Chapter 406: 406

The 2004-2005 television fall season could be described as a period of great upheaval. NBC’s long-reigning sitcom king “Friends,” HBO’s soap opera titan “Sex and the City,” among other series, vanished one after another. One of CBS’s aces, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” came to an end, while shows like “The Big Bang Theory,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “House M.D.” emerged, becoming new favorites for audiences…

Among them, the biggest winner was undoubtedly Flame Family Entertainment, along with beneficiaries NBC and ABC.

For NBC, it was a bittersweet TV season. The much-anticipated “Joey” was a ratings disaster. Over the course of 24 episodes in its first season, it averaged only 10.7 million viewers per episode, with a rating of 4.2/12, all ranking below 30th for the year! Starting from the highest point of 18.55 million viewers for the first episode, the audience numbers slid back relentlessly. By the 16th episode, it had dipped below 10 million viewers, and from the 18th episode onwards, this became a weekly occurrence, with the lowest point reaching just 7.5 million viewers. Even more dishearteningly, it was scheduled after a hit show, yet viewers switched channels en masse, indicating it was essentially a pile of crap.

“We’re really disappointed,” Kevin Reilly, President of NBC Entertainment, once said to “TV Series,” a television magazine. He believed that NBC had done everything right for “Joey” in terms of promotion, scheduling, and other aspects, and this lackluster performance was somewhat unacceptable. He even said, “We don’t understand where the problem lies. Are multi-camera sitcoms outdated? But ‘The Big Bang Theory’ tells us that’s not the case. Maybe the planning for ‘Joey’ was too hasty. We’re all to blame.”

Statistics from Nielsen and other agencies showed that both new and old viewers turned their backs on the show. Even long-time “Friends” fans gave it low ratings, finding it utterly boring, with poor humor, and suggested it should end sooner rather than later.

NBC wasn’t foolish; they had already announced that they wouldn’t make a full-season order for “Joey,” but they still gave the show half a season to make a final attempt. If it weren’t for the fact that they were truly loath to part with “Friends” completely, this poor relative would have been swept out the door directly. On the other hand, NBC’s other new shows like “Proud Father,” “Hawaii,” and “Los Angeles International Airport” were lackluster and faced early cancellation, which were not unrelated to this decision; the senior management at the entertainment division really needed to be thankful for “The Big Bang Theory” as it salvaged their report card.

It flawlessly took up the flag of TV sitcom sovereignty! “The Big Bang Theory” averaged 21.56 million viewers per episode over 24 episodes in its first season, with a rating of 13/24, ranking 6th for the year! The premiere garnered 21.28 million viewers, with not a single episode dropping below 20 million. The 17th episode, “Comic Con,” even boasted an impressive high of 30.16 million viewers!

Although some television critics criticized it for “telling the same joke every week,” the show captivated global audiences from the moment it was broadcast with a mature and confident demeanor. It was both a CULT series with a large fan base and a popular hit adored by the general public. There’s a popular saying, “The only reason you’re not watching ‘The Big Bang Theory’ is that you don’t have a TV.” But there’s also the internet! “TBBT” didn’t just create a trend in North America; it sparked a “geek chic” wave around the world, with hundreds of millions of TBBT fans eagerly awaiting the second season.

The success of “The Big Bang Theory” was not only due to the increasing role of electronic technological products in people’s lives and the global geekification of the populace but also thanks to the hard work of the creative team and strong promotion from NBC.

Regardless, this summer NBC’s move to place a full-season order for two seasons, totaling 48 episodes, revealed its current standing. People such as the president, program managers, and marketing managers all openly expressed their admiration and reliance on it. Kevin Reilly praised it saying, “It’s not every year that a show as outstanding as ‘The Big Bang Theory’ emerges. It is that kind of ‘TIME series,’ and the next five to six years will belong to it. NBC is incredibly lucky to have it, and we must treasure this genius.”

By 2007, fans of The Big Bang Theory didn’t need to worry about missing Sheldon, Leonard, and the rest. They could eagerly discuss what the second season had in store—how would Sheldon’s relationships with his nemeses develop? Would he get a girlfriend? Could Leonard and Penny’s romance last? Would Howard say goodbye to being single?… There was much to look forward to in the promotional teasers for the second season, one highlight being “celebrity cameos.” The star-studded first season had featured a multitude of guests, including “Honorary Academy Member” Yang Wang. Rumor had it that Season 2 would include “a Firefly plot line,” creating a strong possibility for the marvellous Yang to make another appearance.

But with the new season, the crew hoped to implement not just cameos by movie and TV stars. Comic book artist Stan Lee had already accepted an invitation; physicist Stephen Hawking expressed interest, but whether he would appear was still under consideration; legends from Silicon Valley like Google founders Brin and Page, Apple founder Jobs, and others also needed time to consider… Of course, The Big Bang Theory was just getting started, and the producers were confident they could persuade these individuals to meet Sheldon and the rest one by one.

