''SMAP×SMAP'', often referred to simply as ''Sma-Sma'', was a Japanese television
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...
hosted by boy band
SMAP. Debuting on April 15, 1996, it was produced by
Kansai TV and
Fuji TV
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...
and aired on Fuji TV every Monday from 10:00 p.m. to 10:54 p.m. (
JST) until it ended on December 26, 2016.
Since its premiere, the show has been critically acclaimed for its originality and unique, distinct format and has become an iconic television show in Japan. It quickly became the most watched television program, attracting an average of 20 million viewers per episode, often ranking at #1 in year-end ratings. It has become the show that features the widest range of guests in Japanese television history, including actors, singers, models, athletes, filmmakers, and politicians, both Japanese and from abroad. It is the eighth longest-running
prime-time
Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to b ...
television program in Japan and the second longest-running prime-time television program on Fuji Television.
History
From April 10, 1995, SMAP began starring in their variety show, ''SMAP no Gambarimashou'', which aired every weeknights, until September 29, 1995. It consisted of interviews with celebrities, sketch comedies, and musical performances. The program's format became the basis for their new variety show, ''SMAPxSMAP'', and served as its predecessor. ''SMAPxSMAP'' was launched six months after ''Gambarimashou'' ended and became the band's first television program on a
prime-time slot.
The title of the program was derived from the film ''
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
'' (1977).
The first episode aired on April 15, 1996. Mori later announced his departure from the band and SMAP made their last television appearance as a six-piece on May 27, 1996, in a special episode dedicated to Mori. From then on, the band has hosted the show as a five-piece.
Format
Each episode is usually composed of three segments, "Bistro SMAP", a second segment which varies every week, and "S-Live".
Bistro SMAP
A cooking-themed interview segment, which airs during the first half of the program, usually lasting from 25 to 30 minutes. It has been airing from the first episode since the program's launch in 1996.
The set is of a two-story restaurant, a kitchen on the ground floor and a dining room on the top.
Nakai plays the role of the manager of the restaurant, serving as the host of the segment.
Kimura,
Inagaki,
Kusanagi, and
Katori are divided into two teams and play the role of the chefs. Nakai first asks the guest's name in which they made their reservation and brings him or her to the table.
The segment's premise appears on the screen:
After asking what the guest would like to eat, Nakai rings a small bell and says, "Order! xxx (name of the meal)". The four members in the kitchen answer, "Oui Monsieur!", meaning "Yes, sir" in French, and begin to cook. Nakai interviews the guest while the chefs cook a full-course meal. Once they are done cooking, Nakai leads the guest to the kitchen and the chefs join Nakai and interviews the guest or play a little game. They all then go back to the dining room and let the guest have their meal made by the two teams. Once the guest is finished eating, he/she chooses the winner. Female guests give the winning team members a kiss on the cheek and male guests usually give the winners a gift as a reward.
Comedy skit: While the guest is having the food cooked by the team that Katori isn't in, Katori goes backstage to change into a different costume for a short comedy skit. Nakai asks how the food is and the guest answers, "Oishii desu", meaning "It's delicious". Nakai shouts, "Oishii! (Delicious!)" and Katori comes back to the set and performs a skit, usually related to the guest or the film, television series, or music the guest is promoting.
In the first few episodes when SMAP was a six-piece, the chefs were played by Kimura, Mori, Inagaki, and Kusanagi, and Katori played the role of the waiter. Katori joined to play one of the chefs after Mori's departure from the band. The segment was initially created to show off Mori's cooking skills, although they decided to continue the segment after his departure.
International guests include:
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
,
Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...
,
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
,
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
,
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...
,
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began appearing in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film), Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Hea ...
,
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...
,
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...
,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
,
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...
,
Whoopi Goldberg
Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...
,
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, Cameron Diaz filmography, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s a ...
,
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, and socialite. Hilton was born in New York City and raised there partially; shuttling between Los Angeles and New York City; she is a great-grandda ...
,
Jane Birkin
Jane Mallory Birkin ( ; 14 December 1946 – 16 July 2023) was a British and French actress, singer, and designer. She had a prolific career as an actress, mostly in French cinema.
A native of London, Birkin began her career as an actress, ...
,
Amanda Seyfried,
Miranda Kerr
Miranda May Kerr (; born 20 April 1983) is an Australian model. She rose to prominence in 2007 as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. Kerr was the first Australian Victoria's Secret model and also represented the Australian department store c ...
,
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
,
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
,
David Beckham
Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham ( ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, cross ...
,
Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (; born 5 February 1992), also known as Neymar Júnior or simply Neymar, is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left winger, attacking midfielder or Forward (association foo ...
,
Usain Bolt
Usain St. Leo Bolt (; born 21 August 1986) is a Jamaican retired sprinter who is widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time. He is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, ...
,
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
, etc.
Sketch comedy and games
The second segment varies every week and lasts from 15 to 25 minutes. The band members usually participate in sketch comedies and games. Sketch comedies include both originals and parodies of popular films and television series.
International guests include:
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
,
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
,
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
,
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, Cameron Diaz filmography, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s a ...
,
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both Sarah Jessica Parker filmography, screen and stage. List o ...
