That year, the summer in Beijing was exceptionally hot, and the air was filled with the sweltering heat before a thunderstorm.
In a studio at the Beijing Television Art Center, there was a heated discussion.
"Everyone said, what are we going to shoot in the next film?" Zheng Xiaolong wiped the sweat from his forehead while asking for the opinions of others.
"No matter what the subject matter, you can't make historical dramas anymore, the audience is tired of watching it!" One screenwriter said dryly.
"Then shoot a modern drama, it is best to be close to the lives of the masses. Another screenwriter said.
Zheng Xiaolong's eyes suddenly flashed in front of him: "By the way, we can make the most popular chamber drama at the moment! Just like the previous filming of "Desire"!"
That's right, this studio has just completed the filming of the sensational TV series "Desire". mentioned this drama, everyone praised it one after another, expressing their absolute support for Zheng Xiaolong's proposal.
Therefore, Zheng Xiaolong elaborated on his idea for the new drama: using six editors of a magazine as the main story line, and using a series of comedies to reflect all kinds of interesting things in their work and life.
"We can set up a few characters with distinct personalities like this......" Zheng Xiaolong said as he gestured vividly.
"It's so interesting! It's going to make a big splash!" The screenwriters expressed their agreement with Zheng Xiaolong's creative ideas. As a result, they quickly reached a consensus and decided to immediately start the preliminary preparations for the show.
For this new drama that has no official name, Zheng Xiaolong even did not hesitate to ask Zhang Yongjing, the old director of the Beijing State Administration of Radio, Film and Television at the time, for help when the crew encountered doubts, asking him to serve as the artistic consultant of the project.
"You must support us, this is a bold attempt in the field of TV dramas!" Zheng Xiaolong's tone was resolute.
Under Zheng Xiaolong's persuasion one by one, Zhang Yongjing finally nodded. In the midst of doubts, Zhang Yongjing chose to believe the judgment of Zheng Xiaolong and the screenwriters. This paved the way for the smooth start of filming of "The Story of the Editorial Department".
The casting of "The Story of the Editorial Department" did not go well. For the role of the actor Li Dongbao, Feng Xiaogang has already chosen someone in his heart - that is the well-known actor Ge You.
But to Feng Xiaogang's surprise, Ge You was not enthusiastic about playing this role.
"I have now taken on Zhang Xiaomin's new film, and I really can't get out of the schedule. Ge You's face was embarrassed.
Feng Xiaogang did not give up, and he repeatedly emphasized that the role of Li Dongbao was an excellent opportunity for Ge You to exercise his art.
"Even if you offend Director Zhang Xiaomin, you don't hesitate to weigh it carefully. Feng Xiaogang said earnestly.
Under Feng Xiaogang's repeated persuasion, Ge You finally nodded and accepted the invitation to play the role of Li Dongbao. When he heard that Ge You finally agreed to act, Feng Xiaogang was as excited as a child and breathed a sigh of relief.
Similar to Ge You, Lu Liping also faced a difficult choice at first. At the age of 31, she had limited acting experience and had never held such an important role. But she has a good impression of Ge Ling, a literary young woman with a fresh personality.
"I will definitely do my best to portray this character well!" Lu Liping secretly swore in her heart.
When "The Story of the Editorial Department" was successfully broadcast as expected, Ge You and Lu Liping became the focus of attention. Presumably they will still be grateful that they chose to accept the wonderful role in front of them at the instigation of Feng Xiaogang.
In 1991, when "The Story of the Editorial Department" was launched, Zheng Xiaolong and the screenwriters couldn't hold back their excitement and apprehension.
Sure enough, as soon as this drama was broadcast, it immediately set off a huge wave of heated discussions in all walks of life. Many of the older generation of viewers expressed their inability to adapt to its subject matter and language style, and even harshly criticized it as "capitalism of all evils".
