Chapter 556 Best Actor!
When the two episodes of "Friends" featuring Lee Ji-baek as a guest star aired, the average viewership rating per episode exceeded 3%, attracting attention from the entire industry.
Originally, everyone thought that this result might not be broken until the last episode of this season.
After all, in this day and age, it's simply unbelievable to achieve an average viewership rating of over 3% per episode.
The system is not powered on at all.
To achieve such a result, we would have to get viewers who don't watch TV to turn their TVs back on.
Looking back over the past decade, the highest viewership rating was six or seven years ago with a phenomenal anti-corruption drama that soared to over 5%, a miracle that has never been replicated.
With a 3% success rate, it's safe to say that they've been unbeatable for the past five years.
Why?
Why did Friends have such high ratings?
This sitcom is so simple that it lacks depth and artistic value. Even the actors' performances are very simple, the kind of performances that don't require any acting skills at all.
Yet it achieved such terrifying viewership ratings.
The shock to the industry from the news that Lu Yanhe would attend the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony was not as great as the shock from a 3% viewership rating.
That's just too outrageous.
At this rate, is it still possible for the final episode of Friends to reach a 4% viewership rating?
Exclusive broadcast.
The ratings success of Friends made television stations realize once again that ratings miracles can still be created in this era, as long as you can get viewers back in front of the television.
This is different from a magazine.
Some people may want to read magazines, but they can't buy them anymore. Compared to the ubiquitous newsstands and bookstores of the past, now they might have to go to a specific place to buy a magazine, effectively severing the revival of print media at its source.
The reason why "Jump Up" was successful is that it sold physical books rather than magazines.
Television still has a core audience.
Basically, almost everyone still has a television in their home, but they don't use it much or turn it on often.
The real end for television stations will come when people renovate their homes and ditch their televisions on a large scale.
The success of "Friends" brought a silent but powerful humiliation to Beijing and Taiwan.
The series they had messed up were revived by Bai Jingnian and Lu Yanhe.
The value of this series goes far beyond what has been shown so far. Given the current enthusiasm of the audience, it is entirely foreseeable that this series can continue to be filmed for several more years.
The advertising revenue that Yuehu TV earned during the two months that "Friends" aired could cover the revenue of the previous quarter—it sounds exaggerated, but in this day and age, a TV series with a stable average viewership rating of over 2% per episode, and a phenomenal hit at that, can generate such exorbitant advertising revenue.
The most obvious sign is that when Friends airs every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and ends in half an hour, the ratings for any variety show that airs after 8:30 p.m. follow suit. Even the show's hosts jokingly said on the show that they were grateful to Friends for making their bonuses higher over the past two months.
Yuehutai is also very strong and reacts extremely quickly.
They bought the rights to a drama starring Lu Yanhe, Yan Liang, Wen Minglan, Yin Xincheng, Zhan Yun, and Bai Jin, and aired it during weekdays or late at night on Fridays and Saturdays.
Ironically, the ratings were quite good, with some late-night shows even achieving close to 0.2%.
-
"The ratings are so good that I feel a lot of pressure for the next season. It will be really hard to surpass such good results later on," said Lu Yanhe.
“You should say that with the success of Friends, as long as we don’t make any bad films, the results will be pretty good.” Chen Ziyan laughed. “Do you know how many people have approached me saying they’d like to guest star in the next season? Everyone wants to show their face on Friends.”
Lu Yanhe: "But I've found that inviting big stars to make cameo appearances does help boost viewership ratings."
In these two episodes, he was absent, and Li Zhibai made a guest appearance in both. Both episodes generated a lot of buzz and popularity, and Li Zhibai's appearance sparked another wave of discussion online.
Chen Ziyan: "Many people say that celebrities don't actually have that much appeal, but that's because many people don't know how to use celebrities. It's really difficult to say how much appeal a single name or person can have. Being able to sell tens of millions of dollars worth of tickets with just one name is considered top-tier stardom. However, if you put a celebrity in the right project, it can create a synergistic effect, where one plus one equals more than two, or even four, five, or six. Li Zhibai's cameo appearance already generated a lot of buzz. His age and image are a perfect fit for 'Friends,' and everyone already knows about his relationship with you and Yan Liang. If you can't act, his cameo is essentially filling in, and your fans will support him, as will his fans."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Most importantly, everyone has been calling for Li Zhibai to make a cameo appearance in the Friends series for a long time, which would fulfill the wishes of many viewers," Chen Ziyan said. "We can definitely plan ahead and see which roles we can invite some big names to make cameo appearances. This way, we can have some fresh topics from time to time on top of the core audience, helping Friends to continue to expand its reach. You know, many popular American TV shows don't just invite big stars to make cameo appearances; they also invite sports stars, popular authors, top supermodels, famous public figures... You can consider that."
“Okay.” Lu Yanhe nodded, then smiled. “Next season, I plan to arrange for Li Lili to work in the fashion section of Jump Up magazine.”
Chen Ziyan looked at him in surprise and laughed, "You're smuggling in your own agenda."