,
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
,
Jaden Smith
Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998) is an American rapper and actor. The son of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, he has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young A ...
,
Ashton Kutcher,
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...
, etc.
S-Live
A musical segment, which airs at the end of the program, usually lasting about 5 minutes. It has been airing from the first episode since the program's launch in 1996, along with Bistro SMAP.
There are three types of musical performances. One is an act by SMAP alone singing their own songs, which happens especially when they release a new single or an album. Another is SMAP covering other artists' songs. A third type is a collaboration with other artists, where they have a musical guest and perform their songs together.
The End Talk: S-Live ends with a one-minute long segment called The End Talk, which is taped after shooting the musical performance. The band looks back on the performance they have just done and briefly interviews the guest. On episodes they do not have a musical guest, The End Talk is done by the band alone and the length of the segment is longer than usual, often answering questions from the fans they get through the program's website.
International guests include:
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
,
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...
,
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
,
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
,
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
,
Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...
,
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...
,
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, d ...
,
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...
,
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
,
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
,
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
,
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
,
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
,
Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
, etc.
Episodes
Special episodes
Love Awards
The Love Awards honor the best clips of the year with scenes that never aired on the program.
S-1 Grand Prix
The S-1 Grand Prix features a series of games with the losing team playing a punishment game.
SMAP×SMAP MEMORIES FILE Final
The last episode of the series features clips from the show's twenty-year run aired on December 26, 2016 at 18:30 JST
Notable episodes
Highest-rated episode
After Inagaki's temporary hiatus in 2001, SMAP made their first television appearance as a five-piece for the first time in six months. A live episode welcoming back Inagaki aired on January 14, 2002, which eventually became the highest-rated episode of ''SMAPxSMAP'', with 34.2 million viewers. The episode also is ranked at #7 for the most watched Japanese variety show in history.
Michael Jackson's appearance
On June 5, 2006,
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
made a surprise guest appearance. During the taping of the program's musical segment, S-Live, Jackson appeared on the set and visited SMAP. Chairs were brought in and the six of them made a brief conversation, along with a translator. The episode also aired footage of Jackson watching the band's performance in the
production control room
The production control room (PCR) or studio control room (SCR) is the place in a television studio in which the composition of the outgoing program takes place.
The production control room is occasionally also called an SCR or a gallerythe latte ...
backstage, before he made his appearance on the set. Jackson promised SMAP that he would make an official guest appearance on the program the next time he was in Japan, though that did not come true, due to his death in 2009. SMAP was later invited to ''
Michael Jackson's This Is Its world premiere, after having recorded Jackson's last television appearance.
''SMAP's First Trip''
On April 8, 2013, a three-hour-long special entitled, ''SMAP's First Trip'' aired in celebration of the band's 25th anniversary since its formation in 1988. The band was given a three-day break to take a trip as a group, without an itinerary, allowing the members to do whatever they wanted. The episode became one of the most highest-rated television programs aired that year, marking above the 20% household share.
''50 Singles 40-minute Nonstop Special''
On September 9, 2013, the same day SMAP's debut single was released in 1991, a special episode entitled, ''50 Singles 40-minute Nonstop Special'' was aired. The band performed all of their past fifty singles in a medley, nonstop for forty minutes, without a break and without any commercials.
Theme Songs
*1996: Blue Thunder, SHAKE
*1997: Dynamite, Peace!
*1998: Beyond the Night Sky
*1999: Let's Go See the Sunrise
*2000: Let It Be
*2002: freebird
*2010: This is love
*2011: Half of Me
*2013: Mistake!
*2014: Top Of The World
*2015: Otherside
Related shows
''Baby Smap'' is a five-minute-long
spin-off or
sidequel of ''SMAPxSMAP'' that has been airing on Sunday nights at 1:30 a.m. from April 15, 2007.
The program mainly features unaired scenes from ''SMAPxSMAP'' and scenes from next week's episode. Occasionally, the program is subtitled "New Project Factory" and SMAP members appear on the show, participating in the taping of short games. It was originally created to let young, rookie or "baby"
television producer
A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon acce ...
s come up with ideas for a new segment for ''SMAPxSMAP''. At the end of the program, SMAP members decide if the game can be used as a new segment on ''SMAPxSMAP''.
Reception
Ratings
Production information
Taping
From 1996 to 2007, taping took place at studio A2 at TMC Studios in
Setagaya
is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower is the fringed orchid, and its tree is the '' Ze ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. From 2007, it is taped at the Wangan Studio in
Koto, Tokyo.
Taping generally takes place on Wednesdays and Thursdays in front of a live audience, except sketch comedies and the musical segment S-Live, which are shot without a studio audience. Two out of the three segments aired in a single episode, are taped in one day.
Taping often goes on past midnight until early morning, depending on the schedules of the SMAP members.
References
External links
KTV - SMAP×SMAP official websiteFuji TV - SMAP×SMAP official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:SMAPxSMAP
Japanese game shows
Fuji Television original programming
1996 Japanese television series debuts
2016 Japanese television series endings
1990s Japanese television series
2000s Japanese television series
2010s Japanese television series
Japanese variety television shows