However, the response of young and middle-aged audiences was almost one-sided and enthusiastic. These post-80s and post-90s generations vigorously sang the golden sentences in the play, imitating the demeanor and tone of the characters in the play, and regarded them as spiritual idols.
"This drama is so good, it's simply a portrayal of our generation!" A young man who had just joined the work said excitedly to his colleagues. There was a fervent sense of identity in the tone.
Unexpectedly, after only a few episodes were broadcast on TV, "The Story of the Editorial Department" has become a familiar and focused topic of discussion among the whole people. This made Zheng Xiaolong and others happy.
They judged that the reason why this drama can resonate so widely is precisely because it hits the pulse of the current Chinese social transformation and reflects the open-minded and change-seeking spirit of the post-80s and post-90s.
"Our drama has finally won the trust and popularity of young people!" Zheng Xiaolong was full of emotion. It is precisely with the support of the new generation of audiences that "The Story of the Editorial Department" finally achieved great success in the midst of sensation and controversy! It has propelled Chinese TV dramas to a stage of greater quality and attractiveness.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it is 2013.
"The Story of the Editorial Department", which caused a sensation in the country that year, has passed more than 20 years since its premiere. With the advent of the Internet era and the upgrading of the audience's aesthetics, the crew decided to launch a remake of the show - "The Story of the New Editorial Department" to celebrate the birth of the old classic.
"This time we are confident that we will achieve another great result!" Zheng Xiaolong said confidently to media reporters.
However, when the remake aired, it was met with widespread disappointment and criticism. "It's too pompous! It's just not right compared to the old version!" The emotional performance of the characters is not in place, and the previous appeal cannot be seen. "The reviews were negative.
Faced with such an embarrassing situation, Zheng Xiaolong also felt a little caught off guard for a while. But he quickly adjusted his mentality and analyzed the reasons: the times have changed, the audience's aesthetics have improved, and it is far from enough to copy the old way.
Indeed, compared to 20 years ago, when access to information was limited through television and newspapers, today's audience is already in the age of the Internet. They have a smoother access to new things and a richer platform to express their opinions.
If you only rely on the old model to copy it, it will inevitably give people a sense of aesthetic fatigue and visual burnout.
"We can't afford to fool around the old ways anymore. Zheng Xiaolong finally realized that this is not only a lesson in the field of TV drama production, but also an inevitable reflection of the progress of the entire society.
Everything needs to keep pace with the times, and innovation is the foundation.
The failure of "The Story of the New Editorial Department" has sounded the alarm for more ambitious film and television workers. This also enlightens people that only by forging ahead and advancing with the times can we win the favor of the new generation and achieve career success.
If "The Story of the Editorial Department" is a feast, then Ge You and Lu Liping are the most eye-catching delicacies in this feast. Without their brilliant performances, the comedy would have lost its soul.
And behind their success, they have also gone through an easy road to fame.
As a well-known film actor, Ge You already had other film and television projects at hand, and he didn't want to conflict over schedules. But under Feng Xiaogang's enthusiastic lobbying again and again, he finally wavered and chose to accept Li Dongbao, the role that made him famous.
"Actually, I'm still very worried about the market response of this drama. Ge You confided his worries to Feng Xiaogang after deciding to act. After all, he is not as optimistic and bold as Lu Liping.
And Lu Liping, who was 31 years old at the time, has been silently struggling on the edge of the film and television industry. Her qualifications and qualifications are not excellent, and she has never held such an important role as Ge Ling.
At first, Lu Liping didn't have much expectations for herself, she just wanted to go all out and strive for a performance that satisfied her.
However, when "The Story of the Editorial Department" became a sensation as expected, Ge You and Lu Liping directly became household names. At that time, the two would shake hands gently, glad that they were not arrogant in front of Feng Xiaogang, and chose to be humble and focus on playing this charismatic role.
The success of Ge You and Lu Liping proves that the spring breeze turns into rain and the sycamore shines. Every one of us ordinary people has the opportunity to shine at some point. Only by insisting on oneself can we lead spring to come as soon as possible.
