America 1982

A few days after Tommy returned to Los Angeles, Herbert called him and said that he and Turner wanted to visit BT Entertainment Production Company and meet Tommy and Rick Lu, the head of the show production team. Let’s chat with Se to find out why the ratings of BT’s self-produced programs are astonishing, while the ratings of self-produced programs of CNN, TPS, and TNT, the three major TV networks under Little Turner’s name, have always been low.

In the conference room of BT Entertainment, the resolute little Turner is definitely a man of action. After sitting down and exchanging greetings, the fifty-year-old white man with a beard stared directly at Tommy and asked this question, Desperate for answers.

Tommy didn't speak in a hurry, not because he was afraid of saying the wrong thing. Little Turner would beat himself up just like he beat Murdoch when he didn't agree. The old man's gray-blue eyes were full of sincerity. He was true. I don't understand why a series of self-made movies, dramas and reality shows carefully produced by his three major TV networks are not loved by the audience. He came to Los Angeles with the idea of ​​seeking medical treatment and asked a junior from BT TV Network for advice.

This old country white man was born in Ohio. He likes to buy land when he earns money. He goes back to his hometown ranch to ride horses and herd cattle in his free time. He has a bad temper, a loud voice, and vulgar language. He often makes some weird remarks. At first glance, he looks like Tommy in Warwick. There is not much difference between the fathers in Hengxing Township.

But in fact, Little Turner is an out-and-out supporter of the Democratic Party. He likes to pay attention to and think about serious issues such as environmental protection, world peace, opposition to nuclear deterrence, and the American social system.

Many supporters of the Democratic Party and even Democratic politicians like to act under slogans such as environmental protection and equal rights. Even Tommy is accustomed to using these words on his lips. But the problem is that Tommy and those people are just shouting slogans and concepts. It's just a tool to beautify himself, but this little Turner is serious. He really believes that the United States needs to pay attention to environmental protection, the world needs peace, and Americans need universal medical care, and he is willing to make efforts to promote these.

In addition, he likes to do things personally and interferes in specific program production at every turn. Therefore, the self-produced programs of the three major TV networks under his name are actually mixed with a lot of content that he hopes to let the audience understand, which is a typical doped program. It’s private stuff, it’s damn good if a program like this is produced and looks good.

For example, the Fox Television Network recently officially named a cartoon series that was previously a talk show warm-up sketch "The Simpsons", expanded the length of a single episode to 30 minutes, and put it into prime time pilot. A cartoon series about the daily life of a typical blue-collar family in Ohio, USA.

Although this cartoon series often makes jokes about the government and capitalists, the politicians in it are all corrupt, the capitalists are greedy, and the police only shake their heads and show their hands, but the ending of the story every time is good, and the most important thing is Yes, this cartoon series conveys a message, that is, although the United States also has its flaws, the people living here are optimistic, kind, and wealthy. The United States is still a strong country, and everything that seemed to be in a hurry at the time Big Trouble, when we look back at it, it is a past event that can make us smile.

It is obviously a cartoon series, but the characters and plots in it have aroused strong resonance among ordinary Americans. The ten-episode pilot episode that Fox temporarily prepared to test the water immediately entered the top ten of its own program ratings. This kind of pilot performance also allowed Fox to quickly form a luxurious professional content team of more than 20 people for this cartoon series, ensuring that the first season that will be aired in the future will be more exciting than these ten pilot episodes.

When Turner Jr. saw the popularity of Fox's "The Simpsons" pilot, he also served as a screenwriter himself and produced a cartoon series to be piloted during prime time, focusing on promoting environmental protection, called "Earth Superman", hoping that through the form of cartoons, Let Americans understand the dangers of environmental pollution and increase awareness of environmental protection.

As a result, the two cartoon series competed at the same time. The result of Fox's "The Simpsons" was that both newspapers, magazines and TV audiences were full of praise, and many TV magazines gave it full marks.

Turner's "Earthman", which he believed to be the perfect combination of depth and entertainment, did not even finish the fifteen pilot episodes because a large number of viewers called to report that the various monster shapes in "Earthman" were scary. She cried for her own children, and was suspected of using the excuse of environmental pollution to create panic among children, so it was hastily stopped and remade.

