If Wang Yang wanted to, "The Big Bang Theory" could be released in January in the spring after the winter break, or even in November a month later, as long as he handed over the first episode to a partner TV station. Because NBC, CBS, ABC and other channels have endured a lot of fish belly sitcoms that can be cut off at any time, let the "magic work" save the ratings of that time slot.

The news that he has begun to prepare this mysterious "Big Bang Theory" crew has come out, and this name has excited the majority of fans of the show, Big Bang Theory! Big Bang Theory! So what is it about? Of course, there is nothing to see by a name alone, like "Friends" and "Two and a Half Heroes", but they also vaguely feel that there seems to be a different kind of freshness.

NBC and other TV stations also don't know, Wang Yang only said "this is a set of dramas with scientific content", science and sitcoms?! It's not that no one has thought about it, doctors, lawyers, police, and even couriers have done it, let alone science? But science should stay on the National Geographic Channel. "The Big Bang Theory" wants to popularize scientific knowledge in life?What kind of professor's family, a family comedy with a few children's characters?

Or will you continue with MIT-21-TEAM and tell a few MIT students about a funny school comedy?

There are many questions in the brains of TV station executives and fans, but no matter who you are, you know that Magic Young seems to be in love with "smart". "MIT-21-TEAM" is a large series of mathematical theories, Monty-Hall paradox, tiger paradox, which is unresponsive, and the two dialogues at the beginning and end have another kind of "shock";

If the founder of The Big Bang Theory were someone else: Young-Someoneson, Robert Eagle-BC of Someoneson, would laugh and say, "What are you kidding? You look for National Geographic, we're for entertainment." NBC's Kevin Rayleigh would think for a moment and say, "We need shows that young people enjoy, not older people." CBS's Nancy Tellum thinks about it and says, "Consider doing a pilot episode." ”

Now it's Young-ang.

"Oh, we're ordered!" all the TV channels raised their hands, and they all made it clear that "all season booked!" No one believed that Magic Young Comedy would fall below 10 million ratings, but at any time 20 million, it was well worth the risk.

In the face of this unexpected "surging crowd" situation, Wang Yang expressed his gratitude very much, and also understood that he couldn't play too much, otherwise he would become a nasty ghost, so he first revealed his willingness to broadcast on the big TV channel, and declined the hot invitation of FOX, UPN, and B channels.

The three stations can only withdraw from the competition in a gloomy manner, and the public relations staff have no choice, can they give away some kind of magic golf club coupons? Staples Center Christmas game sideline seats? Why not look at his assets and worth? That's just self-inflicted humiliation.

So of course only NBC, CBS, and ABC were left, and it was a war, and they all said one after another: "There is no need for a pilot episode." "It's a blind trust in Wonder Young, but it's also respect, and it's a starting line.

"We trust this and any plan of Wonder Young so much, haha!" NBC Entertainment President Kevin Rayleigh told the media so happily, laughing that "Prison Break" gave them unlimited confidence and a "scientific law": "You just have to believe in him, and he will definitely bring surprises, we call this 'Magic Young'." Although it is not yet known what this show will look like, we believe it. ”

Hearing the reporter's provocative question, Kevin Rayleigh shook his head again and again, and he said solemnly: "We have to note that this is not the first series that does not have a pilot episode, and the fact that there is no need for a pilot episode does not mean that the audience is disrespectful, but it is precisely respect for the audience and respect for Magic Young." This is the consensus of all of us, because that person is Wonder Young, and we all have to provide him with the greatest creative space, and he will bring the best works. ”

NBC's rhetoric makes it seem as if "The Big Bang Theory" is already theirs, but it is not, and CBS, which is rumored to be in the competition, Nancy Durham also confirmed the news to the media: "Yes, we do go after this show, and who doesn't want it? We also have 'Magic Young' Law." In fact, we once seriously considered chasing "Prison Break", but its crime genre did not match the style of our channel, so we finally regretfully quit. ”

The meaning of this sentence is already an apology: "I didn't despise your "Prison Break", that was a mistake, don't mind!" There are not many people who can make this screen entertainment queen publicly apologize, 23-year-old Magic Yang is one, of course, this is one of the reasons why she is very popular, in Hollywood's celebrity voting column, her approval rating is 100%, the most popular CEO in the film and television entertainment industry, and Wang Yang's approval rate is 95%.

