On the problem-solving variety show "Kaiketsu! Nainai Answer" ("Solution! Ninety-nine Answers"; Nippon TV, Tues., 9 p.m.), comedy duo Ninety-nine and some celebrities offer advice to viewers who send in stories of personal tribulations. A studio audience of 50 women then ranks the solutions from best to worst.
In this week's two-hour special, the celebrities themselves have personal problems, though Ninety-nine's Takashi Okamura thinks they're mostly bogus. Maybe he has a point. Among them is one former pinup model's difficulties in trying to adjust to "country life" and an actress' obsession with pachinko. However, there is also a comedian's battle with cancer and a former soccer star's coming to terms with his violent father.
More advice is offered by ubiquitous chatterboxes Matsuko Deluxe and Hiroiki Ariyoshi on "Matsuko to Ariyoshi no Ikari Shinto" ("Matsuko and Ariyoshi's Angry New Party"; TV Asahi, Wed., 11:15 p.m.), in which the two stars, acting as executives of a fictional political party, make proposals to viewers who send in "complaints." Both get lots of work on variety shows because of their frank opinions. Deluxe, in fact, just had a new talk show on TBS canceled after only one installment because it was considered too frank.