"Can't I even sneak in this little bit of my own stuff?" Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "Besides, why not? Hmm, I'll ask Siqi and the others to make a cameo appearance too."
“That topic is going to explode,” Chen Ziyan said with certainty.
In the original Friends, Rachel went to work at a company that did clothing-related jobs.
Lu Yanhe simply replaced the company with the fashion division of "Jump Up".
Friends has become a must-watch TV series for many young people, and even a guide to urban life for many.
Lu Yanhe felt that the sales of "Jump Up" had stagnated for a long time without any growth. Although in this era, it is already a miraculous achievement that sales have not declined, he still hoped that "Jump Up" could make further progress.
We cannot be satisfied with the status quo.
Once you start to feel satisfied and get used to it, you'll begin to decline.
Let's use Friends to give Jump Up a boost.
"For the Blue Ribbon tribute to veteran artists segment, which young actors do you plan to select as representatives?"
Chen Ziyan asked about this.
This is something they need to determine as soon as possible.
The awards ceremony is in ten days.
Lu Yanhe said, "Dashan is definitely one of them."
Wang Dashan, who was chosen by Lu Yanhe to star in "Lost in Thailand", agreed without hesitation when Lu Yanhe invited him to participate in the recording of "The Birth of an Actor". He didn't care at all that it was a variety show, and that as the lead actor of a movie with a box office of over 700 million, he would have to compete with others without even asking about the remuneration.
This moved Lu Yanhe deeply.
To reiterate, apart from himself knowing that "The Birth of an Actor" could actually become a huge hit, everyone else was seeing this kind of program format for the first time. It was an unknown, and they were taking a great risk.
Even if a show is very popular, no one knows whether they will be liked or disliked on the show.
There are plenty of celebrities who have had their moments of embarrassment on popular TV shows.
In addition to Wang Dashan, Cheng Hai and Liu Zhiyin are also among the contestants participating in the show "The Birth of an Actor". Lu Yanhe will definitely select both of them.
Besides these three people, he discussed it with Chen Ziyan and quickly chose a fourth one.
When it came to choosing the last one, they were stumped.
Because there are too many options.
Chen Ziyan said, "Okay, let's do a priority ranking. I'll randomly pick two people to compete against each other, and you can choose one of them. Whoever stays until the end, that's who you choose."
Lu Yanhe nodded, "Okay."
"Moreover, this is just our initial idea, and they may not have the time to participate," Chen Ziyan said. "Wang Dashan and Liu Zhiyin are both quite popular, especially Liu Zhiyin. She is a popular idol star, and her schedule is no easier than yours. She may not have time to participate."
Lu Yanhe said, "Yes, I know. Let me ask first."
If Yoo Ji-eun could participate, that would be the best outcome.
Although she is not a professional actress, and has not yet started acting in a proper way.
But she is clearly interested in acting and may continue down this path in the future.
Of course, in recent years, Yoo Ji-eun has definitely focused on being an idol, with acting being just a side job.
Just trying it out.
Then, after making one call after another, not a single person directly said they couldn't do it. They all said they would coordinate a time immediately and give a reply today.
Chen Ziyan laughed and said, "Don't you acknowledge your current influence?"
Lu Yanhe: "Everyone's been very kind of you."
Chen Ziyan: "Excessive modesty is a form of arrogance."
Lu Yanhe glanced at Chen Ziyan helplessly.
Suddenly, both of their cell phones rang at the same time.
This coincidence made them look at each other first, and they stared at each other in bewilderment.
Lu Yanhe initially thought something terrible had happened to cause this situation.
To everyone's surprise, as soon as the call connected, Lu Yanhe heard the person on the other end excitedly say, "Teacher Jiang Jun won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series!"
Lu Yanhe was stunned for a moment.
-
Whether it's the Emmys or the Golden Globes, thanks to streaming media and the rise of diversity in Hollywood, Asian actors have won awards at these major awards almost every year in recent years, including the Oscars.
This would have been almost unimaginable ten years ago.
However, it has never happened before that an actor from a Chinese-language drama has won an award.
The underlying reason is actually a crucial one: Chinese-language dramas have not yet been integrated into the global streaming media matrix.
Therefore, the influence of Chinese-language dramas has always been limited.
This time, thanks to Maxine's strong promotion and the support of its parent company, "The Squid Game" finally came into the Golden Globe's view.
However, no one expected that they would actually win an award.
Even Lee Jung-jae, the original lead actor, won an Emmy Award for Best Actor, not a Golden Globe Award.
The Golden Globe Awards still seem to favor familiar faces.
Lu Yanhe: "That's fantastic! Congratulations, Teacher Jiang!"
The person who called was Yao Yuanzhi, the director of "The Squid Game".
Yao Yuanzhi was present at the scene.
He was very emotional.
"Teacher Jiang is on stage; he's about to give his acceptance speech!"
Yao Yuanzhi did not hang up the phone.
Due to some sensitive reasons, this year's Golden Globe Awards were not broadcast live in China and could not be viewed.