The only significant hurdle preventing The Big Bang Theory from airing weekly was striking actors. Seeing the show’s global success and the flames raking in a lofty $4.8 million per episode, it was inevitable that the creators and main actors, still on basic salaries, would feel discontent. After all, once an actor becomes a star, even if they don’t live extravagantly, their daily expenses naturally increase—things like outfits for events and ceremonies cost money, not to mention personal assistants, makeup artists, and individual teams. On the other hand, their income would also grow through advertising endorsements, show appearances, and magazine features.

Moreover, with agents stirring the pot, those happily collaborating with the flames knew gratitude and business had to be kept separate. After all, who wouldn’t want a better quality of life? And no one knew whether they would still have this glory a few years down the line. Just look at Joey!

Flame Family Entertainment was probably one of the most generous bosses in Hollywood. As soon as they caught a whiff of the cast’s desire for a raise in the summer, they promptly began detailed discussions with several main actors. Jim Parsons and others had no immediate plans for a strong-arm strike over pay. They understood that they had risen to fame because of The Big Bang Theory, and where could they go if they left the show? They also loved the show, and the $60,000 per episode they were making in the first season was already a top-tier price for newcomers in a new series. The flames had treated them well.

Reasonably, Jim Parsons and his colleagues did not want to sour relations with the flames. Kaley Cuoco even suggested to the flames that renegotiating the contract for the third season wouldn’t be too late. Still, Flame Family Entertainment offered the six main actors an improved contract of $80,000 per episode for the second season, rising to $100,000 per episode for the third, which was a very generous and sensible deal. Naturally, they signed their names without hesitation, gladly participating in the filming of Season 2, with no conflicts arising between labor and management.

However, Flame Family Entertainment wasn’t just a soft touch. Having done a good deed, they wanted people to know about it. At least in terms of moral reputation, the next time salary negotiations came around, the flames would still be in a strong bargaining position.

“I’m pleased this worked out so beautifully.” “You won’t find another company like this.”… Whether it was the media or the fans, everyone agreed that the flame’s approach was very fair. They didn’t see the stinginess Warner had shown with the Friends cast; the stars should be satisfied first and not ruin The Big Bang Theory.

During the previous summer, the cast of Prison Break also received pay raises. Last season, Prison Break SE2’s gripping plot and intense atmosphere had firmly held on to a vast audience. Even though viewership had dipped mid-season, the 24 episodes still performed well—starting with 23.5 million viewers, peaking with 28.54 million for episode 24, and averaging 23.04 million viewers with a 12/26 rating, securely maintaining its rank as the fifth most-watched show of the year and its title as a hit series.

However, heading into the third season, Prison Break suffered a loss of its creator. Despite NBC’s attempts to retain him, Yang Wang wouldn’t continue as a producer and writer, instead taking up a consulting role. Partly because he was spread too thin, he wanted to spend more time with his family and on film production; and partly because he’d lost his passion for Prison Break—the actual story had ended, and putting Michael Scofield back in prison was just turning it into a soap opera. There would be more running, more adversaries, and bigger conspiracies… all just to stretch the show out. If he didn’t have to consider contracts, the crew’s livelihoods, the reputation of Flame Family Entertainment, or the audience’s feelings, he would end the series where it should have ended—in the first season.

But if the production team can continue to maintain the suspense of “Prison Break,” if TV channels are willing to air it, and viewers love to watch it, then why not? With Michael Scofield and others embarking on another journey, the fully-booked season three of “Prison Break” by NBC is still a monster hit on the screen.

“Desperate Housewives” was definitely the biggest surprise of the last TV season. Suddenly, it took over the throne of the soap opera king from “Sex and the City.” Suddenly, the previously obscure Marc Cherry became a golden TV producer, several of the main actors became popular stars, and the term “Desperate-Housewives” became a cultural phenomenon, frequently appearing on various talk shows, especially since Oprah Winfrey declared herself a fan on her show; on April 30 this year, First Lady Laura Bush humorously stated at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife.”

The “Wisteria Lane” craze swept across America and the world, becoming a super dark horse! It debuted on ABC with 21.3 million viewers, the season finale peaked at 30 million, with an average of 23.7 million viewers for season one, a rating of 10.66/26, it was immensely popular with critics and audiences, dominating Sundays with a fourth-place finish for the year!

First place went to FOX with 27.3 million viewers for “American Idol”; second place went to CBS with 26.6 million for “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”; third place went to “American Idol,” which moved to Wednesday evenings, with 26.1 million viewers; fourth, fifth, and sixth places were occupied by three TV series under the Flame Entertainment banner, it also had the 19th-ranked “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” with an average of 15.1 million viewers, undoubtedly the big winner.

This strong momentum continued from the ratings into the awards nominations, with the Flame logo appearing everywhere on the nomination list for the 57th Emmy Awards, with the three series garnering a total of 15 main nominations!