For another example, Fox Movie Channel previously launched a TV movie "Pray for Me" that was low-cost but well-received by viewers. It told the story of an American pilot who carried an atomic bomb to bomb Japan and finally returned safely. The protagonist recalled his brother's death at Pearl Harbor to emphasize the story. Depicting the cruelty and ferocity of Japan will make it logical for the protagonist to take the initiative to fly a plane and drop atomic bombs. He does not need to blame himself. He is not the murderer of hundreds of thousands of people. He is destroying fascism and ending the war. American hero.

Let’s look at the operation of Little Turner again. TNT TV network’s self-produced TV movie "The Long Shadow" also tells the story of nuclear weapons. The protagonist is a doctor who participated in the development and testing of nuclear weapons radiation in the United States. By chance, he meets a man who was exposed to radiation. A soldier who was dying of cancer due to nuclear radiation made him realize that nuclear weapons, which he thought were supposed to maintain world peace, were the biggest obstacle to world peace. The protagonist fell into deep reflection and self-blame.

There is no need to go to the movies, just read the summary of the story. Normal Americans know which movie to choose to kill time. After all, they watch movies to get pleasure, not to make them depressed.

After watching "The Long Shadow", the editor of the "Los Angeles Times" commented: Little Turner has a brain disease, and the disease is more serious than the protagonist of the movie.

"I think the most important thing is, just like I talked with Mr. Siegel in New York before, trust, trust the production team, and try to avoid interfering with them too much." Tommy said to Little Turner with a smile:

"Communicate with them and discuss a general idea. If I agree, then the follow-up work will be completely handed over to them. They will have a serious meeting to discuss whether the idea is feasible, and then conduct market research, detailed design, etc., I will Neither of them will participate. Generally, before a self-made program is completed, I will only meet with the production team three times. The first time I discuss ideas with them, and the second time I listen to the production team report on the entire project plan they completed based on the ideas, and decide whether to take it. Pay the money to make it, and for the third time, watch the rough cut with them.”

Little Turner stared at Tommy intently: "I think you're hinting to me to learn to shut up, kid."

"I know that you and your father, Mr. Turner Sr., are both masters of micromanagement with a background in economics from Brown University. You can remember the locations and even the contents of advertisements published by Turner Advertising Company on more than 3,000 billboards in the United States. You know them. I greatly admire the length of each advertising contract and knowing which advertising space is suitable for which advertising, but program production does not require micromanagement. You can't be the director, producer, screenwriter, lighting, and stylist yourself. ...This is not an advertising industry where the boss can easily double as an advertising salesman, this is a television industry that emphasizes teamwork." Tommy took a sip of Coke and said to Little Turner.

"You are suggesting that I shut up." Little Turner repeated it again, but he laughed: "I have actually realized that I am not a genius, at least not in terms of program production. This is also what I hope to use Warner Bros. The reason why I came to buy shares instead of buying shares in my own name is that I’m afraid that if I enter your board of directors, I can’t help but point fingers, and Warner, they will send a good-tempered executive to participate in the board of directors.”

After chatting with Little Turner for a while, Rick Luther finished arranging his work and brought his team to the conference room to meet Little Turner.

Tommy was not interested in such business discussions involving the specific production process. After Turner changed his focus and began to ask Rick curious questions, he got up and left, changed to a small conference room and stayed with little Turner. After getting up, Herbert Siegel drank coffee and asked the other party what entertainment method he should choose to pass the time if he had a few months of leisurely vacation.

As a result, they sat down for five minutes at most. When the two of them were debating whether they should choose to learn mountaineering skills or practice skiing skills to pass the time, they heard footsteps outside. The next second, Rick Luther appeared with a strange expression. Outside the door.

"It's only five minutes." Tommy glanced at the time on his watch and said to Rick, "I don't think this time is even enough for you to introduce your team members to Mr. Turner."

Rick shrugged pitifully at Tommy and said softly: "The chat didn't go well. Mr. Turner thought I was insincere, and I thought he was mentally ill."

Second update~