Fukuda-Gumi Said To Lack Freshness — the Merits and Demerits of the “Greatest Tag Team in Drama”

In May, TV Asahi HD announced “Notice of Changes in Representative Directors and Executive Officers,” revealing the promotion of that famous producer.

Sachiko Uchiyama, 57, a producer known for the “Doctor X” drama series starring Ryoko Yonekura, 46, was appointed as a director. Although she now has a well-established image as a hit maker, her first production was cancelled due to low ratings, and she was not that prominent until she met Yonekura.

A TV Asahi insider asserts, “The tag team with Yonekura was the deciding factor.

The TV Asahi official asserts, “The deciding factor was the teamwork with Yonekura. Yonekura does not like too much color in her work. It was because of the good relationship between Uchiyama and Yonekura that the show continued until Season 7. Chairman Hiroshi Hayakawa (78) has been very pleased with the relationship between Yonekura and Uchiyama, and it is said that she may become TV Asahi’s first female president.

Like Yonekura and Uchiyama, there are many famous tag teams in the drama industry.

It was announced that Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (48) will return to commercial TV dramas in the January season next year with the latest installment of Kantele’s “revenge series. The producer of the series, Yoshishige Miyake, has known Kusanagi for a long time, having directed the “Boku Series” trilogy starring Kusanagi, including “Boku no Ikiru Michi” (The Way I Live).

Although the Fair Trade Commission has warned the Johnny’s s office that pressuring TV stations not to use former “SMAP” members is a violation of the Antimonopoly Law, it has made it easier for them to use former “SMAP” members in their productions. However, it would not have been possible for Kusanagi to be cast in the lead role without the trust between him and Miyake,” said an advertising agency official.

Tomoya Nagase (43), who left Johnny’s last year and effectively retired from show business, chose “The Story of My House” (TBS) as his last film, which was also handled by the strongest tag team.

Producer Akira Isoyama (54) and screenwriter Kankuro Kudo (51), who worked on “Ikebukuro West Gate Park,” which established Nagase as an actor, were the tag team behind the film. The film’s actors, including Sadawo Abe (52), Ryuta Sato (42), and Kokoro Yazawa (41), made surprise appearances to add to the festivities.

The film was written by Yoshiko Morishita (51), screenwriter of many hit movies such as “JIN” (TBS) with Haruka Ayase (37), and “Inspector Asagao” with Juri Ueno (36). (36) and producer Ayaka Kaneshiro of Fuji Television Network (35), who is in charge of the “Inspector Asagao” series, and other famous tag-teams exist at various stations.

The stations have established relationships of trust with popular actors, so it is an advantage for them to be able to hold down their schedules. Drama fans are well aware of the famous tag team, so they become the talk of the town even before the show airs, which leads to higher viewer ratings. This also leads to viewer ratings.

Of course, it is not all merit.

The “Fukuda team” of film director Yuichi Fukuda (54) is a typical example, but the actors used tend to be fixed and the casting lacks freshness. If you make a film that is different from the style of your previous films, you will lose your fixed fans, so you will end up with similar films every time.” Many directors are hesitant to cast actors because of the “Fukuda-gumi” coloration. There is a risk that the range of acting will be narrowed and the actor’s life will be shortened.

(A senior executive of an entertainment professional) Perhaps it is only the TV stations that welcome the famous tag-team.

From the July 29 and August 5 issues of FRIDAY