Huayu: Starting from managing the Mahua FunAge Theater Troupe

The next day, Happy Twist threw themselves into the rehearsals and recording of "Chinese Comedians".

From April 19th to April 22nd, Happy Twist and the newly added 㯖允社 completed the recording of the third and fourth episodes of the program.

Both teams advanced successfully.

The recording of episodes 5 and 6 will take place from May 3rd to May 5th.

Each recording session is spaced about two weeks apart, giving the contestants ample time to prepare their performances.

at the same time.

The first and second episodes of "Chinese Comedians" passed the review smoothly.

The censorship of variety shows is much simpler than that of TV dramas. They don't need to be submitted to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television for a distribution license; Liaoning TV's own censorship department can handle the process.

The air date for the first episode was quickly set.

It will air on Saturday, May 8th, at 5 PM.

The reason it can air during prime time on Saturdays is simple: it's a variety show hosted by Zhao Benshan.

Joy Media, which is responsible for the publicity and distribution of "Chinese Comedians", is also well aware of this.

As long as the promotion is rolled out in Northeast China, the initial viewership ratings won't even need to be boosted by the contestants; the name Zhao Benshan alone will be enough to attract the people of Northeast China to turn on their TVs and take a look.

The challenge lies in promoting the product in other major cities.

In major cities in the north, Zhao Benshan's influence still extends, and the program's reputation can be spread more effectively through print media and radio. The challenge lies in promoting the program in major cities in the south, where the further south you go, the more difficult the promotional work becomes.

But there's also good news: Joy Media's flagship program, "Joyful Mobilization," is still going strong and is currently in its final peak period, enjoying impressive viewership ratings across the country through broadcasts on more than 300 local channels.

Although the South is dominated by shows like "Happy Camp" and "Super Winner," "Happy Mobilization" also occupies a certain market share and can help drive traffic to the new show "Chinese Comedians."

……

From mid to late April.

Newspapers across the country were filled with advertisements for "Chinese Comedians".

[Zhao Benshan to leave "King of Comedy Sketches" for Variety Show Host? "Chinese Comedians" Premieres Saturday on Liaoning TV]

[After criticizing CCTV, Zhao Benshan, host of "China's Comedians," speaks out for the first time: Fairness, fairness, fairness]

[Let the audience be the "judges": "Chinese Comedians" aims to break down the seniority system in comedy]

[Created by the original team behind "Happy Together," "China's Comedians" aims to keep audiences nationwide laughing for three months straight.]

【…】

……

As the promotional campaign for "Chinese Comedians" unfolds.

A week before the show aired, Shen Feiyang had Yu Kai organize a sampling survey.

Randomly stop passersby on the streets of Beijing for interviews, asking them if they have heard of "Chinese Comedians" and if they have any desire to watch it.

A total of 3,000 people were interviewed, of whom 50% said they had heard of the program and 35% were quite interested in its format and wanted to watch it.

Shen Feiyang conducted this survey mainly to see how well Huanle Media's publicity and distribution penetration rate was.

Overall, Joy Media's promotional efforts in the Beijing area have been quite successful, achieving a high penetration rate.

……

5 month 8 day.

An ordinary Saturday.

It was around 7:50 PM.

Many families in Northeast China have tuned their televisions to Liaoning TV.

In 2004, watching television together as a family was still a mainstream family activity.

Like the TV series "Liu Laogen" starring Zhao Benshan, the whole family would sit in front of the TV together and cry together.

Years later, when the child grew up, he realized that he cried not because the TV drama was touching, but because he imitated Liu Laogen by cutting gold thread with scissors, cutting someone's hair or damaging something in the house, and was eventually disciplined by his parents with a stern fist.

As the premiere date approaches.

Tens of millions of people across the country tuned their channels to Liaoning TV.

In 2004, Chinese television viewers were experiencing a unique emotional void.

The per capita GDP exceeded 1.2 yuan for the whole year, and the urbanization rate climbed at a rate of more than 1% per year, with tens of millions of young people flocking from rural areas and small cities to work in big cities.

They lived in shared apartments, working on assembly lines or in office buildings during the day, and returning home at night, their only entertainment was a small television set.

But there are very few things on TV that can make you laugh out loud.

The Spring Festival Gala is indeed funny.

But the Spring Festival Gala only happens once a year, so for the remaining 364 days, viewers can only pass the time by watching sitcoms and reruns of the Gala.

There are quite a few variety shows, with "Lucky 52" and "Happy Dictionary" dominating the weekend prime time slot. Knowledge competitions and quiz shows are the mainstream, occasionally interspersed with performance-based programs like "Happy Camp" and "Happy Mobilization".

But no show is designed specifically to "make people laugh".

There were no performances on the same stage, no live voting, no weekly eliminations... The audience were just bystanders, not participants.

What "Chinese Comedians" aims to do is to extract comedy from the annual Spring Festival Gala and turn it into a show that can be watched every week.

Ten groups of comedians performed on the same stage, with the audience voting to eliminate them. This format, when placed on television screens in 2004, was both novel in content and a shock in form.