Nancy Tellum concluded: "Now that you know that this sitcom will have a scientific component, it's very much in line with our CBS style, and we're interested and hopefully working together." ”

"We certainly have the 'Magic Young' Law. Seeing that the other party had made a move, ABC naturally did not sit idle, Robert Eagle told the media: "We still have three rules: one, he has the magical ability to change the market, don't tell him, 'You can't do it', two, he has a vision and vision, don't tell him, 'This is not right', he always has amazing ideas and will put them into practice, and then bring surprises, don't say to him, 'Are you kidding?' It's all about believing him! You can't treat him like a regular treatment." ”

ABC, which is not very competitive, has exhausted all the good words, hoping to impress Magic Young, how much value will a set of "The Big Bang Theory" have in 10 years if there is an achievement of "Friends"?

"I believe ABC will give The Big Bang Theory a warm home. Eagle concludes with confidence: "It will also bring a sitcom spring to ABC." ”

ABC doesn't just say no action, in terms of schedule, their promise is to let Wang Yang choose any time of the current sitcom, but NBC is the same, but it is recommended to take over the file of "Friends" at 8:00 pm on Thursday, and the side story "Joey" will be moved to 8:30, if necessary, two episodes can be broadcast in the first week, and CBS is optional except for 9:00 pm on Monday, and can take over its position after the end of "Everyone Loves Raymond" next season.

Of course, in that case, there will be a situation where the second season of "The Big Bang Theory" VS the third season of "Prison Break" will happen, just watch the magic of his own wishes.

What about the promotion of the first season of the series? The answers of the three major TV stations are all "top" without hesitation, because the huge success of "Prison Break" has broken the original way of publicity, it is no longer ordinary, not to mention the marketing on the Internet, "throwing a lot of money" to focus on one or two new dramas has become the latest idea in the screen market: take a TV series as a movie promotion! TV stations of all sizes have their own latest plans, and the audience will see a lot of changes in the next autumn file.

How top-level the publicity is still depends on the cost offered, ABC desperately promised 8 million, which is already the maximum amount Robert Eagle wants from the top, in fact, he wants 10 million; CBS has already offered 10 million on the intention of cooperation, if the quality of the series is very amazing, it can be 15 million; NBC, which makes a lot of money here in "Prison Break", will not be stingy with magic, directly 15 million.

The first season of "The Big Bang Theory" will have 24 episodes, and ABC has offered a high price of 4 million per episode to Flame Home Entertainment, which is already the top ten ratings; although these are not said on the surface, CBS does not show weakness, proposing to order 22 episodes a season at 4.5 million per episode, or 4.3 million 24 episodes a season; however, NBC, which received the rumors, is not a mother at all, and is quite anxious to protect the calf, giving a super high price of 4.8 million per episode to order 24 episodes a season.

Usually the copyright amount on the first contract of a set of dramas will be the amount of the second and third contracts for subsequent bookings for half a season, or booking three seasons in one go, no matter how popular it is, occupying the first position in the ratings, it will also be 4 million, 4.5 million, 4.8 million An episode will do at least a few seasons, and few episodes will increase the copyright fee halfway. Of course, if the producer encounters a situation where the main actor asks for a salary increase, otherwise he will strike and not renew the contract, and the new contract will be renegotiated.

In 1994, the first season of "Friends" was launched, and the salary of the six protagonists was $6,500 per person per episode, because the ratings of the first season rushed into the top ten of the year, ranking ninth with an average of 14.88 million viewers, and the salary of the six people in the second season rose to $30,000 per person per episode, and the average audience of 17.93 million viewers in the second season rose to the third place of the year. In 1996, under the leadership of "Phoebe" Lisa Kudrow, the six collectively demanded a salary increase from producer Warner Bros., so the third season rose to $40,000.

By the sixth quarter of 1999, it was $200,000 per episode, the eighth season in 2000 was $760,09,000 per episode, and in the ninth season of 2001, it was $1 million per person per episode, and the final season of this year has risen to an unprecedented $1.2 million per person. To that end, NBC is going to pay Warners more than 9 million in premiere royalties per episode.

Lisa Kudrow, the famous "lead brother" who proposed the "all or nothing" agreement of the "Friends" crew, said at the time: "I don't think the average million dollars per episode of the lead actors is too high, which seems a bit outrageous, but I said to myself, 'If the producers can't afford to pay for it, they won't say yes.'" If they say yes, they are still making money. ”

According to Warner's personnel, the reason why the six leading actors offered such an outrageous price was because they and Warner had long been "no longer on such a good relationship", and they thought that this price would definitely not be accepted and they broke up, who knew that Warner and NBC would agree again.

Warner naturally does not do a loss-making business, in addition to the premiere fee of more than 9 million yuan for the tenth season, the replay fee on the TBS channel also reached 1 million per episode, and for the second rebroadcast rights that took effect in 2011, interested parties must also buy all 236 episodes for 1 million per episode. At the same time, there are also revenues from overseas countries, revenues from the DVD market, and various royalties...... In BC, each 30-second ad for "Friends" can sell more than 500,000 yuan.

