Fuji TV is hoping for big things from its new drama, “Change,” which stars SMAP idol Kimutaku (Takuya Kimura) as a school teacher who reluctantly becomes prime minister, and a theme song by Madonna. According to TV rating agency Video Research, the first episode, which aired Monday night, attracted an audience rating of 23.8%, slightly below the 26.4% of NTV’s new drama “Gokusen” which started on April 19.

Fuji took the unusual step of delaying the debut of “Change” until late spring. Most dramas start in early April, but Fuji says the late start makes it “easier to advertise the drama.”