Chapter 692 What's going on? (6,000-word update)
Especially this time, as a guest who was to perform on the Spring Festival Gala, Lu Yanhe did not participate in any of the promotional programs for the Gala. It can be said that only a handful of people can enjoy such treatment every year.
In the past few years, only the top actors have been able to do this.
Lu Yanhe wasn't deliberately uncooperative.
He wasn't that arrogant, nor was he the kind of person who was socially awkward and unwilling to participate in interviews or games. He was simply too busy with work. Filming for the second season of Friends didn't wrap up until a week before the Spring Festival Gala.
The second season of Friends maintained its leading position in viewership ratings on Yuehu TV and online video streaming data, and was no weaker than the first season.
According to the backend statistics, the second season of Friends had too few episodes, each only twenty minutes long. As a result, although the data for business and new member acquisition were very impressive, the overall performance was slightly inferior.
The "inferior" here refers to its comparison with the concept of the "TV Show of the Year." Everyone believed that the second season of "Friends" was a shoo-in for the title.
Lu Yanhe himself was quite satisfied.
To Lu Yanhe's surprise, the company, the broadcasting platform, and other parties called a meeting to discuss why the second season of "Friends" had faltered and even declined slightly compared to the same period of the first season.
While outsiders may not see these problems and still think that Friends Season 2 is very popular, those who have access to detailed data behind the scenes can see the specific comparisons.
Lu Yanhe hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
He was helpless.
He said, "Sitcoms are different from regular TV series. It's already in its fifth season, and you're still using the same old criteria of being a top-rated show, commercially successful, and attracting new viewers to judge the second season of Friends. That's outdated. Haven't you seen how the ratings soared in the previous four seasons, and even in the second and third seasons of Friends?"
Hu Siwei nodded with a smile: "Of course we know."
“After Friends, each season will definitely be worse than the last, I can say that right now,” Lu Yanhe said. “After so many seasons, for viewers who have never seen the show before, having to start watching from the fifth or sixth season means they have no idea what the previous seasons were about. The threshold is too high, and the difficulty is too great. It’s like a novel; there are definitely more readers who have read the beginning than those who have read the middle, so the audience will naturally leave.”
Everyone nodded.
"However, if the story of Friends can continue season after season, it will remain in the eyes of the audience. Every year, a large number of viewers who have not seen Friends will start from the first season to catch up. There will also be a large number of viewers who have finished watching the fifth season and want to rewatch the previous episodes. That is the charm of sitcoms."
Lu Yanhe tapped the table hard with his index finger.
"So, I think it's really unnecessary for you to have a meeting to discuss why the second season of Friends didn't perform as well as the first season. It's something that's impossible and unnecessary to study. As long as the reputation hasn't collapsed and as long as the audience who like Friends still like it, that's enough."
The others looked at each other in bewilderment upon hearing this.
None of them expected that Lu Yanhe would have such strong opinions about the idea of convening the main creative departments for an open review and reflection.
Lu Yanhe: "If you want to do a post-mortem analysis, I will absolutely support you. But if you want to analyze why the viewership ratings have plateaued despite the good word-of-mouth, then this is my opinion. If you can never look at sitcoms with the concept of sitcoms and always use a set of standards to look at any show, then I can only say that if you want to do any project in the future, you can only gamble. If you gamble right, the show will be good; if you gamble wrong, the show will be bad."
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit awkward, Hu Siwei immediately said, "Yan He, what you said makes a lot of sense, but it's normal for everyone to want to discuss it. Don't be angry."
"I'm not angry—"
"Fine, I'll just admit it, I'm a little angry," Lu Yanhe said. "I don't know if you remember, but I've told you this a long time ago, and many times over the years: the further Friends goes, the worse each season is. I said it's a creative process. I said Friends must be viewed as a whole. You need to see how many new viewers the new season brings to the previous seasons. I ask you, have you ever compiled this data?"
The group of people looked at each other in silence.
So, no.
"Let me ask you again, besides counting the viewership growth of the previous seasons during this period, have you done any analysis? What percentage of viewers are rewatching the show? What percentage of viewers have never watched the show before? What is the rewatch rate?"
The group of people looked at each other blankly, and no one spoke.
Lu Yanhe looked at Hu Siwei.
"Brother Siwei, do you know why I'm angry? Because I've always said that we should look at the Friends series with a holistic perspective, but everyone's mentality is that the previous seasons were very successful, excellent, but they've aired and that's it; there's no need to analyze or pay attention anymore, let them fade away on their own. Even the new season, the fifth season, is performing worse than the fourth season in the same period. Why? Why do you think so? Because even the best works won't be watched by everyone from beginning to end. It's that simple. You want to analyze it, fine, but have you actually analyzed the real issues?"
