The 16th Nikkansports Drama Grand Prix (Autumn 2012)

Note that the number in brackets indicate the number of votes received:

Best Drama
1) PRICELESS (457)
2) Doctor X (212)
3) Aibou season 11 (120)
4) Taira no Kiyomori (75)
5) TOKYO Airport (71)

Best Leading Actor
1) Kimura Takuya - PRICELESS (548)
2) Mizutani Yutaka - Aibou 11 (235)
3) Sakai Masato - Ooku Tanjou (146)
4) Ikuta Toma - Osozaki no Himawari (130)
5) Matsuyama Kenichi - Taira no Kiyomori (107)

Best Leading Actress
1) Yonekura Ryoko - Doctor X (419)
2) Fukada Kyoko - TOKYO Airport (206)
3) Kanno Miho - Kekkon Shinai (176)
4) Kitagawa Keiko - Akumu-chan (152)
5) Natsuna - Jun to Ai (NHK)

Best Supporting Actor
1) Nakai Kiichi - PRICELESS (345)
2) Ishiguro Ken - Sousa Chizu no Onna (104)
3) Narimiya Hiroki - Aibou 11 (99)
4) Kishibe Ittoku - Doctor X (97)
5) Matsuda Shota - Taira no Kiyomori (70)

Best Supporting Actress
1) Karina - PRICELESS (434)
2) Uchida Yuki - Doctor X (129)
3) Fukada Kyoko - Taira no Kiyomori (79)
4) Tabe Mikako - Ooku Tanjou (77)
5) Maki Youko - Osozaki no Himawari (72)

Source: Nikkansports

Top 10 drama ratings for 2012 (single episode basis) - Oricon

Note that this takes into consideration the highest rating for a single episode of a drama series or the rating for an once-off drama SP so it will be different from the usual ratings ranking we see which is based on averages. Dates in brackets indicate the date when the episode or SP was shown:

1) Carnation (28 Jan 2012) - 25.0%

2) Ume-chan Sensei (11 Aug 2012) - 24.9%

3) Doctor X (13 Dec 2012 - Last episode) - 24.4%

4) 24 Jikan Terebi Drama SP Kuruma Isu de Boku wa Sora wo Tobu (25 Aug 2012) - 23.8%

5) Odoru Daisousasen THE LAST TV Salaryman Keiji to Saigo no Nanjiken (1 Sep 2012) - 21.3%

6) Aibou (21 Mar 2012 - Last episode) - 20.5%

7) PRICELESS (10 Dec 2012) - 20.1%

8) ATARU (15 Apr 2012) - 19.9%

9) Jun to Ai (1 Oct 2012) - 19.8%

10) Atsui Kuuki (22 Dec 2012) - 18.6%

Source: Oricon

Top 10 favourite dramas of the Autumn 2012 season (Ori Star)

Note that the sample size of this survey is relatively small (only 1,000) and that the pool of respondents are all ladies so preferences may be skewed towards certain genres and results may differ from what the ratings ranking reflects. Number in brackets indicate number of people who voted for the drama:

1) Kekkon Shinai (91)
2) Ooku - Tanjou (84)
3) PRICELESS (67)
4) Yuusha Yoshihiko to Akurei no Kagi (60)
5) Aibou (57)
6) Koukou Nyuushi (52)
7) MONSTERS (47)
8) Osozaki no Himawari ~ Boku no Jinsei, Renewal (46)
9) Akumu-chan (36)
10) TOKYO Airport (34)

Source: Ori Star

PRICELESS scores rating of 16.9% for its first episode

The first episode of FujiTV Gekku drama "PRICELESS" shown on 22 October achieved a rating of 16.9% which makes it third so far in terms of the debut episode ratings, falling behind "Aibou season 11" (19.9%) and "Doctor X" (18.6%). This is the first time that a Kimura Takuya drama has gone below the 20% mark for its first episode but considering the fact that the pro-baseball league's League Climax Series Match 6 was being shown on NTV at the same time and that the baseball match scored a high of 20.1%, this could be a reason why the ratings did not fare as well as expected. "PRICELESS" is Kimura's first drama in two-and-a-half years following 2010's spring drama "Tsuki no Koibito ~ Moon Lovers ~".

