'Banzai' sparks protests in US

An Asian-American group has protested over the screening of the US version of Banzai on the FOX network.

Around 20 members of the lobby group, the "Media Action Network for Asian-Americans," carried signs and chanted slogans outside a FOX presentation of the comedy gameshow to TV critics in Hollywood on Sunday.

"It's just all the backward images of Asian-American people," Guy Aoki, co-founder of the group, told BBC News. "This is like an Asian minstrel show. Can you imagine the black version of Banzai."

He added that his group had held two meetings with the network regarding the show, and had been told that a disclaimer notice could be included at the start of the programme if it were to return for a second series.

Aoki said that his group were not happy with that reolve, wanting instead for the show to be cancelled and FOX to issue an apology.

"We've received an entire range of comments on the show, both pro and con," said a FOX spokesman. "It's a satire, a parody of Japanese game shows. It's very tongue-in-cheek and should not be viewed as anything but."