Many Japanese women studied dance when they were very young, and some have gone on to careers in show business and incorporated what they learned into their work. On the two-hour special, ¡°Geinojin ga Honki de Baree¡± (¡°Celebrities Do Real Ballet¡°; TBS, Wed., 7:56 p.m.), 20 female TV personalities who once took ballet lessons ¡ª including teenagers and middle aged women ¡ª spend 200 days trying to regain some of their skills so that they can audition for a solo turn in a production of ¡°Swan Lake¡± by ballet master Tetsuya Kumakawa¡¯s K Ballet Co.

As of early December, the identities of the 20 women have not been revealed, but rumor has it the group includes a top fashion model, a former Takarazuka Musical Revue star, a TV weather person and the daughter of a famous former professional baseball manager.

Last week it was announced that Setsuko Hara, one of the most beloved actors in the annals of Japanese cinema, died in September at the age of 95. Few actors can compare to Hara in terms of popularity and status, but Sayuri Yoshinaga comes close. Unlike Hara she did not retire once she aged past her comfort period for playing dutiful daughters. Yoshinaga, who turned 70 this year, is starring in a new movie, ¡°Haha to Kuraseba¡± (¡°If I Could Live With Mother¡°), which opens Dec. 12.

The day before it opens she¡¯ll be the guest of veteran announcer-actress Tetsuko Kuroyanagi on ¡°Testuko no Heya¡± (¡°Tetsuko¡¯s Room¡°; TV Asahi, Fri., 12 noon), where she¡¯ll talk about the movie and even a little about her private life. Unlike Hara, Yoshinaga married, though she never discusses her TV producer husband despite the fact that they¡¯ve been together for 42 years.

CM of the week: Mercedes-Benz

Germany¡¯s most prestigious carmaker has started selling a new ¡°A-class¡± sedan in Japan and seems to be targeting otaku (obsessive fans). The commercial for the new car is animated, and shows either a guy in a spacesuit or a robot driving the new car along a futuristic highway as a cartoon version of the idol group Perfume perform a new song, ¡°Next Stage With You.¡± Eventually, the three young ladies end up in the car with the driver, who has a crush on them by the looks of the heart reflected on his face visor. This being a Mercedes ad, it¡¯s OK to flash the price: from ?3 to ?5.3 million. Only for the wealthiest of otaku ... or robots.