I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

Third, respond to audience feedback and market demand.

In recent years, the number of episodes in TV dramas has been steadily increasing. The emergence of a large number of "padded dramas" has caused many viewers and media to complain that the plots are dragging and a waste of time.

In response to audience demands and to adapt to market changes, the State Administration of Radio and Television has also issued a notice to address the problem of "padded dramas" and advocate for keeping the number of episodes of TV dramas within a reasonable range, thereby promoting the healthy development of the industry.

Fourth, optimize the viewing experience for the audience.

Shorter episode lengths help viewers immerse themselves in the plot more quickly and finish watching the series, reducing fatigue caused by prolonged viewing. At the same time, a tighter plot can also increase viewer engagement and satisfaction, allowing viewers to experience the highest quality content within a limited time.

Drawing on his experience in the film and television industry from another world, Cheng Sheng had already made relevant suggestions in his company: a TV series, unless there are special plot requirements, should ideally have 25 to 30 episodes, and should try not to exceed 40 episodes.

Of course, this is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a guideline for the company, with the aim of promoting the company's healthy development in the field of TV dramas and creating more high-quality and engaging works.

As a well-made and high-quality historical drama, "Princess Pingyang Zhao" has long been favored by CCTV, which has acquired the first broadcast rights.

Such a high-quality TV series was not wasted by CCTV, which specially arranged for it to be broadcast during prime time in the evening, striving to allow more viewers to see this work.

On the day of the premiere, viewers and fans who had heard the news were already eagerly anticipating it, gathering around their computers and televisions to wait for the premiere of "Princess Pingyang Zhao," hoping that this historical drama would bring a different kind of surprise.

If we're talking about the hottest topic in the film and television industry right now, it's undoubtedly "Princess Pingyang Zhao," directed by Cheng Sheng.

Since its official announcement of its premiere, this drama has generated considerable buzz and remained a hot topic, becoming the focus of conversation for countless viewers.

All of this, besides the popularity brought by Tong Yaya, is inseparable from Cheng Sheng's previous deep cultivation and leadership in historical dramas—it was he who used a series of high-quality works to popularize the historical drama genre, rekindling the love and expectations of audiences across the country for historical film and television works.

However, beneath the hype, those who followed the trend suffered a collective setback.

After Cheng Sheng's historical drama became a hit, countless production companies followed suit, rushing to shoot historical works in an attempt to get a share of the pie.

Unfortunately, apart from the historical dramas produced by Cheng Sheng's team, none of the copycat works have truly satisfied the audience, and most of them have become "cannon fodder" that have failed in both critical acclaim and popularity.

This situation is not accidental.

Beyond the superficial reasons such as the production company's perfunctory attitude, the director's lack of skill, and the actors' poor performances, the most fundamental problem lies in the misunderstanding of historical themes and the strict limitations of the subject matter itself. There are many standards for creating historical films and television dramas, but there is one ironclad rule that no creator can transgress: it must focus on real people and events. Authenticity is the basic characteristic of historical dramas and the foundation upon which they stand.

Human nature is inherently complex and diverse; there are no absolutely good people or absolutely bad people. To truly achieve "authenticity" is not easy. Every historical figure has multiple facets, with both shining qualities and unknown flaws, and this is precisely the charm of history.

Just like Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di), he was a man of great talent and ambition. He presided over the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia, which was comprehensive and all-encompassing. He also led military campaigns in the south and north, expanding the territory and creating the prosperous Yongle era. He is a recognized capable emperor in history. However, on the other hand, in order to seize the throne, he launched the Jingnan Campaign, which led to armed conflict and ultimately forced his nephew Zhu Yunwen to commit suicide, leaving behind the controversy of murdering his own nephew to seize the throne.

He was not a "good person" in the traditional sense, but he was a truly good emperor.

Let's talk about Emperor Yingzong Zhu Qizhen. He was kind and gentle, and extremely benevolent to those around him, whether ministers or eunuchs. Even after becoming a prisoner of the Oirat Mongols, he won over many enemies with his personal charm, and even the Oirat leader treated him with great respect. However, his greatest fatal flaw was his favoritism towards the eunuch Wang Zhen, his listening to slander, and his blind personal campaign, which ultimately led to the Tumu Crisis, the annihilation of hundreds of thousands of Ming soldiers, his own capture, and the Ming Dynasty's near collapse.

He was a good man, but certainly not a qualified emperor.

There is also the well-known anti-Japanese hero Qi Jiguang, who led the Qi Family Army to fight against the Japanese pirates, wiped out the Japanese pirate threat along the southeast coast, and protected the lives and property of the people. He is a well-deserved national hero. However, what is little known is that he also had a despicable side. In order to seek development and consolidate his position, he embezzled money, amassed wealth, and even formed cliques and factions, leaving an indelible stain on his reputation.

Even Zhang Juzheng, who is hailed as the "greatest prime minister of all time," was not without flaws.

He presided over the Wanli New Deal, rectified the court, enriched the country and strengthened the military, and brought a brief revival to the Ming Dynasty, which was on the verge of decline. However, during his reign, his ambiguous relationship with Empress Dowager Li was highly controversial. He also wielded absolute power, made a one-man show, and suppressed dissent. As a result, his family was confiscated by Emperor Wanli after his death. His reputation is mixed, and it is difficult to judge his merits and demerits in one sentence.

The complexity and multifaceted nature of these characters are a true reflection of history, but also a "forbidden zone" that most copycat historical dramas dare not touch.

The core value of historical dramas lies precisely in their courage to confront and reveal the complexities of human nature, without glorifying or vilifying it. Through vivid and three-dimensional characters, they connect the glory and decline of an era, allowing the audience to understand history and human nature while watching the plot.

In contrast, those so-called "historical films and television works" produced in response to trends have long deviated from the essence of historical dramas.

To put it nicely, it's a work that uses history as a pretext; to put it bluntly, it's just an idol drama in ancient costume.

The production team brought in a large group of handsome men and beautiful women who are active in prime time, dressed them in ancient costumes, and put on the cloak of history to re-enact those mindless love stories and cheap ethics that have been performed countless times. This is done without any substance or historical weight.

Such works neither respect history nor the audience; they lack both historical depth and plot quality. How could they possibly satisfy the audience?
Cheng Sheng and his company's historical dramas, on the other hand, are quite the opposite.

They consistently adhered to the bottom line of "respecting history," refusing to distort or sensationalize historical events, avoid deliberately glorifying figures or exaggerating flaws, and instead restore the true face of historical figures and the true context of historical events. (End of Chapter)