They were for “Prison Break” in the Drama category for Best Drama, Best Actor (Wentworth Miller), Best Writing (EP04, Nick Santora); “The Big Bang Theory” for Best Comedy, Best Actor (Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki), Best Supporting Actor (Simon Helberg), Best Writing (EP17, Wang Yang, Bill Prady, Graham Linehan), Best Guest Actress (Natalie Portman, Rachel McAdams); “Desperate Housewives” for Best Comedy, Best Actress (Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman), and Best Writing (EP01, Marc Cherry).

The biggest suspense at this Emmy Awards is who will win the trophy for Best Comedy Series: the classic comedy “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which concluded after nine seasons; the dark horse “Desperate Housewives,” or the equally formidable “The Big Bang Theory”? The award ceremony will be held on September 18 at the Scherlan Theater in Los Angeles.

“I’ve decided not to go. Yes, I have to start shooting on Monday, I don’t want to fly back and forth… You know I now have a fear of flying, haha, if we win, just say I’m very happy, more handsome than getting a Nobel Prize, being watched by over ten million people… Haha!”

Under the night sky, Palo Alto was very quiet, on the couch in the living room, Wang Yang and Bill Prady on the other end of the phone laughed about the upcoming television extravaganza. He did not attend the Toronto International Film Festival that opened on September 10th; although Flame Films had purchased several independent films this year, they were bought to expand their film library for DVD business without any release plans, and he was also prepared to miss the Emmy Awards ceremony the following night.

It’s not because of the dark shadow cast by the Hurricane Katrina disaster, there will be fundraising activities at the ceremony; the main reason is that Wang Yang was very dissatisfied with the nomination list for “Best Guest Actress in a Comedy.” Clearly, Jessica’s guest performance in that episode was no less stellar than Natalie or Rachel’s, but she didn’t get a nomination.

“Why don’t you go?” Seeing him hang up and toss his phone aside, Jessica, who was sitting next to him, patted his thigh, her pretty face showing confusion. Wang Yang glanced at her curiously, “Why should I? I said two months ago that I wouldn’t go, and I haven’t forgotten.” Jessica became a bit anxious, “You should go, you have several nominations, I want to see you win! And with both shows doing so well, everyone would be happier if you attend.” Wang Yang seemed extremely tired as he closed his eyes, leaning back weakly against the couch, “Yes, but I’m just too tired…”

Jessica looked at his face, understanding and warmth filling her heart. She asked, “Hey, is it because of me?” Back in early July when the nominations were announced, they had already argued about this. She twirled a lock of hair by her ear, chuckling indifferently, “What are you mad about? My performance was indeed just average.”

“No!” Wang Yang opened his eyes, sat up straight, and said earnestly, “In that episode, you all were close to perfect, it has nothing to do with acting! You weren’t nominated because of the judges’ prejudice.” This was the effect of a stereotypical image at play, where many judges made their voting choices without having watched all the competing series’ episodes, or just glancing at them hastily, therefore, their usual impressions affected the outcome, naturally giving the credit for the highly praised guest appearances in ‘Comic Con’ to Natalie and Rachel.

“Dear, there are too many good guest performances, and there are only five nominations for each category.” Jessica soothed him in a soft voice. Although she had felt some disappointment and dejection at the time, she really didn’t mind now, saying, “I even think you should have been nominated for Best Guest Actor.”

“Right! Another reason not to go, fantastic!” Wang Yang snapped his fingers and comfortably laid back on the couch, hands under his face, ignoring her calls, “I’m not satisfied with this year’s guest actor list, not going is very normal! Plus, injuries, work… no need to say anything more, I really don’t want to go.” Jessica gave in, leaning back on the couch, tilting her head to one side, “Alright, if you don’t want to go, then we won’t, we’ll watch TV at home.” Wang Yang murmured as if he were about to sleep, “I don’t even want to watch TV.”

Jessica stared at the TV screen in front of them. Gently shaking his body, she revealed her true feelings with a smile, “Really, I truly don’t mind. An award nomination is just a form of commendation, your support is a form of commendation, and my own feelings are a commendation too. I know I did well that time! I had presence, rather than being an irrelevant pretty vase, not just standing there and calling it a performance… Yang, I’m aware of my capabilities and problems, I struggle to get into character, and maybe I can only play roles that are similar to my own situation.” She shrugged her shoulders, “But at least it shows that sometimes, I’m no worse than anyone else. That’s the key!”

“Hmm…” Wang Yang had been gazing at her, suddenly feeling that she had matured a lot lately, could it be because she was about to become a mother? He nodded and smiled, “You’re right, let’s watch TV then.” Jessica cheered happily, grabbing the remote to change channels, and suddenly remembered something as her eyes rolled, “Today is Friday, the ceremony is on Sunday!” Wang Yang looked puzzled and asked, “Isn’t it Sunday now?” It might have just been a misconception.

September 18th arrived quickly, and outside the Los Angeles Snowland Theatre, the red carpet was dazzling with stars, gradually transitioning from bustling to quiet. Inside the Snowland Theatre, there was not a single empty seat, and amid the emcee Ellen DeGeneres’s hosting, the audience resonated with waves of applause, laughter, and words of thanks.

“The winner for Best Comedy Series is!…” (