Everyone remained silent.
Hu Siwei hesitated for a moment and said, "Actually, it's not that we don't want to do it, but there is a real difficulty: the copyright holder for the first to third seasons is still Beijing TV."
"But Yuehu TV also got the broadcasting rights, right?" Lu Yanhe said. "Oh, actually you're worried that if you do these analyses, analyzing the results of the first to the third season, you'll make me angry?"
The others looked at each other in bewilderment.
Hu Siwei also hesitated to speak.
Lu Yanhe realized what was happening.
Because they don't own the copyright, even if the new season does a lot of traffic and new user acquisition for the previous three seasons, it has nothing to do with Lu Yanhe. They probably keep this in mind, which is why they haven't mentioned it.
Lu Yanhe remained silent for a few seconds, nodded, stood up, and bowed to everyone.
"Feel sorry."
A group of people quickly stood up, some waving their hands and saying, "Please don't do this."
Lu Yanhe sat down again.
"Everyone, although due to some complicated reasons, the copyright of the first to third seasons of Friends is with someone else, no matter how well it does, the revenue is not related to us—well, actually, that's not quite right. I have been enjoying the revenue sharing for the first season. Anyway, back to the point, it's okay, let's be generous. What I want to emphasize is that sitcoms must be judged as a whole, not just the performance of a single season."
Everyone nodded.
Lu Yanhe added, "As long as the viewership data, audience reviews, especially the reviews from core fans, don't fluctuate significantly, then there's nothing to worry about, because sitcoms may not be a slow-burning phenomenon, but they are definitely a long-term phenomenon."
Hu Siwei nodded.
"clear."
Lu Yanhe apologized again.
Hu Siwei: "It's okay, you're actually quite right."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Will the airing times of 'My Own Swordsman' Season 2 and 'Friends' Season 2 clash? Will they fight each other?"
"There will be a two-week overlap, but they won't air on the same day, so it's okay," Hu Siwei said. "Can I ask if the results of the Lingyun Awards are out yet? Liu Zi was nominated for Best Actress, but I don't know if she won."
Lu Yanhe shook his head: "I have to keep it a secret. You know the awards ceremony is the day after tomorrow."
Hu Siwei: "Yes, I know. The awards ceremony is the day after tomorrow. Sigh, I just wanted to know in advance."
"It's a secret," Lu Yanhe insisted with a smile.
-
As this is the first Lingyun Award for TV dramas, no one knows the true quality of this newly established award.
However, the lineup of the jury and the influence of the Lingyun Awards in the film industry make this award very attractive, so it is not regarded as some kind of frivolous award.
What was even more unexpected was that the awards ceremony was held on a very large scale.
Almost half of the entertainment industry was invited.
The lineup of award presenters consisted entirely of top-notch talents, and they were all quite famous.
Of course, all the necessary fancy tricks were included.
The top-ranked and most popular new boy group from last year's "Idol Generation," "Ji-sung," and Yoo Ji-eum, the country's number one female idol, will both perform on stage.
In addition, the casts of eight popular TV series from last year, including Friends, My Own Swordsman, and The Peak, will attend this year's awards ceremony.
This is the biggest event in the entertainment industry before the Spring Festival Gala.
The large number of people who came to support the event is due to two reasons: firstly, the award has established a high level of prestige within the industry, and secondly, Chen Hengyi's extensive network of connections enabled him to invite so many people.
On the day of the awards ceremony, the Friends cast walked the red carpet in a large group of more than a dozen people, their imposing presence surprising everyone present.
Lu Yanhe was holding Chen Siqi's hand, and Li Zhibai, a friend of Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, was also among them. Besides these two, Bai Jin's boyfriend was also there.
She appeared before everyone with her boyfriend, a painter, in a very open and generous manner.
The host asked who this unfamiliar man was.
Bai Jin said, "He Qizhao, my boyfriend."
The scene was truly silent for a second.
Lu Yanhe lowered his head and smiled faintly, having guessed it.
Then, the entire audience erupted in thunderous screams.
Bai Jin is not one of the most popular female celebrities, and on such an occasion as today, she revealed her relationship and boyfriend without any warning.
"..."
They didn't hide anything at all.
Wen Minglan and Zhan Yun stood side by side, smiling as they looked at them.
"Wow, so, so—"
The host was stunned and didn't know what to ask.
"So, how long have you been together? Has everyone been helping you keep this a secret?"
"Hidden? No, I didn't hide anything." Bai Jin shook her head. "We actually only started dating two weeks ago. Before that, I was the one pursuing him. He was very hard to win over. They only found out a few days ago."
The host was even more dumbfounded.
ha?
Wen Minglan said, "I envy Bai Jin so much. He met someone he likes so much and wants to pursue."
"Do you also want to be in a relationship?" Lu Yanhe asked curiously, understanding the implication in Wen Minglan's words.
"I'd like to, but I haven't met anyone." Wen Minglan shrugged.
Suddenly, at this moment, Zhan Yun patted Wen Minglan on the shoulder and said, "If you haven't met him, then so be it. But if you have, you have to find out what kind of person he is first. Don't get into it only to find out he's a scumbag and can't get out."
The host's mouth moved, but he couldn't open it.
Yin Xincheng nodded firmly, and then, as if possessed, said, "That's right, if you're going to look for someone, you have to find someone reliable like me."
"What do you mean?" Yan Liang looked at Yin Xincheng in shock.
Yin Xincheng suddenly realized that he might have said something wrong and caused a misunderstanding.
Zhan Yun suddenly smiled and said, "Then why don't we give it a try?"
"Huh?" Yin Xincheng was startled.
"Just kidding, why are you so shocked?" Zhan Yun rolled her eyes at him. "Even though we're very close, I'm still a very charming woman, okay!"
Yin Xincheng stammered.
The situation was about to descend into a new awkward state.
Bai Jin promptly gave a "heh".
"Don't steal my thunder, okay? I'm the one who brought my boyfriend here today to announce that I'm in a relationship!"
-
As they entered the venue, the group of people looked at each other in bewilderment.
Bai Jin said to Yin Xincheng in shock, "Are you crazy?"
Yin Xincheng realized that he had indeed said the wrong thing.
"I... I only did it for a moment—"
"Your brain short-circuited," Yan Liang said, helping him out.
Li Zhibai, always eager for drama, shook his head and exclaimed, "Your Friends crew is awesome! I reckon you'll steal everyone's thunder tonight."
Wen Minglan looked at Zhan Yun.
Zhan Yun: "Oh, it's just a small matter. It's just that everyone is talking about it and making a fuss about it. The hype will die down soon."
She waved her hand.
"It's nothing."
Lu Yanhe: "If we go on stage together in the future, let's rehearse our lines first, otherwise it's too easy for something to go wrong."
"It's mainly because we're too familiar with each other and can talk about anything. Before we know it, some things just slip out without thinking," Bai Jin said.
Yin Xincheng: "It was my fault."
"Wait a minute." Zhan Yun looked at Bai Jin hesitantly. "What did you mean when you said you blurted out some things without thinking? Yin Xincheng was just making a joke, wasn't he?"
Yan Liang: "..."
Yin Xincheng: "Yeah, I was just joking."
Bai Jin rolled her eyes at Yin Xincheng.
Zhan Yun looked at Yin Xincheng: "You—like me?"
Wen Minglan coughed twice and turned her head away, unable to bear looking at the scene before her.
Li Zhibai stood to the side and exclaimed "Wow!" in a very exaggerated manner.
"This is even better than the serious version of Friends."
Lu Yanhe immediately elbowed him, signaling him to shut up.
Yin Xincheng lowered his head, hesitated, and remained silent.
Zhan Yun: "So, you really like me, right?"
Yin Xincheng remained silent.
Bai Jin was so anxious that his gaze kept shifting between the two people.
As a result, while the next group of people who had walked the red carpet came in, they were still standing at the door.
“We have to go in,” Lu Yanhe said. “We can’t just stand here.”
“Let’s go in then,” Zhan Yun said.
Everyone felt a sense of disappointment.
Just as everyone turned around, Yin Xincheng's voice suddenly rang out.
Yes, I like you.
Bai Jin breathed a sigh of relief and took He Qizhao's hand.
"I'm so anxious!"
He Qizhao smiled at him.
-
When the Friends cast entered the venue, many people looked at them with expressions of schadenfreude.
Everyone has seen everything that happened on the red carpet in real time on their phones and online.
The entire process was filmed on camera.
The internet is abuzz with discussion.
Bai Jin suddenly revealed her boyfriend.
Zhan Yun appeared to be responding to her previous relationship, calling her ex-boyfriend a scumbag.
Yin Xincheng appears to have publicly expressed his feelings for Zhan Yun.
Wen Minglan frankly admitted that she wanted to be in a relationship.
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang rushed to put out the fire.
Li Zhibai was watching the show.
...
Everything that happened tonight was beyond everyone's expectations.
After we entered the inner area and sat down, there was an inexplicable awkwardness between us.
Even Chen Siqi whispered in Lu Yanhe's ear, "The atmosphere is a bit awkward; they suddenly stopped talking."
Lu Yanhe: "The main thing is that no one expected so many things to happen."
"When you two go on stage to sing the Friends theme song later, are you still able to sing it?"
