TV in Japan

TV in Japan NPR’s The Bryant Park Project

I was interviewed today on NPR about the influx of Japanese Game Shows on both network and cable television here in the states. The show was ‘The Bryant Park Project’ which we don’t get here in LA but I hope gets here soon. It seems like an NPR for a younger generation which is cool.

The interview was good I think - however I am far from an expert on Japanese TV. If you’ve here expecting detailed analysis I apologize in advance. If you’re interested, take a listen.

I’d also be interested in hearing your take on these shows, specifically ‘I Survived a Japanese Game Show’. Is it going to be good? Are you going to watch?

You can also click here to take you to the story and the audio.

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Posted in: TV in Japan News, Truly Awesome

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 1:52 pm and is filed under TV in Japan News, Truly Awesome. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “TV in Japan NPR’s The Bryant Park Project”

Matt June 26th, 2008 at 8:00 am

The thing that worries me about ISAJGS is that they just had to go in and add a reality TV element. It’s like the producers don’t believe that the wackiness of a Japanese game show can survive on its own merits in the American market, so they had to add something else. I’ll reserve judgment until I see it, but I would like it to be awesome. If it isn’t awesome, then I’ll just go back to watching the Japanese variety shows.

ABC has two new game shows coming out; that one and also Wipeout, which is a bit like Takeshi’s Castle. I’m actually looking forward to Wipeout more, because it seems like it has more potential as the type of entertainment that the Japanese game shows provide. Just people making a fool of themselves in the blind pursuit of victory.

Evan June 26th, 2008 at 8:26 pm

Just saw the premier, and I thought it was pretty good. I’m glad they didn’t spend as much time as I feared with the inter-competitor drama. I loved the games, and recognized a few of them, generally at least, from this very blog!

Eating on a treadmill: http://tvinjapan.com/blog/2007/06/26/treadmill-of-death-sprint-game-on-japanese-tv/

Jumping onto a wall to score points: http://tvinjapan.com/blog/2008/06/13/letterman-usque-velrco-wall-gets-japanese-game-show-treatment/

Roger S June 27th, 2008 at 7:39 am

I watched half of the I Survived show. It is similar to shows in Japan, but it’s over the top in ways that don’t seem Japanese to me. I don’t recall the audience in a Japanese show banging on little hand drums throughout the show, chanting things or for the losing contestants being carried out by a large group of men in black suits.

Production values actually seemed lower than real Japanese TV.

louis riviere June 27th, 2008 at 10:48 am

That Japanese game show is not real. Looks like a staged show with a cast of background actors. This game show is only used for this show not for television in Japan. Used to live in Tokyo and seen many shows. I should have been cast for this show!

louis riviere June 27th, 2008 at 10:50 am

Opps, forgot to say that I noticed a lot of staging in their Shibuya outdoor/above ground shots of people walking with their umbrellas. Probably shot in the middle of the night with background actors.

Mat Schaffer June 27th, 2008 at 3:26 pm

Totally agreed with previous posters on ISAJGS. It’s closer to a japanese show from the early 90s or something. Then totally americanized to come off feeling like a Double Dare rip off. And to top it off, the japanese in the title (before it switches to english) is missing “ゲー”. They just put “ム番組”. I was really hoping they could do better.