How do you like Wednesday?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Suiyō Dōdeshō
Format Variety
Created by Tadahisa Fujimura
Masamichi Ureshino
Starring Takayuki Suzui
Yō Ōizumi
Country of origin Japan
No. of episodes 239
Production
Running time approx. 0:30 (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel HTB
Original run October 9, 1996 – September 25, 2002

How do you like Wednesday? (水曜どうでしょう Suiyō Dōdeshō?) is a famous Japanese TV variety series from Hokkaidō Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (HTB).

It was first shown on HTB on October 9, 1996 and achieved remarkable 18.6% viewing rate in December 8, 1999 that is very unusual for a late-night program made by a local TV. It made a name with the unique dialogue held between 4 guys over the series and has got spread gradually beyond its local by word of mouth, over the Internet and the DVD releases. The weekly regular series was halted in September 2002, but the new one has still been made approximately every one and a-half years so far since then; the latest series has been shown on HTB since October 19, 2005 (8 parts total). Most of the series have been rerun under the names of Dōdeshō Returns and Suiyō Dōdeshō Classic in many parts of Japan from its home ground, Hokkaidō, to the far south Okinawa.

Until the program's success, local variety programs in Hokkaidō were virtually non-existent. Now, however, local stations there produce more than 10 programs a week, all casting someone from the Office Cue, the agent which the regular casts of this program belong to. The program also had a significant influence to local programs of other regions in Japan, most notably Kwangaku! in Kansai region and Nobunaga in Tōkai region.

Contents

[edit] Casts and staffs

[edit] Regular casts

  • Takayuki Suzui (鈴井 貴之), actor and film director.
  • Yō Ōizumi (大泉 洋), actor and singer.
    • Ōizumi, now a famous actor, was a nameless college student when the program started.

[edit] Directors

  • Tadahisa Fujimura (藤村 忠寿) narrator who is HTB's editor.
  • Masamichi Ureshino (嬉野 雅道) cameraman who is HTB's editor.
    • Although they are supposed to be backroom staffs, they, especially Fujimura, do talk a lot in the program, often more than quiet Suzui.

[edit] Semi-regular cast

  • Ken Yasuda (安田 顕), actor.

[edit] Format

Suiyō Dōdeshō is apparently a journey TV series. But the main contents is a conversation while moving by Suzui, Ōizumi, and Fujimura. Most of the conversations are grumbling, quarreling, and taking by a seat.

[edit] Some selected episodes

[edit] Journey on a Dice

"You have to go wherever the dice tells you to."
"You have to go wherever the dice tells you to."

One of the most popular series in the program, repeated for 7 times/seasons. They start the journey from Tokyo, trying to "go back " to Sapporo. They write 6 choices of public transportations with random destinations available at each points, and choose one of them by dice, then follow the choice no matter what. The outcome is often completely opposite direction from Sapporo, wandering in somewhere totally unrelated. They have to continue moving until they reach Sapporo, meaning they often have to spend nights at night buses.

[edit] Journey on the Country Signs of 212 Municipalities in Hokkaidō

Another popular series in earlier years. Suzui and Ōizumi travel their motherland, Hokkaidō, visiting each municipalities one by one, 212 in total at the time. To choose where to visit, however, they randomly pick a card. Each card has country signs (logo signs for tourists) representing each municipality, and they have to visit there. If they pick a card showing the sign of the town in southern Hokkaidō, then they have to go there even if they are 400km away in northern Hokkaidō. When Ōizumi heard the concept for the first time, naturally, he replied "It's nothing different from the Journey on a Dice!".

[edit] Tokyo Walker

The episode title is a reference to Tokyo Walker, a famous town magazine. This time, Ōizumi was given a chance to choose any place he wants to go by himself, as long as it's within Tokyo. What he didn't know, however, is the fact that they have to go all the places on foot.

[edit] Plunging the Arctic: 620 miles in Alaskan Peninsula

Suzui wanted to see aurora for a long time. This time they go to Alaska and rent a camper, drive to Coldfoot, a settlement where aurora appears. However, they can't see aurora at all until the last day, leaving their last hope on Coldfoot.

[edit] Tōhoku Living Hell Tour, Three Days and Two Nights

There was a group tour for the fans of the program, makes them visit Tōhoku region that had been introduced in earlier episodes. Following the tour, Suzui and Ōizumi want to meet their fellow fans, but they fear the panic made by their appearance. Because of that, they try approaching fans in disguise.

[edit] Journey on Picture Postcards, All Japan

This time, they pick a picture postcard, and go to the place which the picture shows, trying to take exactly the same picture.

[edit] The Longest Cooking Program in Japan: Chef Ōizumi, Summer Vegetable Special

Ōizumi insists he is a good chef, although others think the dish he makes is often unbearably bad. This time, "the chef" Ōizumi was requested to make dishes with fresh summer vegetables. So fresh to the point, Ōizumi first has to cultivate the land to plant summer vegetables.

[edit] Quiz! Dōdeshō to be on the Test

"Educational Program" broadcasted on college entrance exam season. Ōizumi has to answer the questions used for real college entrance exams, related to Japanese geography. When he makes a mistake, he has to go to the place of the right answer. For instance, if he couldn't answer the question "What is the name of the landscape in Akiyoshidō, Yamaguchi?", then he has to go to Akiyoshidō.

[edit] Shikoku Pilgrimage 88 Temples, the Complete Conquest

Ōizumi and the directors have to visit all the 88 temples of Shikoku Pilgrimage route within 4 or 5 days. Which means they have to drive all the time, on narrow and curvy roads of Shikoku.

[edit] Mopeds Rally, Throughout Eastern Japan

Suzui takes Ōizumi to Tokyo, and buys two cubs for them. Ōizumi is delighted, until the director tells him that he has to take the moped back to Sapporo, by riding itself all the way.

[edit] Europe Revenge: The Beautiful Countries Break Humans

They drive from Paris and go through Germany, Denmark, and Scandinavian Peninsula, all the way to Helsinki. The beautiful, yet boring scenery of Scandinavia eventually makes them irritated.

[edit] We Show You All the Backstage Scenes of the 30 Hours Television!

Once, this late night program was broadcasted on prime time as a special program. To cerebrate it, the two casts hosted the "30 Hours Television", which was nothing but a series of live commercials scattered for 30 hours, few seconds each.

[edit] Hà Nội to Hồ Chí Minh City: Mopeds Throughout Vietnam 1800km

The last series of regular episodes, titled "The Last Run". This time, they have to go through Vietnam by mopeds, where the flood of countless mopeds goes across streets.

[edit] After regular episodes

  • 2003: Visitting places where they have been
  • 2004: Going to the jungle in Malaysia
  • 2005: Fishing in Iriomote Island
  • 2007: Visiting 20 countries in Europe

[edit] How do you like Wednesday? in popular culture

  • Pani Poni Dash!: The anime title occasionally makes a reference to the program, namely in the episode 19, 23, and 26.
  • Negima!?: The anime by the same staffs of Pani Poni Dash!, also makes multiple references to How do you like Wednesday?, such as the one in episode 4. [1]
  • Haken no Hinkaku: Ōizumi played Shōji, an important role in this dorama. In its last episode, Shōji is looking at a poster showing the Japanese map titled "The Showdown Archipelago", which resembles the episode of How do you like Wednesday?.
  • Nurse Witch Komugi Z: In the second episode of the second season, a mob character wears a shirt lettered "How do you like Friday?".

[edit] External links

Languages