or


[05/28/08 - 12:06 PM]
Ten American Players Announced for "I Survived a Japanese Game Show," Premiering Tuesday, June 24 on Abc
The final winner will take home $250,000.

[via press release from ABC]

TEN AMERICAN PLAYERS ANNOUNCED FOR "I SURVIVED A JAPANESE GAME SHOW," PREMIERING TUESDAY, JUNE 24 ON ABC

"I Survived a Japanese Game Show" has completed shooting in Japan for a premiere TUESDAY, JUNE 24 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. This unscripted reality/game show takes an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at 10 Americans (listed below) � many of whom have never traveled outside the United States -- who were whisked away to Japan to compete in the ultimate Japanese game show�with hilarious results. The final winner will take home $250,000.

Guiding the American players through their stay in Japan will be host/interpreter Tony Sano ("Touch Wood," "Beating Vegas"), an American actor fluent in Japanese; a house mother and resident pot-stirrer, Mamasan; and the witty game show host Rome Kanda ("Pink Panther," "Saturday Night Live"), who leads the contestants through all of the zany challenges.

The ten players are:

MARY GREENAWALT (23) Occupation: Gym membership sales rep Matthews, North Carolina Education: BFA Acting With her bright red hair and devil-may-care attitude, Mary is the epitome of a fireball. Admittedly vain, this vixen has a healthy love of herself and a low opinion of others. She's incredibly silly and relies on her pixieish charm to get by, and even gets paid for being a "party motivator" -- a job tailor made for this wild child.

ANDREW KELLY-HAYES (28) Occupation: Radio sales consultant Boston, Massachusetts Education: BA Journalism/Communication With his hilarious stories and off-the-wall energy, this flip flop-wearing funnyman could be a long-lost Belushi brother. Whether he's schmoozing old ladies at Bingo, harassing strangers while on "Smile Patrol" or joining his college cheerleading team to meet hot girls, Andrew has a reputation for being a nut.

BELINDA MADISON (38) Occupation: Veterinarian Charlotte, North Carolina Education: BS in Marine Science and DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) This independent, career focused woman is a feisty veterinarian who puts making money and friends before any romantic relationships. Belinda's confidence is evident in her vivacious and spunky -- yet poised -- persona.

CATHY NARDONE (21) Occupation: Affiliate manager Staten Island, New York Education: Bachelors Degree Happily born and raised in Staten Island, New York, Cathy is "Staten Island for life" with no plans or desires to ever leave. This brutally honest tough chick has a mouth like a sailor and will "swear to God" she's not to be messed with in the slightest.

DARCY SLETAGER (31) Occupation: Photo editor Sandpoint, Idaho Education: BFA Visual Arts This small town, single mom is in desperate need of an escape from her lackluster life of the cubicles and from the dating scene of Sandpoint, Idaho. Always putting her kids first, Darcy feels it's time to take herself off the back burner and get back to the fiery blonde she used to be.

DONNELL PITMAN (32) Occupation: Real estate appraiser Chicago, Illinois Although Donnell is usually loud and energetic, this "All American" dad is struggling to provide for his family and fulfill his shattered dreams of playing pro football. Donnell has competition coursing through his veins and would love the opportunity to prove to his family that he can be greater than what they've seen so far.

JUSTIN WOOD (24) Occupation: Financial representative Trussville, Alabama Education: Attending Community College Charming and good looking, Justin describes himself as a "divine, fine and genuine-grade-A piece of southern beast." A true southern gentleman, complete with the "twang," Justin is a fish-loving, hunting, girl-chasing guru at heart.

MEAGHAN COOPER (22) Occupation: Bartender San Antonio, Texas Education: AA degree Despite being born and raised in San Antonio, Meaghan is the spitting image of a blonde California Valley girl. Hot, ditzy and free-spirited, she uses her sex appeal to her advantage in both her work and personal life. And, of course, she loves to be the center of attention.

OLGA MEDVEDEV (26) Occupation: Waitress Medford, Massachusetts Education: BA in Broadcast Journalism Olga's "don't-mess-with-me attitude" comes off quite abrasive, if you're not ready for it, but who can blame her, coming from a Russian family with eight brothers? Not easily forgotten, this opinionated waitress is hilarious and comical with her "tell it like it is" way of life.

BEN HUGHES (44) Occupation: Punxsutawney Phil's handler / hospital VP Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Education: MS Human Resources He's lovable, he's comical, admittedly in the midst of a mid-life crisis, and he's the official handler of Punxsutawney Phil, the ground hog. Who wouldn't fall in love with this modest, cheerful and quirky character?