Source: Sponichi  

Production press conference of "PRICELESS"

The production press conference of FujiTV autumn drama "PRICESS ~ Aruwake needaro, nnamon! ~" was held on 11 October at Tokyo Station Hotel which was attended by cast members Kimura Takuya, Nakai Kiichi, Karina, Fujiki Naohito and Fujigaya Taisuke. The drama is scheduled to begin its run on 22 October at 9pm on Mondays. This drama also marks Kimura's 9th drama in the Gekku timeslot and he plays a poor man who gets fired at work, loses his money and home, misplaces his handphone and ends up as a wanderer on the street. Kimura revealed that they have yet to finish the filming for the first episode and that although it was a tough filming process, he enjoyed working with everyone on the set. Nakai Kiichi also said that this is the first time in his 32-year acting career that he's playing a character with little screen presence and can be ignored easily by the people around him.

Source: Sanspo

Preview of "PRICELESS" - Autumn 2012

Title: PRICELESS
Official site: here
O.A. Start Date: 22 October 2012
Timeslot: Mondays 9pm
Broadcast by: FujiTV
Theme song: Jumping Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones
Cast: Kimura Takuya, Nakai Kiichi, Karina, Fujigaya Taisuke, Renbutsu Misako, Masu Takeshi, Maeda Oushiro, Tanaka Kanao, Nakamura Atsuo, Issei Ogata, Natsuki Mari, Fujiki Naohito

Further cast announcements for autumn 2012 drama "PRICELESS"

Fujiki Naohito will be acting as the villian opposite Kimura Takuya in the upcoming autumn 2012 drama "PRICELESS ~ Aruwake needaro, nna mon~" which is due to begin its run in October at 9pm on Mondays. Kimura plays the lead character Kindaichi Fumio who is fired by his company due to something he was made a scapegoat for while Fujiki plays Oyashiki Toichiro, the vice president of the company who is out to make life difficult for Kindaichi. This will be the first time that the two of them are working together.

In addition, Issei Ogata will play the role of Zaizen Osamu, the managing director who is an ally of Toichiro and helps in the latter's ploy. The president of the company Oyashiki Iwao will be played by Nakamura Atsuo who last worked with Kimura in 2008's "CHANGE". Kis-My-Ft2's Fujigaya Taisuke will play Enomoto Kotaro, a junior at Kimura's colleague who looks up to him and this will also be Fujigaya's first role as a salaryman. The Marioka brothers who teach Kindaichi how to survive without money and a home will be played by child actors Maeda Oushiro and Tanaka Kanau. Natsuki Mari will play the brothers' grandmother while Masu Takeshi will be the master of the drinking place which Kindaichi frequents.

Source: Oricon

"PRICELESS" to feature a song from The Rolling Stones as its theme

The upcoming autumn drama "PRICELESS" starring Kimura Takuya will feature the 1968 hit "Jumpin' Jack Flash" from The Rolling Stones as its theme song. This is the first time that this song has been used as a drama's theme song and only the third The Rolling Stones song to be used as a Japanese drama or movie theme since 1988 movie "Hana no Asukagumi" and 1997 FujiTV drama "Face". This is also the fourth time that a KimuTaku Gekku drama is using a foreign artist's song as its theme.

Source: Sanspo

Kimura Takuya to make his return to Gekku in autumn drama "PRICELESS"

SMAP's Kimura Takuya will return to the Gekku timeslot with his autumn drama "PRICELESS" which is due to begin its run in October. Having played many characters with high-flying occupations, Kimura will play a middle-management employee in a big company where he suddenly becomes the scapegoat of a crime he didn't commit. This results in him losing his job, family and money and he has to learn how to survive in such difficult conditions after meeting various people along the way. Co-stars include Nakai Kiichi who plays Kimura's boss who cannot be counted on and Karina who plays an employee in the accounting department of the same company. Filming is due to begin soon.

Source: Sponichi Annex