Chapter 207: Ratings Miracle

[Chapter 207: A Wind Rising]

The next morning, major newspapers across North America prominently featured headlines like "Friends," "30 Million Viewership," and "Television Miracle" in bold print. A wave of various opinions flooded the public's attention.

"The spoiled and opinionless Rachel Green, the assertive and neat Monica Geller, the eccentric and quirky Phoebe Buffay, the penny-pinching Ross Geller, the witty Chandler Bing, and the lovable but dimwitted Joey Tribbiani... After only airing two episodes, Eric Williams had already crafted six distinct characters for the screen. Viewers quickly found themselves attracted to these six fictional personalities within just one hour.

The relatable and humorous plot drew the audience in even more, evidenced by the 31.7 million premiere ratings. When viewers watched the everyday lives of the six protagonists living in their New York apartment, it was as if they saw reflections of their own lives. This connection might just be the primary reason for the sitcom's success, reminiscent of how ABC's still-popular series captivated audiences. Eric Williams undeniably possessed a genius that allowed him to weave everyday details into engaging dialogues that kept viewers glued to their screens.

The amusing exchanges among the main characters would undoubtedly become popular catchphrases among young people for a long time to come. Having only aired two episodes, the characters' personalities were already fully fleshed out, and I found myself eagerly anticipating the next developments. I had no doubt that Eric Williams, who personally wrote the series, would deliver even more surprises in the storyline. After all, he was Eric Williams."

...

Amidst countless praises, dissenting opinions were also present. Following a brief survey where random audience interviews were conducted, it turned out that fewer than 60% of viewers were very satisfied with the plot. Over 20% expressed that it did not meet their expectations, while the remaining 20% thought the quality was average.

Therefore, the commentators concluded that the astonishing viewership of over 30 million was primarily the result of prior hype. The survey results indicated that the quality of the show fell short of what many hopeful fans of Eric Williams had anticipated. A significant drop in ratings was almost certain to follow.

This skepticism about future ratings was echoed by multiple news outlets. However, such claims typically existed to sensationalize and mislead the general public; those with even a bit of professional knowledge understood that while the miraculous ratings benefitted from the hype, a show could not achieve an average of 31.7 million viewers without solid content. Having already aired just two episodes proved its popularity potential.

With a viewership base surpassing 30 million, even if significant declines occurred later, ratings would likely still exceed 20 million. For a television series, over 20 million viewers was considered a massive hit.

...

The traditional powerhouses of North American television, ABC, NBC, and CBS, had generally disregarded Fox Network. ABC, the youngest of the three, had been around for half a century, while NBC and CBS had even longer histories.

Over the years, numerous media groups had attempted to challenge the dominance of the big three, but all had met with failure. Even when Barry Diller, known as a rising star in the media industry, was brought in by News Corporation to oversee their television network operations, Fox remained seen as a newcomer in the North American television landscape.

Despite Fox's rapid growth, they did not have any standout television programs to show for their expansion. Previously, Fox's highest rating never exceeded 20 million viewers, whereas the big three, who rotated the broadcasting rights for the Super Bowl, boasted ratings exceeding over 100 million for their top programs. On average, they could effortlessly produce several shows with ratings over 20 million.

Thus, while News Corporation made waves in North America and Rupert Murdoch sought American citizenship to gain the authority to establish a television network, the big three maintained a skeptical stance towards this "upstart" from Australia, waiting for him to fail like all past challengers.

The emergence of over 30 million viewers startled the upper echelons of the big three networks. They realized that, unbeknownst to them, the Fox Network -- a mere few years old -- had over a hundred affiliate stations, covering more than 90% of the United States. Their immediate reaction was to ensure they would not allow Fox to continue its growth. After all, the domestic television market was finite; if Fox rose, it would mean a significant reduction in the market shares of the big three networks.

In a rare move, executives from the big three held an emergency meeting. After hours of discussion, they devised a primary strategy: at all costs, they needed to wrest the broadcasting rights for future seasons away from Fox, even potentially taking the remaining episodes of the first season. They were willing to pay hefty penalties to Eric Williams. Without this, Fox's expansion would surely slow down, giving the big three ample time to deal with the encroaching "outsider."

What the big three executives considered, so did Barry Diller of Fox and Rupert Murdoch of the News Corporation. Although Eric's films had brought immense profits to Fox, Murdoch had not previously invested much focus on Eric, seeing him merely as a fresh director partnered with Fox. However, this time was different. Murdoch's newspaper group had reached a zenith and his primary ambition was in television, finding Eric's rapid expansion of the network a pivotal opportunity. Plus, with the big three poised to act, it seemed necessary for Murdoch to personally appeal to Eric.

Thus, on the evening of September 4th, when Eric attended the opening ceremony of the 46th Venice Film Festival, a private Boeing plane, enormous in size, landed at Venice Marco Polo Airport.

*****

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