Some of the games/challenges will include:

WHY IS THIS FOOD SO HARD TO EAT? -- Why? Because the food is attached to the head of a teammate who must run in place on a fast-moving treadmill, while the first teammate leans over a platform and tries to eat from the moving dish.

CRAZY CRANE FINDS FLUFFY BEAR -- This takes the American arcade game to the next level, as blindfolded teammates must operate a moving crane while another teammate precariously dangles trying to collect as many stuffed animals as he/she can.

CHICKEN BUTT SCRAMBLE -- The contestants create their own version of Japanese scrambled eggs as they attempt to smash goo-filled oversized eggs with only their butts� while wearing chicken suits.

The executive producers are Arthur Smith and Kent Weed (A. Smith & Co., "Kitchen Nightmares," "Hell's Kitchen"), David Sidebotham, Karsten Bartholin and Tim Crescenti, from a concept by Babyfoot APS Denmark.





  [march 2026]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· HELL'S KITCHEN (FOX)
· I SURVIVED A JAPANESE GAME SHOW (ABC)
· KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (FOX)





[03/17/26 - 12:02 PM]
Hudson Williams, Jennifer Grey, Terry Chen, Elizabeth Adams, Hannah Galway, and William Mapother Join the Cast of "The Altruists"
The Netflix series tells the story of Sam Bankman-Fried (Anthony Boyle) and Caroline Ellison (Julia Garner), two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye...before they were accused of stealing $8 billion.

[03/17/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of March 9 - "One Piece" Season 2 Sets Sail for No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Proving that demand for prehistoric beasts will never go extinct, docuseries "The Dinosaurs" landed at No. 2 on the English TV list with 9.6 million views.

[03/17/26 - 12:01 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - April 2026
New series include "Dear Killer Nannies," "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair," "The Testaments," and "Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord."

[03/17/26 - 10:05 AM]
Chloe Bennet, Max Greenfield, Charlie Hall, Kumail Nanjiani, and Jarrad Paul Join Season 4 of "The White Lotus"
More arrivals await.

[03/17/26 - 10:01 AM]
"Stranger Things: Tales from '85" Coming to Select Theaters on April 18
The screenings of the first two episodes of the new series will take place on April 18 at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM local time, in 34 theaters in the U.S. in partnership with AMC Theatres.

[03/17/26 - 09:31 AM]
Netflix Announces New True-Crime Documentary "The Crash" Premiering May 15
Gareth Johnson directed the film, produced by RAW (an All3Media company).

[03/17/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Sweet Niblets! Official Trailer Drops for "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special"
The special will be released on Disney+ and Hulu on Tuesday, March 24 - 20 years to the day that the original series debuted on Disney Channel.

[03/17/26 - 08:24 AM]
Hulu Renews Hit Drama Series "Paradise," from Dan Fogelman and Starring Sterling K. Brown, for a Third Season
The show continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, amassing over 30M hours for S2 and nearly 12 billion minutes streamed globally across its first two seasons.

[03/17/26 - 08:01 AM]
"The Chi" Signs Off: First Look at the Eighth and Final Season on Paramount+
Production on the new season began in January, kicking off the road to the show's highly anticipated farewell.

[03/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
BritBox Announces Additional Casting, Start of Production for Season Three of Jimmy McGovern's Award-Winning Drama Series "Time"
The three-part drama will be led by David Tennant as Prison Officer Bailey with Siobhan Finneran reprising her role as Marie-Louise, a prison chaplain.

[03/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
Apple TV Announces "My Brother the Minotaur," Premiering April 24
A thrilling mix of folklore, mystery and adventure about a young minotaur - half boy, half bull - found and raised in the human world.

[03/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War" - Official Teaser - Prime Video
Jack Ryan returns in a major movie event. Stream "Ghost War" - May 20 on Prime Video.

[03/17/26 - 06:45 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Reveals Trailer & Key Art for Men's College Basketball Docuseries, "Made for March"
The docuseries chronicles two of college basketball's most renowned programs - Kansas Jayhawks and Michigan Wolverines--this season in their bid for a national championship.

[03/17/26 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Love on the Spectrum U.S." - Season 4 Official Trailer - Netflix
New and familiar faces star in this heartfelt documentary series that follows singles on the autism spectrum as they search for true love.

[03/17/26 - 06:01 AM]
New Four-Part Series "Shared Planet" Premieres Wednesdays, April 29-May 20, 2026 on PBS and PBS.org
In an age of serious environmental challenges, this four-part global series offers a look at an alternative and more hopeful future.