Following the success of episodes 11 and 12 of "Full House," which surpassed the 3% viewership mark on July 31st, episodes 13 and 14, broadcast on August 5th, achieved ratings of 3.45% and 3.56% respectively, bringing Lu Chen closer to his publicly stated goal.
By this point, even the most stubborn skeptics had to admit that Lu Chen's second TV play had surpassed the success of "Autumn in My Heart" and was poised to once again lead the trend in the domestic TV market.
From a heart-wrenching melodrama to a romantic comedy, Lu Chen seemed to possess an uncanny ability to understand the human heart, consistently capturing audience preferences and creating one miracle after another.
However, the success of "Full House" also left Xiangnan TV's competing drama, "Vast Seas of Love," in an incredibly awkward position. Its fifteenth and sixteenth episodes, broadcast on August 5th, finally saw their viewership ratings plummet below 1%.
Why the word "finally"? Because on Wave Blog, Lu Chen's fans had been eagerly anticipating 'Vast Seas of Love' plummeting below the 1% threshold. Hu Yang's blog comment section was flooded with "1%" messages, a testament to the overwhelming public expectation.
This put Xiangnan TV, which had launched a massive promotional campaign for 'Vast Seas of Love' before its premiere, in an extremely embarrassing position. The marketing tactics originally intended to counter 'Full House' had now backfired spectacularly, slapping them squarely in the face.
Being humiliated was one thing, Xiangnan TV had always been thick-skinned anyway. But a 1% viewership rating for the heavily invested 'Vast Seas of Love' was catastrophic. Someone had to be held accountable for this disastrous outcome.
Industry rumors soon emerged: the Film Crew member who had advocated for a direct ratings battle with 'Full House' had reportedly been reassigned, and 'Vast Seas of Love' was likely to have its broadcast schedule changed.
In hindsight, if 'Vast Seas of Love' hadn't directly clashed with 'Full House' from the start, its ratings would never have plummeted so drastically. Since there was no magic pill to undo the past, they could only try to salvage the situation.
Despite its massive hype, 'Vast Seas of Love' failed to surpass 'Full House' and was instead utterly crushed. The entertainment industry's perception of Lu Chen naturally soared to new heights.
While the success of his debut drama, 'Autumn in My Heart', might have been attributed to luck, the explosive popularity of 'Full House' could only be explained by his undeniable talent. After all, no one could consistently create miracles through mere chance.
On the evening of August 8th, Lu Chen appeared on Pop Radio FM103.6's talk show, All-Star Talk Show.
Pop Radio is a leading commercial radio and online broadcasting station in China, bridging traditional and new media. Its programming covers a wide range of topics popular among young people, including film, music, digital technology, fashion, travel, and food. Whether through traditional radio broadcasts or online streaming, Pop Radio boasts a massive audience.
The All-Star Talk Show is a celebrity interview program launched by Pop Radio several years ago. With consistently high listenership ratings, it holds significant influence within the industry.
Therefore, when Pop Radio invited Lu Chen to appear on the show, he accepted without hesitation.
The live broadcast began at 7:30 PM from Pop Radio's headquarters studio in Capital City.
"Good evening, listeners tuning in on the radio! Greetings to all our online viewers!"
"This is Pop Radio FM103.6. Welcome to the All-Star Talk Show!"
"I'm Big Min!"
"And I'm Little Xing!"
The two hosts of All-Star Talk Show, a man and a woman, were well-known by their stage names "Big Min" and "Little Xing," each boasting over a million followers on Wave Blog.
Big Min, around thirty years old, wore glasses and had a refined demeanor. His voice was clear and crisp, and his conversation was witty and humorous.
His partner, Little Xing, was much younger, with fair skin, long hair cascading over her shoulders, and a captivatingly melodious voice.
Big Min began the introduction: "Tonight on All-Star Talk Show, we've invited a renowned singer, a celebrated screenwriter, and a distinguished actor—all embodied by the same person!"
Little Xing chimed in with a smile: "He's none other than Teacher Lu Chen! Let's give him a warm welcome!"
A burst of applause filled the air as Lu Chen spoke into the microphone: "Good evening, everyone. I'm Lu Chen. It's a pleasure to be chatting with the two hosts and all of you on Pop Radio."
Little Xing began, "First, congratulations to Lu Chen! The TV play Full House, written, directed, and starring Lu Chen, surpassed a 4% viewership rating last night, setting a ten-year record for its genre."
Big Min chimed in, "Congratulations, Lu Chen!"
Lu Chen smiled. "Thank you."
Episode 18 of Full House, which aired on the evening of August 7th, achieved a viewership rating of 4.06%, surpassing the 4% mark.
Although industry insiders had anticipated this success, its actual occurrence still sparked widespread discussion and dominated entertainment headlines, once again capturing public attention.
Over the past decade, China's TV play market has experienced rapid growth, with the number of episodes produced annually steadily increasing, showcasing a thriving industry. However, this expansion has also been accompanied by fierce competition and a tendency for blind imitation.
City-themed TV plays, idol dramas, and youth dramas were all the rage, their style and subject matter heavily imitating Japanese and South Korean dramas. While the number of episodes increased, average viewership continued to decline.
Many attributed this decline to the impact of the internet on television. Young people, the primary audience for idol and youth dramas, had a plethora of entertainment options and increasingly preferred Japanese, South Korean, and American dramas.
This view had long persisted, but the success of 'Autumn in My Heart' and 'Full House' suddenly revealed the potential of domestic dramas. Success, it turned out, wasn't about hype, scandals, or feuds, but about creativity and sincerity!
As a domestic drama, 'Full House' had already surpassed a 40% viewership rating in South Korea, far outstripping other local Korean dramas airing at the same time. South Korean media were even crying, "The wolf is coming!"
With only seven episodes remaining, 'Full House' had become a true cultural phenomenon. The two hosts of All-Star Talk Show couldn't avoid the topic, first showering the drama with lavish praise.
Then they shifted the conversation to the male lead.
Little Xing said, "We have a listener named Tian Yake who's dying to know: Teacher Lu Chen, when you and Chen Fei'er first started dating, who made the first move?"
As she asked Lu Chen, the host wore a mischievous smile, clearly eager to hear the answer herself.
All-Star Talk Show was a true live-streaming program. Radio listeners could call in to interact with the hosts or celebrity guests, while online viewers could leave comments on the live-streaming website, which the hosts would then filter through for questions.
This question was particularly intriguing.
(End of Chapter)
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