Age of Legends

Chapter 311 First Broadcast
Reality shows have their market, and in later generations, the market even expanded to a huge extent. This was a process. After being used to beautifully designed and perfectly crafted variety shows, and after being exposed to well-produced and scripted traditional variety shows for a long time, audiences often become aesthetically fatigued by these highly packaged contents. So they are suddenly caught up in the content of reality shows, which are close to life, emphasize authenticity and participation.

Therefore, this is a gradual process. As entertainment becomes more developed in later generations, the audience's desire for "reality" becomes stronger, prompting reality shows to rise to the mainstream stage and become a guarantee of high viewership.

Initially, there were no variety shows to watch, so Taiwanese variety shows, with their humor and avant-garde entertainment concepts, had a cross-cultural effect and once dominated the Southeast Asian market.

Up until 2001, the underground DVD market was dominated by Taiwanese variety shows such as "Kangxi" and "Guess Guess Guess," which were known for their fast pace, risqué content, and witty banter. These shows were often watched by college students with computers in their dorm rooms, accompanied by bursts of laughter.

In contrast, mainland China mainly offers programs like "Zhengda Variety Show" and "Variety Grand View," which are more like arts and culture galas, with a dignified and distant style.

Hunan TV was the first to follow suit and implement similar variety show reforms. "Happy Camp" borrowed game segments and interactive formats from Taiwanese variety shows, creating the first successful entertainment variety show in mainland China. Later shows like "Super Girl" and "Super Boy" also drew inspiration from reality show formats like "American Idol," which involved public voting.

However, the real boom didn't happen until 10 years later, when South Korea and the United States had mature reality show models. Domestically, they would often buy the copyrights or copy the ideas, and then make certain localization modifications, which did indeed succeed.

Ultimately, however, this is still a gradual process. Before people have watched enough variety shows, "Zhengda Variety Show" is entertaining enough. After watching a lot of traditional variety shows, Taiwanese variety shows have broken away from the norm. Before people have had enough of these, reality shows may not have a market.

Zhang Chen wasn't trying to replicate that success. In fact, it's uncertain whether he could have achieved the same level of success as in later generations. The real question is whether it would appeal to the audience, or whether it would be something they enjoy.

It's like the family drama "Emotional Mediation Room," which focuses on everyday arguments and squabbles. It's never been heavily promoted by major capital firms or streamed on various platforms. Why? Because they felt it wasn't high-class enough to enter the mainstream.

But do you think people like watching it? Just kidding. Even in later generations, major third-tier TV stations still rely on high ratings to guarantee advertising revenue, and video platforms are full of clips of famous scenes, which shows that everyone likes to watch it, they just don't like to discuss it publicly.

Zhang Chen's idea of ​​having Jiang Rong create a show like "Happy Camp" or "Super Girl" is a bit far-fetched, but it's not impossible to revamp and transform the show based on the existing format.

Currently, the only programs that stand out from the crowd of general programs and capture the universal needs of the public are dating and matchmaking shows.

Therefore, the title of the first season of "Seven-Day Promise" written by Zhang Chen for Jiang Rong is "Tracing the Heartbeat".

The show begins with a standard announcer's monologue stating its purpose: "Seven days, a journey to the heart. No guarantee of finding a partner, but a promise of sincerity."

There's a captivating quality to it that draws you into a sense of immediacy and realism, thanks to Wang Bowen's voice acting. And speaking of which, Wang Bowen's voice acting is absolutely superb. Normally, this "godfather" character appears as a carefree, middle-aged man in an open shirt, reminiscent of Ryo Saeba. But the moment he speaks in his broadcasting voice, he transforms into a heartthrob, his magnetic voice brimming with sex appeal, instantly drawing you in. No wonder Chen Xuran, the top female broadcaster in Rongcheng, fell for him.

Then comes the program's introduction: [Stripped of external labels such as material possessions and social status, the program allows young men and women to naturally develop emotional connections and find partners with compatible values ​​and shared values ​​through a series of tasks that require collaboration, communication, and the expression of their true selves.]

This introduction is absolutely groundbreaking in today's television market, sparking anticipation and imagination.

One principle Jiang Rong learned in television broadcasting is that when a medium excessively pursues technological spectacle and formal packaging, leading to a serious disconnect from the audience's life experiences, the market will spontaneously generate a compensatory demand for "authenticity" and "genuineness." In Jiang Rong's view, the core of this program is that it grasped this essence.

The program team selected four men and four women, all single young people with different family backgrounds and occupations, and then sent them to a "single apartment" filming building.

This filming location is Wang Bowen's cultural and creative base, which was transformed from the old factory area in Shaocheng. It is a multi-functional space. First, the old factory buildings were transformed into an art district, and the old factory buildings were transformed into youth apartments.

The "witness to the agreement" was none other than Wang Bowen, who hadn't made a formal appearance in a long time. Wang Bowen's artistic and mature style is perfect for the role of a host or guide who is emotionally intelligent, approachable, and observant.

These four groups will participate in various processes and tasks provided by the production team over seven days, and their on-the-spot reactions and collaboration in the face of unexpected events will be filmed throughout the process.

Through this model, they communicate, interact, and cooperate with each other, thus creating emotional bonds.

The program will run for seven days before heading towards the final agreement.

This involves sending a "seven-day date invitation" to a guy or girl you're interested in. Some people might receive multiple invitations, while others might walk away alone. Regardless of the outcome, the focus is on the growth and rethinking of relationships during these seven days.

When the program announced its revamp and the final broadcast date was set, Meng Lihui at the provincial TV station did notice it. However, she didn't continue to suppress it because suppression was no longer necessary. From a practical standpoint, Wu Yue had already taken over, snatching Jiang Rong's time slot, the program, and even the advertising market. Jiang Rong's program is currently scheduled for Wednesday nights at 8 PM, a position that's neither high nor low.

Moreover, Jiang Rong had signed a contract with the station after all, and there were people in the station who supported Wang Bowen, so Meng Lihui couldn't completely control everything.

Jiang Rong was still a little worried at this time, but Wang Bowen relieved her concerns: "Don't be fooled by the fact that it airs at night. Research shows that people's emotions are most vulnerable at night, and they are most easily manipulated, their emotions stirred, and their empathy evoked. So airing it at night is actually more in line with our program."

The first episode of "Seven-Day Promise" aired just like that.

This is the first day when the four groups of people from different places arrive at the single apartments and check in. Then, the men and women are separated and will not see each other. However, at night, they will have a conversation with each other through a thin wall. In this conversation, they cannot see each other's faces, but they can hear each other's voices and know who is talking based on their numbers. They chat about all sorts of things.

After the first episode aired, the ratings report returned the next day and showed an "abnormal" figure on the provincial TV station.

The premiere ratings may not have peaked instantly, but the viewership curve steadily rose, especially in the second half and the late-night talk show segment.

Meanwhile, the audience hotline for Jiang Rong's program, which had been quiet for two weeks due to the revamp, began to see a steady stream of calls again.

(End of this chapter)