Hit Game Show Pulled From TV — But It’s Still Streaming for Free

One of the most bonkers game shows of all time was recently pulled from TV, but it’s luckily still streaming. Unbeatable Banzuke, the Japanese game show that saw contestants try to complete wacky challenges, was put back on TV as G4TV relaunched in late 2021. However, Comcast pulled the plug on the G4 revival late last year, meaning that the show and its spinoff Ninja Warrior (a.k.a. Sasuke) were seemingly no longer legally viewable in the U.S. While there is no remedy for Ninja Warrior, Unbeatable Banzuke is streaming via the free service Pluto TV.

Unbeatable Banzuke (also known as Kinniku Banzuke or 筋肉番付) had been viewable on G4’s now-dead Pluto channel G4 Select. Luckily, even with G4 Select’s demise, Pluto is still showcasing the program via its on-demand section. The streaming service is hosting 65 episodes of the program for free (with ads). No word on how long the series will be streaming in light of G4’s shutdown, but as of press time, the episodes are there.

The series’ official synopsis reads: “Welcome to Japan’s Legendary Temple of Champions, where athletes gather to face the most difficult challenges ever conceived…testing balance, endurance and sheer strength. Competitors have one goal, beat the course. Who will top The Unbeatable Banzuke?”

For those unfamiliar with the show, competitors take on a variety of “unbeatable” challenges. There were elaborate obstacle courses for unicyclists, stilt walkers, pogo stick enthusiasts, RC helicopter pilots and people who can do handstands for a remarkable amount of time. It could have contestants try and walk across a bridge made of precariously balanced foam. There was a giant seesaw that contestants had to try and keep balanced while transporting heavy weights. There was even a completion that just had people do a bunch of push-ups as fast as possible. Unbeatable Banzuke is truly remarkable (and unhinged) television.

Each episode is a wild watch and garnered plenty of fans during its original run in Japan, a syndicated run during G4’s original lifespan and the latest syndication round on the rebooted G4. However, it’s most notable for launching the spinoff Ninja Warrior (a.k.a. Sansuke or サスケ). Ninja Warrior, which puts athletes through a more intense series of obstacle courses, became a cable phenomenon during G4’s original run. It even inspired numerous international iterations, including the U.S.-based spinoff for NBC, American Ninja Warrior.