On September 10th, TV Asahi held a briefing at its headquarters (Minato Ward, Tokyo) regarding its October programming changes. The company explained that the October programming changes are an "all-target strategy," and that "we will pursue a timetable that meets the needs of all generations."
In the annual and fiscal year viewer ratings for 2024, the station achieved a triple crown in both household and individual viewer ratings for the all-day (6:00 AM to midnight), golden time (7:00 PM to 10:00 PM), and prime time (7:00 PM to 11:00 PM) slots. The station explained that it will renew the program in order to strengthen this trend.
New variety shows will be introduced during the weekday prime time slot. "Japan Exploration Academic Variety: Tuesday's Yoshizumi Kotaro" will start at 8pm on Tuesdays, and "Aiba Hiromi's Problem Car?" will start at 7pm on Thursdays. Both shows were well-received in their past specials.
New late-night variety shows will start in the time slot: "Koichi & Shige's SHOW Man!!" (Mondays at 11:15pm *excluding some areas), "Fantastic PARK" featuring the LDH Group (Tuesdays at 1:02am *Kanto local), and "Nika Game" (Wednesdays at 1:58am *Kanto local), which has been well-received for its catch-up streaming and real-life events.
"TV Chidori," which was previously broadcast at 12:15 a.m. on Thursdays, will move to 11:45 p.m. on Tuesdays, becoming a nationwide network program. The program has been moved around several times since it began airing in April 2019, and this time it will be making a "return" to the national network. "Mitorizu Jan," which airs at 12:10 a.m. on Sundays, will move into the time slot where "TV Chidori" was previously broadcast.
The three-night Drama Zone on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will feature "A Little Bit of Esper" (Tuesdays at 9 PM), starring a star-studded cast including Yo Oizumi and Aoi Miyazaki, along with hit-maker Akiko Nogi, the latest season of the popular detective drama "Aibou Season 24" (Wednesdays at 9 PM), and "Emergency Interrogation Room" (Thursdays at 9 PM). The main cast of "A Little Bit of Esper" has so far been announced to be Oizumi, Miyazaki, and Dean Fujioka, with more of the star-studded cast to be announced one by one every Tuesday.
The rescheduling rate was 7.5% for all day, 22.5% for golden time, and 19.6% for prime time.