No one has ever seen a show like this, just as no one realizes how much they need it.

So when it was almost 8 p.m. on May 5, tens of millions of people across the country tuned their TV channels to Liaoning TV.

Some people came for Zhao Benshan, some were simply curious that "a comedy competition can be turned into a variety show," and most just wanted something to make them laugh on a Saturday night.

……

The program started at 8 p.m. sharp.

First, there's a GG (Ghost) opening sequence.

A dozen seconds later, the camera cut to the studio.

As the stage lights came on, Zhao Benshan, wearing a dark jacket and holding a microphone, slowly walked onto the stage from the side.

The audience of five hundred people applauded and cheered, creating quite a stir.

When Zhao Benshan arrived in Taichung, he didn't rush to speak. He smiled at the audience and waited for the applause to subside before saying, "Good evening, everyone. Welcome to 'Chinese Comedians.' I'm your host, Zhao Benshan."

"Many people ask me, 'Teacher Zhao, you were doing so well in performing sketches, why did you become a host?' I say, 'I only perform sketches once a year, and every time people find fault with me, saying this isn't good enough or that isn't right. This time, I'm going to find fault with you too.'"

The audience laughed for a while.

Zhao Benshan chuckled and said, "Our show is called 'Chinese Comedians.' What's a comedian? It's someone who makes you laugh. Today, these ten groups of contestants include crosstalk performers, sketch comedy performers, Errenzhuan singers, and stage play actors. They all make a living through their skills."

"I only made one request when I came on this show: fairness. No matter how big a star you are, if the audience isn't happy, you have to leave. Five hundred audience judges are sitting below, holding voting machines in their hands. If you perform well, they'll vote for you; if you perform poorly, not even a god can save you."

"Some people ask me, what's the point of this show? I say, it doesn't have much significance, it's just to make you laugh on Saturday nights. We work hard all year round to make a living, it's not easy. Being able to sit in front of the TV and have a good laugh one night is better than anything else. This is also a chance for us ordinary people and comedic talents to shine."

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Now it's time for the comedians. Please welcome the first group, the Happy Twist Troupe, with their performance of 'Tropical Thunder'."

Zhao Benshan turned and walked towards the side of the stage, but after taking two steps, he turned back and said, "By the way, if any of the programs later are really not funny, just watch me. My face is enough to be a comedy, even if I don't say anything."

The audience burst into laughter.

The viewers in front of their televisions chuckled along.

With Zhao Benshan's warm-up act, the audience's attention was focused on the show.

……

"Tropical Thunder" is less of a skit and more of a short stage play.

The props, set design, sound effects, and lighting are all professional-grade.

The story is set in the war-torn rainforests of Vietnam.

An invading American soldier (played by Wei Xiang) stepped on a landmine.

At this moment, the lurking Vietnamese militia (played by Shen Teng) appeared, revealing that he was the one who planted the mine.

The two should have been enemies, but the militiamen themselves inadvertently stepped on another landmine.

Thus, the two were locked in a stalemate of "whoever moves first dies".

What followed was a farcical series packed with laughs.

The audience at the scene and those watching on television were all thoroughly amused.

Twenty years from now, this skit might not seem very funny, but this was in 2004, and the subject matter, jokes, and memorable lines were all refreshing and novel.

During the recording, even Zhao Benshan was quite amazed by the program, as it was completely different from traditional sketches.

Can be imagined.

With "Tropical Thunder" leading the way, what kind of pressure will the subsequent programs face?

In the eyes of the audience, the later episodes were not very good.

The only three groups that can be considered evenly matched are Guo Donglin, who is at the peak of his creative career, Xiao Shenyang, who has a unique style, and the Liaoning Folk Art Troupe, which was personally trained by Zhao Benshan.

Overall, these shows are quite funny.

Viewers in front of their televisions laughed for more than two hours.

The final voting results for the first round were as expected.

Happy Twist ranked first, Liaoning Folk Art Troupe second, Guo Donglin third...

Zhao Benshan concluded, "The skit 'Tropical Thunder' was truly excellent; I didn't blink an eye while watching it. These young people from Happy Twist are creative and daring; I've definitely never seen a skit like this before. The guy playing the militiaman is Shen Teng, right? Would he be interested in joining our Liaoning Folk Art Troupe?"

The audience cheered, with applause and laughter mingling together, and the camera cut to Shen Teng standing to the side.

Shen Teng's eyes lit up as he said, "Teacher Zhao, I really mean what you said."

Zhao Benshan chuckled: "I always keep my word."

Shen Teng scratched his head: "Okay, then I'll go back and ask my boss. If he's willing to release them, I'll carry my bedding to Shenyang."

The audience burst into laughter.

We chatted casually for a while.

Zhao Benshan concluded, "Alright, that's all for today's program. Next Saturday night at 8 PM, Liaoning TV, 'China's Comedians,' let's continue the fun."

The program ended amidst applause.

Viewers at home felt a bit unsatisfied, but their mood definitely improved.

Some elderly couples, after sending their children to bed, also went back to their rooms to sleep.

