Fuji TV Casts an Actor in His 50s for Its Monday 9 PM Drama… The “Inside Story” Behind the Increasing Age of Lead Actors in Terrestrial TV Dramas

52-Year-Old GACKT to Star in Fuji TV’s “Monday 9”

The lineup for the summer drama season has been announced. Fuji TV has cast GACKT (52) as the lead in *Black Trick: The Lawyer Who Manipulates Justice*, which will air in its flagship “Monday 9 PM” time slot.Fuji has also cast three actors in their 50s in leading roles: Takashi Sorimachi (52) in *GTO*, which is making its return as a serial drama for the first time in 28 years, and Yuki Uchida (50) in *Last Note*.

“Fuji TV, led by its ‘Monday 9’ slot, used to be known for programs aimed at younger audiences, but a series of scandals that erupted last year led to a complete overhaul of the management team. As the network seeks to reinvent itself, the average age of its main cast is rising,” said a writer for a television trade magazine.

“Opportunities for veterans to play leading roles are increasing in dramas on other networks as well,” the writer points out, but the trend toward older casts is particularly pronounced at Fuji TV.Last fall’s “Monday 9” drama, *Absolute Zero: Emergency Investigation into Cybercrime*, caused a stir by casting Yasuko Sawaguchi (61) in the lead role. In the currently airing *Detective with Separate Surnames*, 57-year-old Jiro Sato is starring.

“Since the start of the Reiwa era, all networks have adopted core viewership ratings (ratings among men and women aged 13–49) as a benchmark for creating new programs. The pitch was that targeting this core demographic—which has high purchasing power—would please sponsors, but it didn’t translate into results.To begin with, core viewership ratings were promoted by advertising agencies as a selling point to persuade sponsors to place ads, in response to declining household viewership caused by the diversification of hobbies and the proliferation of multiple channels.Realizing that young people were no longer watching terrestrial TV, the networks began casting more veteran actors—who are popular among middle-aged and older viewers, the main demographic for household ratings,” said a source at an advertising agency.

To win back the sponsors it had lost amid the recent turmoil, it became an urgent priority for Fuji to secure stable viewership ratings.

“After all, renowned producers and talented staff members have been leaving Fuji one after another. While the revival of ‘GTO’ is symbolic, the truth is that they have no choice but to rely on past hits and stars of yesteryear.

TV Asahi presents a stark contrast. While it used to be strongly associated with long-running series favored by middle-aged and older viewers, such as *Aibou* and *Doctor X*, in recent years it has been proactive in casting young actors. There’s also been an increase in bold projects like *A Happy Marriage* and *Just a Little ESP*.“That’s probably the confidence that comes with being the triple crown winner in ratings. Conversely, the aging of their lead actors is a sign of that lack of confidence,” says a producer at a major network.

With streaming content becoming established and the emergence of vertical short dramas designed for smartphone viewing, “young actors are no longer fixated on terrestrial TV,” says an entertainment agency executive.

“While the pay for vertical short dramas isn’t high, the shooting period is short, so even young actors without name recognition or a track record can land leading roles. More and more agencies are prioritizing these opportunities as a way for their talent to gain experience.”

The trend toward an aging main cast in terrestrial TV dramas is likely to continue.

“For shows expected to generate high view counts, streaming platforms like Netflix may cover part of the production costs, but for most shows, we have no choice but to make do with the production budget provided by sponsors. Terrestrial TV dramas have to deliver high ratings,” says a production company director.

Television is once again becoming the domain of middle-aged and older viewers—