The Big Bang Theory, which has only one name and "will have scientific content," is 4.8 million per episode, a move that, despite NBC's deep pockets, is still insane, and of course CBS and ABC are the same. But this battle may affect the sitcom pattern of the screen in the next ten years, and even affect the relationship with Magic Young, according to the "Magic Young's Law" and "Magic Young's Law", if they don't want it, FOX will immediately yell: "I want it for 4.5 million per episode!"

With the current market situation, if "The Big Bang Theory" follows the style of Magic Young, and uses newcomer actors and actors who are not well-known, each person will be about 5 or 60,000 per episode, even if there are 6 leading actors, the salary for one episode is only 360,000; excluding Magic Young, the maximum cost of such a sitcom will not exceed 1 million per episode, which is equivalent to that if Flame chooses NBC, the highest price NBC, from the premiere copyright fee alone, will earn $3.8 million per episode before tax, and a total of 91.2 million in the first season.

The current 400, 450, and 480 are 100% to buy Magic Yang and buy a new drama that is "scheduled" to be in the top ten annual ratings. But despite this, NBC didn't dare to say that it would buy three seasons at once, only one season first, after all, it was already a very high price.

"Now it's just an idea, but it's got a lot of enthusiasm from many, many people, and I'm a little flattered. ”

Wang Yang really didn't expect it to develop into this exaggerated situation, for the small means of "snipe and clam fighting, fishermen profiting" had an effect, he didn't have the original to get the release of "Ghost Record" quickly, deliberately told Lionsgate that "the artist intends to launch a DV movie", and Lionsgate really hit the joy of time, because he is now "Magic Young", is the chairman of the Flame Group, many things are different.

If, in order to make more money, the relationship between all parties deteriorates significantly, it will be more than worth the loss. His initial idea was that he was very satisfied with 3 million single episodes, this is not a live-action drama like "Prison Break", it is a multi-camera sitcom that is in the studio almost the whole time! Who knows that without saying a word at the beginning, it will reach more than 4 million, which is just the most normal "bidding".

"We chose NBC for The Big Bang Theory. ”

In an interview with TV-Guide magazine and on his blog, Wang Yang announced the news, and privately communicated with Nancy Durham and Robert Iger, and NBC has also happily and confidently announced: "In the 2004-2005 TV schedule, "The Big Bang Theory" will take over the position of "Friends", and we believe that it will also allow viewers to maintain the habit of watching NBC at 8 p.m. on Thursday nights." Both CBS and ABC said "It's a pity." ”

Wang Yang did not choose to fan the flames, and asked the three major channels to carry the price of each episode to more than 5 million, and chose the most suitable "accept it when it is too good", so that everyone could shake hands and end up. After all, he didn't say anything unpleasant, he didn't even say anything, of course, "Prison Break" and "The Big Bang Theory" will definitely offend the interests of the enemy, but that's the rules of the game, you can choose NBC but you can't embarrass others.

Especially as a Chinese, anyone who wants to maintain a considerable popularity, words and deeds are one of the biggest factors in determining the outcome.

Anyway, it didn't mean to embarrass anyone, but you can't always make "The Big Bang Theory" for NBC, "The Big Bang Theory" for NBC, and "The Big Bang Theory" for ABC...... There is no way to please everyone, just be skillful and speak the truth.

"I chose NBC mainly because of Friends, I started watching Friends when I was 14 years old, and I don't think I'll ever forget the couch at the beginning of the film for the rest of my life. It means a lot to me to be able to take over the schedule now and to have the opportunity to continue its glory and keep the tradition of Thursday alive. I'm grateful to everyone who has trusted The Big Bang Theory to trust me, and we're going to work hard to get the best Thursday nights next year. ”

Fans of the show understand his decision very well, except for "Friends" and people have a good cooperation with NBC, why do they want to change jobs? CBS and ABC really can't hate it, knowing that they are being used to raise prices, but this is the rule of the game, Magic Young has left them a lot of face in public and private, and with the announcement of NBC's victory, this soap opera of "Fighting for Magic Young" has come to an end.

In the end, Flame Home Entertainment accepted NBC's plan with 24 episodes in the first season, a subscription price of 4.8 million per episode for the premiere season, and a publicity cost of no less than 10 million, and the specific contract details are still being negotiated. But this has no effect on the start of the Flames, and if NBC says tomorrow that it will abandon the order, then Nancy Durham, who is now pinching his forehead, and Robert Iger, who is frowning, will raise their fists "haha".

"Hello, is it Professor David Salzbao? I'm Wang Yang, yes I'm looking for you, haha it's not basketball or football, let's put aside our grievances. You know it's for The Big Bang Theory, and I'd like to invite you to join our team as a script consultant......"

(To be continued)