoki” has recorded the highest viewer rating of 42.2%. It is the highest number in the history of Sunday theater. It must also be the most popular ever.

Takayuki: It was also impressive that they cast Kabuki actors and stage actors from industries different from the drama field. However, it was too much of a hit, and subsequent Sunday theater productions like “Hanzawa Naoki” were mass-produced.

Chinmoku: A “pattern” has been created, including the facial close-ups, long speeches, and camera work, and everyone followed it.
I also like ” The Great Family ” (’07) starring Takuya Kimura. Set in a zaibatsu family, it depicts the power struggle and the accompanying anguish of the protagonist, which is a specialty of the Sunday theater. On the other hand, however, there is a conspicuous lack of “clarity” and long speeches that lead to the later “Hanzawa Naoki”.

Hiyama: I think there should be a space between the lines in a drama. In the past, there were many dramas that left room for the audience to think or feel something without explaining everything. But “Hanzawa Naoki” has no blank spaces, either in a good or bad way. Everything proceeds with an easy-to-understand composition of good and evil. Considering the fact that it has made subsequent works similar or the same, it is a work of ″mixed merits and demerits″.

The second part is here] The top 10 best “Sunday Gekijo” of all time as selected by the “3 wise men of drama”!

From the March 27/April 3, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY