Many people don’t know that Happy Camp originated from an internal fight between radio and television stations in Hunan Province.
In the 1990s, the economic video channel under the Hunan Provincial Radio and Television, which was the first to be launched on satellite, gained rapid momentum, and its self-produced variety show "Lucky 3721" achieved an astonishing audience rating of 66%.
In 1997, Mango TV officially went on the air. In order to compete with its sister station’s flagship program [Lucky 3721], the “big brother” Mango Satellite TV made every effort to prepare [Happy Camp].
After four rejections and changes of producers, the first episode of Happy Camp was officially broadcast on July 11, 1997.
The earliest hosts of "Happy Camp" were Li Xiang and Li Bing. At that time, He Jiong was still hosting "Big Windmill" on CCTV with Liu Chunyan.
In 1998, "Big Windmill" was revamped, and He Jiong resigned from CCTV and joined Mango TV to start his career as the host of "Happy Camp".
The early version of "Happy Camp" was really popular.
It relies on a brand-new model that is different from old variety shows such as [Quyuan Zatan], [Zhengda Variety Show], and [Variety Show].
[Happy Camp] actively embraces the entertainment industry and constantly invites popular celebrity artists.
Bundle celebrities with programs to attract the attention of fans and young people.
It has become the most popular variety show in the country.
It is the industry rule that celebrities charge appearance fees when appearing on variety shows.
But on Happy Camp, inviting celebrities never costs money.
"If you want to be famous, go to Happy Camp." Celebrities regard being on the Happy Camp stage as a symbol of fame.
International soccer star David Beckham made his first global variety show appearance on Happy Camp; Taiwanese artists entering the mainland also made Happy Camp their first stop, such as Zhou Jielun and Wallace Chung.
In the entertainment industry, fame and fortune are often interdependent, and the popularity of variety shows has made "Happy Camp" a money-making tool for Mango TV.
Producer Long Mei once said that the annual production cost of "Happy Camp" is only 10 million, while the advertising revenue exceeds 800 million!
However, with the popularity of "Happy Camp", various problems and controversies have also increased.
For example, many people complain about people being treated differently based on their status.
All first-line actors and top stars will be treated like "emperors" on "Happy Camp".
And unknown stars can only remain ignored on "Happy Camp", and they don't even have the qualifications to be "supporting roles" for top stars and hosts.
During the promotional stage of "The Disguiser", Jin Dong and Wang Kai's appearance rates were lower than those of the dancers.
When filming "Legend of Lu Zhen", Zhao Liying was also disliked by the host of "Happy Camp".
Another thing is the Korean craze.
For a period of time, Korean Wave was very popular in mainland China, and there were many young people who liked Korean dramas and Korean stars.
"Happy Camp", which is accustomed to embracing traffic, actively invited Korean stars, and the host Du Haitao even knelt down to Quan Zhilong in public.
Due to various problems and the increasing number of entertainment programs such as "Running Man", "Go Fighting" and "Ace vs Ace" in recent years, the ratings and popularity of "Happy Camp" have been declining year by year.
Until this year, the scandal of the hosting team accepting gifts from fans was exposed, and the 24-year-old "Happy Camp" was shut down in vain.
According to Mango TV's usual style, if they take the initiative to stop broadcasting, they will definitely fully exploit the value of "Happy Camp".
Hold a grand farewell party, invite celebrities who have appeared on the show over the years to attend, and set off a wave of nostalgia.
In this way, the revenue from ticket sales and advertising fees will be at least 100 million yuan.
From this point, we can also see that the sudden suspension of "Happy Camp" must not be so glorious. Even the revised version of "Hello, Saturday" seems hasty in all aspects.
After landing at Changsha Huanghua International Airport in the morning, Gu Wei called Zhao Jinmai.
The show was recorded in the afternoon, and the two of them made an appointment to have lunch together at noon.
"Brother! Did you miss me?"
In the box, Zhao Jinmai, who was playing with her mobile phone out of boredom, saw Gu Wei coming in and rushed over to him happily.
"Okay, you're not a little girl anymore, be careful out there."
Gu Wei gently hugged Zhao Jinmai and gave her a lecture.
"We've already kissed, so what's wrong with a hug? You're so stingy!"
Zhao Jinmai let go of her hand and muttered.
Gu Wei shook his head helplessly and sat down to order food.
“I want to eat this, this, and this.”
He ordered two dishes, and Zhao Jinmai pointed to the pictures on the menu and spoke to the waiter.
Gu Wei took a look and said, "It's all spicy. Aren't you afraid of getting irritated and getting acne?"
"Of course you have to eat Hunan cuisine when you come to Changsha. I only eat a little bit, and it won't cause acne."
Gu Wei nodded, closed the menu and handed it to the waiter beside him.
"That's all, another Coke.
What would you like to drink?
"I want orange juice!"
The waitress was a young girl. She took the menu and looked at Gu Wei and Zhao Jinmai excitedly, then controlled her emotions and said, "Please wait a moment, our dishes will be served soon."
After saying that, he turned and left the box.
After a while, the dishes were served and the two began to eat.
"I watched the live broadcast of the Golden Rooster Awards gala. It's a shame you didn't win an award, brother~"
Zhao Jinmai picked up a piece of chopped pepper fish head meat and put it in her mouth, talking while eating.
“It’s normal not to win an award.
Now that I think about it, if I get the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor again, it might do more harm than good.
It’s inevitable that many netizens will attack and claim there’s inside information or something.”
"How is that possible? Your performance in "Send You a Little Red Flower" was so good, it's normal for you to continue to win the Best Actor award!"
Gu Wei smiled and said, "The key lies in 'continuing to win awards'. Although [Send You a Little Red Flower] is good, I'm afraid winning the Best Actor award consecutively isn't convincing enough.
Even from my perspective, my performance is actually not much different from Zhang Yi and Liu Ye.
This award is justifiable for any of us.”
Zhao Jinmai nodded slowly.
The two chatted for a while, and Gu Wei asked about her studies.
“You should be coming from the capital this time.
The Chinese New Year is just a month away, and the semester is about to end. How are your preparations for the final exams going?"
Zhao Jinmai picked up the juice beside her and took a sip to hide the embarrassment on her face: "I came from Haikou.
After school started in September, I stayed in school for less than a month before joining the crew to start filming "Life of Pi 2".
That drama hasn't finished filming yet, so I took some time off to come here."
"So what about your final exam?"
Gu Wei reacted immediately after he finished speaking: "With the school's approval, you can take the make-up exam."
This was often the case when he was in school.
I don’t have time to go back to school because of filming, but I can still make up for the final exams by going back to school.
Zhao Jinmai nodded.
Gu Wei hesitated for a moment, then said earnestly, "With your current fame, you're sure to receive many projects.
Filming does help hone your acting skills, after all, practice makes perfect.
But I think a lot of what the school teaches is also very useful.
I hope you can master the knowledge taught in school while filming."
“Brother, don’t worry.
I'm actually used to this rhythm of studying while filming. You forgot that this is how I went through middle school.
Since I entered school last year, my grades have always been among the best in the class and have never dropped."
After lunch, Gu Wei and Zhao Jinmai went to the backstage of Mango TV together to prepare for the recording of "Hello, Saturday".
In Gu Wei's opinion, the biggest change in this program is in the host.
They recorded the third episode of "Hello, Saturday" after its launch. In addition to He Jiong, the hosts include Bridge, Qin Xiaoxian, Wang Hedi, Cui Lei, Feng Xi, Yuan Shuai and a virtual host.
Gu Wei was a little confused. Apart from Wang Hedi, whom he had met at Taohuawu, he didn't recognize any of the other newcomers.
Following the tradition of Happy Family, when Gu Wei and Zhao Jinmai were in the dressing room backstage, Teacher He brought a group of new hosts to see them.
After greeting everyone, Gu Wei chatted with He Jiong for a while before the group left the dressing room.
".Didn't you brag about being very familiar with Gu Wei?
I saw that he was chatting with Teacher He and didn’t talk to you much.”
After coming out, Qin Xiaoxian raised his eyebrows at Wang Hedi.
"When did I say I was familiar with him? I just said I knew him.
Brother Wei went there for two days when we were recording "Taohuawu".
Didn’t you see what he said to me first after greeting Teacher He when he walked in?
Wang Hedi defended himself.
"That's right, Lao Qin.
Didn’t you say you wanted an autograph? I noticed you haven’t said anything.”
Qin Xiaoxian slapped his head and said, "Oh, I forgot. I was a little nervous after entering the door and didn't remember it."
Wang Hedi laughed and said, "Didn't you say you liked Gao Yuanyuan? Why do you want Gu Wei's autograph?"
"My girlfriend is a die-hard fan of his, I asked for it for her."
"I haven't heard that you have a girlfriend?" Wang Hedi asked in surprise.
“People outside the circle definitely can’t tell others.
Most relationships in our industry are unstable, and we might break up at any time."
Qin Xiaoxian waved his hand and didn't care much.
Wang Hedi understood immediately.
Male celebrities must establish a single persona, otherwise how can they attract female fans?
We can still date each other now since we are not famous, but we will definitely break up if we become famous in the future.
Not long after, [Hello, Saturday] started recording.
In Gu Wei's opinion, this variety show is a bit like the same old thing in a new bottle, except that there are many changes in the hosts, there is not much difference.
Interactive games, talent shows, basically the same set of indoor variety shows.
We added a session for discussing social hot topics, where everyone sat together and chatted about a certain topic. To be honest, it was quite boring.
After an afternoon of recording, Gu Wei's biggest feeling was that He Jiong had worked hard. He felt tired just watching him host the show.
Without the support of Happy Family, it can be said that He Jiong alone supported this show.
Although there are 8 hosts in this episode, which is more than the previous "Happy Camp", it is He Jiong who controls the rhythm of the program, cues the process step by step, and passes messages to each host to create an atmosphere.
It’s not that Teacher He wants to take sole charge of the hosting, it’s simply because the other people in the hosting team are not capable of leading the team.
It seemed like Wang Hedi and Bridget were just there to announce the show. After they finished announcing the show, they all waited for He Jiong to cue them, otherwise they wouldn't dare to speak at all.
Qin Xiaoxian was in a similar situation. He was daydreaming the whole time, unable to respond to messages, and had no sense of existence at all.
Only three trainee hosts were relatively professional. They were originally the new generation of hosts of Mango TV. Their reaction speed and ability to answer conversations were very good, but they were also relatively unfamiliar, making He Jiong seem like he was "taking care of children" throughout the whole show.
Of course, how they perform has nothing to do with Gu Wei.
He was just here to promote the show.
During the recording, He Jiong would occasionally turn the topic to [Beginning], and in one segment he even played a clip from the drama.
The whole event fully achieved the purpose of publicity.
Because of the foundation of "Happy Camp", "Hello, Saturday" has a good audience base, and more people watch the new variety show.
Given Gu Wei's fame, the ratings of this episode are bound to increase significantly.
In the evening, after having dinner with He Jiong and others and taking a group photo, the young hosts of "Hello, Saturday" came over to take individual photos with Gu Wei and asked for his autograph.
Gu Wei has become accustomed to this situation and cooperated happily.
After handing the last autographed photo to Qin Xiaoxian, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you really a crosstalk performer?"
"Yes, Brother Wei.
I am Mr. Guo’s apprentice, and my name is Xiao from the “Yunhe Jiuxiao” generation.
I know you have a good relationship with Teacher Yu, Qilin, and Senior Brother Yue Yunpeng. In fact, we are all family." Qin Xiaoxian showed a flattering smile on his face, and his eyes narrowed into slits when he smiled.
Gu Wei blinked and forced an awkward but polite smile.
He thought that all crosstalk performers were eloquent, and that Yu Qian and Guo Qilin, whom he had met before, were both like that.
His mind works very quickly and his emotional intelligence is very high.
Meeting Qin Xiaoxian today changed his view. It seems that no matter what profession you are in, you still have to look at people.
Crosstalk performers may not be very good at it, maybe they just rely on memorizing the words.
After finishing his work in Changsha, Gu Wei flew back to the capital.
In a blink of an eye, the last month of 2021 has passed.
Many popular movies were released around the New Year’s Day period.
"Love Myth" starring and produced by Xu Zheng only grossed over 200 million yuan, which is considered his lowest-grossing film in recent years.
This low-budget romantic drama is said to have cost 90 million yuan, with Xu Zheng's salary alone reaching 30 million yuan.
Although the movie barely broke even in the end, no one expected that with Xu Zheng's influence, his movie would only gross a mere 200 million yuan.
Especially since the film has such good reputation.
After Lost in Russia, the consequences of Xu Zheng's offense against the cinema began to slowly emerge.
Moreover, with the decline in reputation of the two films "Lost in Hong Kong" and "Lost in Russia", his appeal has also decreased a lot.
The comedy "Li Mao Plays the Prince" starring the Happy Twist team is unsurprisingly a bad movie, with a Douban score of only 4.3.
Like Huang Cailun, Chang Yuan has become a professional in making bad movies in the eyes of the audience.
Facts have proved that there is only one Chen Teng in Happy Twist, while the others are either making bad movies or on the way to making bad movies.
In addition, "Super Family", which was originally scheduled to be released during the Spring Festival, announced its withdrawal, while another film by Happy Twist, "The Professional", will remain released during the Spring Festival.
During the New Year's Day period, the best-selling film at the box office was Xue Xiaolu's "Hug You Through the Cold Winter".
This film is similar to the previous "Chinese Doctor" and is a special theme film.
Stars such as Huang Bo and Jia Ling joined the film, which eventually grossed over 900 million yuan at the box office.
It’s just that there is a serious polarization in word of mouth.
Some viewers found it deeply touching; others felt that the director was deliberately sensational, and that the story and character portrayal were particularly poor, making it a bad movie.
On January 4th, the time-space loop TV series "Beginning," which had been preheated for a month, officially premiered on Tencent Video. (End of this chapter)
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