The growth trajectory of famous actors is often extremely bumpy, and no one starts with a smooth career. This can also be found in the guest cast of "The Story of the Editorial Department".
"Brother, help me participate in this small role, definitely call your temperament!" The crew excitedly shook the hand of the young actor Zhang Guoli.
"A sissy? haha, then I'll challenge a different role!" Zhang Guoli readily agreed.
Zhang Guoli, who was still a small role actor at the time, relied on his outstanding performance in "The Story of the Editorial Department" to lay the foundation for shining in "In the Name of the People" and other parts in the future.
Liang Guanhua, who is also from the actor's family, also showed his skills in a small supporting role in the play, which made the audience's eyes shine. For them, who were still in the film and television industry at that time, even if there was only one line, it was enough for them to show their ambitions and exercise their acting skills.
And Yu Qian, who was only 24 years old at the time and didn't have a single line, was the most inconspicuous role in "The Story of the Editorial Department". No one would have imagined that 30 years later he would grow into a humorous, witty talk show regular.
"I really envy the current Yu Qian!" Yu Qian, who had no lines for the role of police officer A, said.
Their growth trajectory speaks volumes about the fact that opportunities are always reserved for those who work hard to prepare. We should not be held back by our current situation, as long as we have hope and courage, there are still infinite possibilities.
As China's first "series of comedies", the success of "The Story of the Editorial Department" has taught us a lot.
The first is its choice of themes and language style that are close to life. It does not have a grand epic perspective, but stands from the daily perspective of ordinary "intellectuals", and depicts all kinds of interesting things in their work and life in a plain and humorous tone.
This is in strong contrast with the model of writing "big heroes" in TV dramas in the past, and it also cuts to the pain points of the social transition period at that time, which makes people empathize.
Secondly, "The Story of the Editorial Department" has also carried out a bold exploration of form innovation in the history of Chinese TV dramas. As the first comedy series, it broke the traditional model of a TV series finishing one episode and achieved multiple quarters of continuity.
This provided valuable experience for the rise of Chinese TV drama series in the 90s. At the same time, its "indoor drama" technique has also promoted the transformation of the TV drama shooting pattern, getting rid of restrictions and realizing the emergence of more flexible and diverse means of expression.
Finally, the production concept shown in "The Story of the Editorial Department" also made later TV series producers absorb nourishment. When it shapes the personality of the characters, it breaks through stereotypes and creates vivid characters that make the audience friendly and have a sense of substitution; In terms of material selection, it is close to the lives of the people, and no longer stays in the myth of the grand epic; It also embraces innovations such as product placement.
All these have opened up more colorful possibilities for Chinese TV dramas.
The success of "The Story of the Editorial Department" has taught us that if TV dramas want to stand out in the new era, they must dare to innovate and keep pace with the times. This is a valuable experience that we should keep in mind as we stand at the intersection of history.
With the changes of the times, "The Story of the Editorial Department", as a popular comedy, has gradually been forgotten by the new generation of audiences. However, the characteristics of social transformation and the philosophy of life contained in it are worth revisiting.
Through the bits and pieces of daily life, this drama reflects the signs of social change in China in the 90s of the last century. The advent of the commodity economy, changes in social structure and class, the formation of urban white-collar workers, and the advent of the era of telephone and advertising...... These TV chats that we are Xi to today still shine with the brilliance of creation.
At the same time, the twist of fate of the characters in the play also reminds us that the only thing that remains unchanged is the inner persistence and hope that the world changes. Ge You and Lu Liping are nobodies, and they have become popular in the story; Guest star Yu Qian's move towards a brighter life in the future is also a reminder that opportunities are always reserved for those who work hard to prepare and have dreams.
A good TV series does not fade with the passage of time. The various scenes of life depicted in "The Story of the Editorial Department" are still worth remembering; The social inspiration and life philosophy contained in it will also inspire the audience to reverie infinitely.