"Everything has been arranged, so we have to sing even if we can't."
Chen Siqi: "What a show! It's crazy."
Lu Yanhe: "It's alright, it's nothing serious."
"Hehe, you really underestimate the hype surrounding your group. I don't even need to go online to know that Zhan Yun and Yin Xincheng's fans are definitely fighting right now."
"Can't the news of Bai Jin revealing her relationship be suppressed?"
“I don’t think it can be suppressed.” Chen Siqi shook her head. “Unless Bai Jin’s relationship with one of the three men from ‘Friends’ is exposed, then he is an outsider.”
"..."
-
Chen Hengyi never expected that the Friends crew would give them such a big gift at their awards ceremony tonight.
This scene on the red carpet caused a surge in viewership for the awards ceremony.
After that scene, the number of viewers for the live stream skyrocketed and never stopped.
The directors on set all came to ask Chen Hengyi if they could give more shots to the Friends crew.
Because in the comments section, everyone is saying they want to see them.
Everyone is watching the drama unfold online, eager to see what's going on.
Chen Hengyi naturally agreed.
At this moment, Chen Hengyi was not worried at all that the awards ceremony would be overshadowed by such news.
Where does the influence of an award really come from?
Why are the Oscars viewership ratings continuing to decline, which is seen as a sign of the Oscars' declining influence?
A large number of people must first be aware of the award in order to expand its influence.
This is why Chen Hengyi invited "Zhixing" and Liu Zhiyin to perform at a drama awards ceremony that has nothing to do with idol artists.
-
After the awards ceremony began, tens of millions of people were watching the live broadcast.
Basically, as soon as the camera focuses on the cast of Friends, clips of them immediately circulate on social media, where a group of people scrutinize their micro-expressions with magnifying glasses.
There was no interaction between Zhan Yun and Yin Xincheng; Bai Jin looked at Zhan Yun with a hint of worry in his eyes; Yan Liang whispered to Yin Xincheng as if comforting the latter…
Once something starts being discussed collectively by netizens, it's bound to become famous whether it wants to or not.
As the awards were presented one by one, it was finally time for the six members of Friends to take the stage to perform.
The number of viewers in the live stream surged again.
The director told Chen Hengyi that the number of viewers for the live stream had reached more than 40 million.
Everyone's just here to watch the drama unfold.
Backstage, Lu Yanhe and his group looked at each other in bewilderment.
"How so?" he asked.
Zhan Yun: "Let's go with the rehearsal."
"Are you guys okay?" Lu Yanhe asked directly.
Zhan Yun: "I'm OK, Yin Xincheng, are you OK?"
“Of course I’m OK,” Yin Xincheng said immediately.
"Okay, as long as everything is OK." Lu Yanhe nodded. "Anyway, everyone's eyes are on you right now, and every micro-expression of ours will be interpreted, so be careful."
"Just pretend this never happened?" Bai Jin asked.
"That's impossible."
"But--"
"Yin Xincheng, how about we go on a date first?" Zhan Yun suddenly said to Yin Xincheng.
Yin Xincheng was taken aback.
Bai Jin and Wen Minglan stared in shock.
The on-site producer came over and reminded them that they had 30 seconds left before going on stage.
Yan Liang took a deep breath.
"Really?" Yin Xincheng asked.
Zhan Yun nodded: "Really? Are you willing?"
"Of course I'm willing!" Yin Xincheng practically shouted.
Bai Jin and Wen Minglan let out excited, small cheers and hugged each other.
Lu Yanhe slapped his forehead with one hand.
"I don't even know what to say."
“Me too.” Yan Liang nodded and joked, “I feel like if Wen Minglan and I don’t announce our relationship tonight, we’re not worthy of showing up. Wen Minglan, how about we pretend to be a couple for a day?”
Wen Minglan nodded, "I think it's a good idea. I used to think I just wanted to be in a relationship, but being single wasn't a big deal, until tonight."
"That's an exaggeration," Yan Liang said.
Bai Jin looked at the two of them in astonishment: "Are you two serious?"
Wen Minglan took a deep breath and rolled her eyes speechlessly.
She and Yan Liang spoke in unison.
"Of course it's fake!"
-
As soon as the six people appeared, everyone could see the genuine, relaxed, and joyful smiles on their faces.
All the viewers who were trying to capture micro-expressions were dumbfounded.
Why are these six people acting like they're on vacation? Their smiles are so genuine, so relaxed and carefree, there's nothing to them about.
In particular, they focused on Zhan Yun and Yin Xincheng. The two of them were very open and honest with each other, looking at each other, smiling, and exchanging glances. There was no sense of pretense, and they even seemed a little "shy" for no reason.
What's going on?
(End of this chapter)
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