Search »

Japan TV Viewers Tune in to U.S. Dramas

Japanese TV viewers are turning to imports such as 24, The West Wing and The Sopranos as viewers grow tired of the local fare they are served by their five terrestrial commercial channels and Nippon Hoso Kyokai, the national broadcaster, Inside Branded Entertainment reports.

Primetime for Japanese broadcasters is 7-11 p.m., with “golden time” from 7-10 p.m. and is dominated by sitcoms, dramas, light entertainment and music programs. It also is the most expensive time of day for advertisers. The producers of these shows are under pressure to keep them cheap, so there aren’t many risks taken.

Dave Spector, a Japanese TV critic, speculates that with more Japanese citizens traveling abroad and seeing entertainment - particularly dramas - provided in the U.S. or Britain, as well as increased access to satellite and cable channels and Internet TV, viewers here are becoming tired of Japan’s “insipid and juvenile” dramas.

People are beginning to watch imported shows including 24, The West Wing, The Sopranos. “People are beginning to ignore the domestic dramas and watch imports - and that’s not just Western imports because Korean dramas are enjoying a huge boom here at the moment,” Spector said.