After is success in the UK, it was almost inevitable that the Channel 4 comedy betting show, which parodies the equally silly game shows found on Japanese TV, would migrate to the USA.

However, Sunday's debut screening of the show on Fox network quickly came under fire from members of the "Media Action Network for Asian Americans" group, who are responsible for monitoring the depiction of Asian Americans in the media.

Group co-founder, Guy Aoki, likened Banzai to an "Asian minstrel show" and asked "Can you imagine the black version of Banzai?"

Around twenty members of the group held a pavement protest outside a hotel where Fox executives were holding an autumn line-up presentation to the Television Critics Association.

While Aoki and his group are demanding that the show be immediately taken off air, and a full apology be made for ever airing it in the first place, Fox are standing firm.  A Fox spokesman talked about the feedback they had received from the public, both for and against, and said "It's a satire, a parody of japanese game shows.  It's very tongue-in-cheek and should not be viewed as anything but".