At this moment, Lu Yanhe fell silent.
Over there, he saw that Chen Ziyan had already hung up the phone.
So Lu Yanhe said, "Director, I'm with Sister Ziyan, I'm playing it on speakerphone."
He turned his phone on speakerphone.
"...Thank you, thank you! I'm sorry, my English is limited, I can only say thank you, hello, and I am Jiang Jun."
Jiang Jun said this in English.
You can tell just by listening to it that they've practiced, and practiced for a long time.
"Fortunately, Yuqian came with me. Yuqian, could you please be my translator?"
Jiang Jun extended an invitation to Jiang Yuqian.
Jiang Yuqian looked surprised.
Jiang Jun waved, signaling Jiang Yuqian to come up on stage.
Everyone looked at Jiang Yuqian.
At this moment, the camera also focused on Jiang Yuqian.
Jiang Yuqian laughed, stood up, and walked gracefully towards the stage.
Five minutes earlier, she had just lost her own category and failed to win Best Actress.
Many people didn't understand Jiang Jun's last sentence in Chinese and don't know what's going on.
Jiang Yuqian went up on stage and stood next to Jiang Jun. She explained in English, "Jiang Jun asked me to be his translator. I don't know if he wanted to comfort me—after all, I didn't get to go up on stage to receive the award. He's really a very nice man, right? It's a pity that he's already married. He and his wife have a very happy marriage."
The whole audience laughed and applauded.
Jiang Jun didn't know what Jiang Yuqian said, but seeing the reaction from the audience, he knew that Jiang Yuqian was right.
Jiang Yuqian gestured to Jiang Jun that he could speak.
Jiang Jun: "If I say at my age that I feel like I'm living in a dream, will people laugh at me?"
Translated by Jiang Yuqian.
Laughter rang out again.
"But that's how I really feel, because this is the first Best Actor award I've ever won in my acting career, right here at the Golden Globes."
Jiang Jun's tone was somewhat agitated, and his voice was firm and resolute.
This time, they received applause of congratulations and encouragement.
"There are so many people to thank, everyone in front of and behind the camera. It's true, only after participating in the production of a good show do we realize that our industry is not one where you work alone, but one where you help each other succeed."
After Jiang Yuqian translated these words, many people in the room became serious.
These words resonated deeply with those who are dedicated to filming and passionate about the industry.
“Sometimes, I really thought that my career as an actor might just end quietly. Because I got sick, and although I recovered, not many people were asking me to act in movies, and after that, it got even worse. At the age of forty, I encountered the winter of my acting career.”
His eyes gradually welled up with tears, as if he were thinking of something.
“But I never thought of giving up, and there were people who didn’t give up on me. A young man named Lu Yanhe told me when we were working together on ‘The Seventeenth Floor’ that once I recovered, a script offered me the lead role. I was stunned. I thought he was joking. I even thought he was invited by my wife to tell a white lie to encourage me to fight the disease.”
Jiang Yuqian stood to the side, her heart aching as she listened.
As an actress herself, she understood Jiang Jun's feelings very well.
"As it turned out, he really did come to me with this script, which was 'The Squid Game'."
At this moment, the applause from the audience was incredibly enthusiastic.
Jiang Jun took a deep breath and raised the trophy in his hand.
“He has a movie that’s about to be released in the US called ‘The Mist.’ He was supposed to be with us at tonight’s awards ceremony, but he couldn’t come because he’s still filming ‘Friends,’ which many of you love. I want him to know that I’m very grateful to him. When many people questioned my casting as the male lead, he never wavered in his decision.”
"Finally, thank you to the Golden Globes. You gave me a glorious night, and I will carry this award with me as I continue to dedicate myself to acting. Thank you!"
-
China's first Golden Globe Award-winning actor.
Who would have thought?
Three years ago, he was considered an uncrowned king by industry insiders, with superb acting skills, but he never had the opportunity to play the lead role.
Three years later, he suffered a serious illness and experienced a low point in his acting career. Then, this summer, he became a global sensation with "The Squid Game" and won a Golden Globe Award on a winter night.
Lu Yanhe posted on Weibo immediately:
—Thank you, Director Yao Yuanzhi, for calling me from the set, so I heard Mr. Jiang's acceptance speech right away. Even from thousands of miles away, I felt so proud and excited for him. It's wonderful. Finally, the uncrowned king has received the crown that was long overdue. Thank you also, Mr. Jiang, for believing in me from beginning to end. You said this was going to be a great script, a great drama, and a masterpiece. I did it, and so did Mr. Jiang. Congratulations to the "Squid Game" crew! See you in season two! (Sister Yuqian, you'll always be my best actress! Hurry up and finish filming "The Telephone," the other script I wrote for you is almost finished!)
That night, Shen Tailin, the director of the Beijing-Taiwan Broadcasting Station, looked at Lu Yanhe's Weibo post congratulating Jiang Jun and remained silent for a long, long time.
He suddenly remembered something Hu Siwei had said at the station before:
Originally, these all belonged to us.
Why did they all end up with other people?
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