The bed frame makes a creaking sound.

……

After the first episode of "Chinese Comedians" aired, the audience hotline set up by the Liaoning TV audience liaison department was overwhelmed with calls. Viewers from all over the country expressed their praise and asked if the next episode could be broadcast as soon as possible.

The operator reassured the audience while encouraging them to share the program with other viewers.

In 2004, the methods for calculating television ratings were still very rudimentary, and there was no such thing as calculating ratings on the same day the program aired.

To judge whether a program is popular, audience calls and letters are the most authentic indicators.

However, viewership ratings are also important.

The fastest available viewership data comes from the "People Meter" introduced by CSM, which is currently the world's most advanced television audience measurement technology.

至2004年5月，CSM已建立了代表全国的2000户人员测量仪调查系统，以及HUN省省级400户、GD省省级600户、LN省省级400户的人员测量仪省网。

Meanwhile, city measurement devices were also used to conduct viewership surveys in 24 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Changsha, Xi'an, Hengyang, Changde, Shaoguan, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Chaozhou, Suzhou, Zhanjiang, Jiangmen, Wuxi, Wuhan, Huizhou, Shenyang, Jinzhou, and Fushun.

……

Monday, October 5.

In the break room of an office building in Beijing, two young people are getting water.

Did you watch that program on Liaoning TV on Saturday? The one hosted by Zhao Benshan.

"I didn't see it, why?"

"Let me tell you about a skit that's really new, really funny, and also really profound..."

This person gave a brief summary of Tropical Thunder.

"Wow, I've never seen a war-themed sketch before. This show is quite interesting. Where can I watch a rerun?"

Similar conversations are being repeated constantly in offices, schools, and on buses in Beijing, Shenyang, Harbin, and Changchun.

……

On the other hand, Huanle Media, Benshan Media, Liaoning TV, and Shen Feiyang obtained the ratings statistics for the first episode.

According to data from the personnel measurement system, the premiere ratings of "Chinese Comedians" in Liaoning Province reached an astonishing 22%, just shy of the 28% premiere ratings of "Ma Dashuai".

The viewership ratings in major cities such as Beijing, Shenyang, Changchun, and Harbin generally exceeded 10%, while the average viewership rating in other parts of the country was about 6%.

In comparison, the viewership ratings for CCTV's prime-time dramas are around 8%-9%.

For a new variety show on a provincial satellite TV station, this is already a "phenomenal" start.

……

After the ratings data came out, Joy Media quickly distributed the first episode to hundreds of local channels across the country for free for rebroadcast.

Although it was free, the pre-installed GG banners in the show reached even more viewers.

The impressive ratings of the premiere, coupled with the extensive coverage of reruns, have brought the commercial value of "Chinese Comedians" to the attention of more GG clients.

Wei Yonggang has received several calls from brand owners inquiring about the price of GG patch panels.

"GG ​​overlay" refers to adding clips or glitches to rebroadcast versions. If all goes well, a phenomenal program like "Chinese Comedians" can generate at least several hundred thousand yuan in revenue from GG overlays per episode.

……

The next few days.

Shen Feiyang instructed Yu Kai to expand the public relations department to five people, contact local newspapers in major cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, buy advertising space, and leverage the program's popularity to promote Shen Teng and Happy Twist in conjunction with Happy Media's program promotion campaign.

then.

Readers of various newspapers saw these reports.

[A dark horse emerges in the first episode of "Chinese Comedians": Shen Teng, a graduate of the PLA Academy of Arts, becomes an overnight sensation]

[Zhao Benshan recruited Shen Teng on the spot; just who is Shen Teng?]

[How did Shen Teng, who ranked first in the first episode of "Chinese Comedians," surpass Zhao Benshan's apprentice?]

Zhao Benshan was stunned by the Happy Twist comedy piece: "I've never seen this style before!"

[The skit "Tropical Thunder" sparks heated discussion in the industry: Can skits be performed like this?]

As the show gained popularity, Shen Teng's popularity also soared.

……

July 5, Friday, afternoon.

Shen Teng came to the Military Arts Academy to pick up Wang Qi.

Standing at the school gate, Shen Teng's face was completely exposed.

A passerby made a sound of "Huh" as he walked past him.

Then, the passerby took a few steps back and met Shen Teng's eyes. The passerby revealed a surprised expression and said, "Oh my! You must be Shen Teng! Hahaha, your skit in 'Chinese Comedians' was really funny."

Shen Teng gave a simple, honest smile: "Hello, hello."

"Could you sign your autograph for me?"

"OK."

Shen Teng signed autographs for passersby.

"Thanks."

The passerby left.

Wang Qi, who had been standing inside the school gate for a while, came over and asked, "What were you doing to them just now?"

Shen Teng said smugly, "I'll sign autographs for the fans."

"Wow, you've become a big star." Wang Qi felt a mix of emotions that were hard to describe.

"That's right." Shen Teng sensed the hidden meaning in her words but didn't ask any further questions. He put his arm around her shoulder and walked towards the roadside. "Let's go, Mr. Shen is treating everyone to dinner today."