On
SpikeTV, Hey! Spring of Trivia is the show that's almost always immediately after
MXC, as they are both the only parts of the station's '
odd Japanese game shows' segment. The show is essentially a
30 minute-long look at five or six pieces of
trivia. There are two hosts (Katsumi Takahashi and Norito Yashima) who present the
trivia, and five judges, who vote on how interesting or surprising the
trivia is. Always sitting closest to the hosts is Kazuyoshi Morita, the '
Chairman'. In front of each of the judges is a button that makes a
high-pitched "Hey!" noise when pressed. For every
trivia, each judge has 20 "Hey!"s to award, and up near the hosts, a running total of all "Hey!"s so far is displayed on a screen.
The Chairman is almost always unimpressed by the trivia, and rarely gives more than 10 "Hey!"s. After each trivia is stated, a short video is shown of an expert explaining it, and then a demonstration of the trivia in action. The winning trivia (the one that received the highest total "Hey!"s) is awarded a Golden Brain trophy, and Takahashi's personal favourite trivia is credited with the tiny Silver Brain trophy.
After the main part of the show is over, the hosts and the Chairman receive a question submitted by a viewer, and go to great lengths to find the answer. After the ensuing experiment, new trivia is born, and the Chairman votes on it.
If you are interested in any kind of odd, little-known facts, this show is a must-see. The judges' comments on each trivia are usually pretty funny, and the Chairman's stinginess is predictable, but often ridiculed and questioned by the hosts. Takahashi frequently butts in and fills the show with a seemingly endless stream of jokes about his ex-wives. The show is dubbed in English, but done well, and also airs in Japan under the name Hey! Trivia No Izumi.
Thank you spiketv.com, for the names.
Update: Now cancelled in North America