King of Hollywood
Chapter 643 - 51: Integrating Television Programs

Chapter 643: Chapter 51: Integrating Television Programs

Robert Downey Jr.’s casting in "Two and a Half Men" could be considered coincidental, mainly because Adrian wasn’t interested in having Charlie Sheen star in the TV series. Having a fair understanding of the popular series from a previous life, he knew that Charlie Sheen’s various misdeeds had caused great trouble for the crew. Although Sheen had brought the character to life and the production team had been quite tolerant, eventually he was unceremoniously ousted. But that happened after several seasons, by which time the character had become deeply beloved. Even though everyone agreed that it was time for a cast change, the inevitable decline in viewership was considerable.

So, when Adrian decided to nip the problem in the bud, his first move post-production was to exclude Charlie Sheen. However, there still needed to be a suitable actor to take on the lead role, right? That’s where Robert Downey Jr. entered the picture.

Like many young actors, after gaining fame Robert Downey Jr. began to act aimlessly, especially after receiving an Oscar nomination when he became arrogant and increasingly reckless, dabbling in drugs, speeding, and breaking into homes, among other things. In just 1996 alone, he was arrested several times and, after repeatedly violating probation terms, ended up serving a total of 16 months in prison across two stints.

Even so, he managed to get involved in a fight among inmates in early 1998, which led to his release from jail for facial injuries, and he stayed out on parole until the end of July this year.

Despite the rocky relationship Robert Downey had with his son, as a father he was still very concerned and walked on eggshells to find an opportunity for him through his connections. Since Robert Downey had once been a writer for the "Mission: Impossible" TV series, he had some collaboration with Adrian when the first "Mission: Impossible" movie was made, which led him to approach Adrian this time.

Without much thought, Adrian decided to cast Robert Downey Jr. in the role originally belonging to Charlie Sheen in "Two and a Half Men." Although Robert Downey Jr.’s behavior in these four-plus years wasn’t much different from that of the later Charlie Sheen, with many in the industry avoiding him, believing he was beyond redemption, let’s not forget that Adrian knew what the future held.

As long as Robert Downey Jr. succeeded in beating his addiction and leveraged his first-rate acting skills, the investment would undoubtedly pay off big. Offering help when someone is down is always more appreciated than adding to their success. Of course, a bit of stern guidance was also necessary.

"I still remember how proud and elated you were when you got the Oscar nomination, Robert. I was just starting to make a name for myself back then. Time really flies. I never imagined that someone as talented as you could fall this hard. It’s such a pity," Adrian said after inviting Robert Downey Jr. to his Malibu beachfront villa and exchanging pleasantries.

"Life is full of temptations, and when you’re not thinking clearly, it’s easy to make mistakes," sighed Robert Downey Jr. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his clothes were well-fitted, but he looked gaunt, and his complexion wasn’t great—the past several months in prison were clearly not something he recalled fondly.

However, it also made him grow up quite a bit. So, even though Adrian spoke quite sternly, Robert Downey Jr. maintained a respectful demeanor, considering he was a couple of years older. Of course, even if Robert Downey Jr. had retained his character from a few years back, he wouldn’t dare to misbehave. Adrian’s status demanded respect, and, like Solomon, despite being of similar age, Adrian had gone from being a young director to a media tycoon in a decade—how could Robert Downey Jr. not bow down?

"It’s great to hear you say that. We often say that young people make mistakes, and even God will forgive them, but that comes with the prerequisite of knowing where you went wrong and being willing to correct it," Adrian said with a smile, looking at him. "I’ve had someone check up on your time in Los Angeles County Jail. You behaved well during your incarceration. That fight was an unfortunate incident you got dragged into. One of the reasons I’ve decided to let you take on this role in the TV series, besides what your father said, I believe you have a genuine desire to turn your life around. I trust you won’t disappoint your father, or me, right?"

"No," Robert Downey Jr. replied curtly, a complex expression crossing his face as Adrian brought up his father.

"So you should also accept some necessary arrangements, right?" Adrian immediately asked. Robert Downey Jr. remained silent, furrowing his brow before showing a questioning look.

"I’ll have the company monitor your behavior, urge you to cooperate with the Parole Officer, make sure you stay away from drugs, and oversee your participation in rehab activities," Adrian said, spreading his hands and then, without giving Robert Downey Jr. a chance to speak, continued, "All of these will be written into the contract. As long as you follow the rules, we will endorse you. Additionally, if you’re staying at a hotel, make sure it’s well arranged."

Suppressing his dissatisfaction, Robert Downey Jr. frowned slightly upon hearing the last part of the statement. He wasn’t a fool; he could detect the implication in Adrian’s words. But who would target him? That was a question even Adrian couldn’t answer. His primary reason for making this request stemmed from a piece of information he recalled from memory: the incident in the early 2000s where Robert Downey Jr. was reincarcerated for drug possession.

At that time, the recently released Robert Downey Jr. had also participated in a TV show - another reason why Adrian considered him - but one day, while he was staying at a hotel in Palm Springs, the police received an anonymous tip that his hotel room contained a large amount of cocaine and Valium. The police indeed found a substantial amount upon searching, and although Robert Downey Jr. claimed he was under the influence of drugs when carrying them, he was still prosecuted.

With a prior record and caught red-handed, the job he had just secured naturally dissolved. After being released on parole once more, he was discovered wandering the streets of Culver City barefoot, leading to another suspicion of drug abuse and a subsequent visit to the police station. Although this stint only lasted a few hours, some film crews that had begun to engage with him pulled back from their commitments. It was only after he determinedly spent two years in rehab that he slowly started to come back.

Setting aside Robert Downey Jr.’s issues, this anonymous call was quite intriguing. If it had been made by someone from the hotel, the media would have mentioned it, but from beginning to end, including the police’s statement, it was referred to as an anonymous call. So it was possible that someone was deliberately targeting him; he had indeed offended quite a few people in the mid-90s.

Thus, Adrian was giving him a heads up here, as well as using the endorsement to urge him into rehab. If Robert Downey Jr. slipped up in this regard again, the outcome would certainly be more tragic than his past life had been. Bear in mind, it was Adrian himself who personally invited and arranged this contract; if issues arose, it would essentially mean Adrian’s judgment was flawed, and the consequences need no further explanation.

If Robert Downey Jr. truly had a strong desire to turn his life around, he would agree even if he hadn’t experienced the two unlucky incidents that followed. Of course, he was also free not to agree; that was his prerogative. But certain movies would then be off-limits to him. Adrian had no interest in fostering someone who wasn’t one of his own; in Hollywood, no one was irreplaceable.

In the end, Robert Downey Jr. agreed, and "Two and a Half Men" was scheduled for the fall lineup. Having seen the pilot, Adrian was quite satisfied with his performance. He also instructed the crew to keep a close watch on Robert Downey Jr.; it was one thing for him to mess up on his own, but quite another if someone else intended to tamper with things. If it were the latter, Adrian would let certain individuals learn their lesson.

On top of that, there were several other TV shows about to air, including "Alias," starring Kelly Hu. Despite having wrapped up "Charlie’s Angels 2," which was set to premiere the following year, and maintaining good relationships with Drew and Cameron, she still agreed to the invitation to star in the TV series.

Kelly Hu was very clear about her position; her inherent conditions had already determined her limited prospects for long-term development in films, so she was not opposed to TV roles, especially considering them. As for whether casting an actress of Chinese descent as the lead might affect the ratings, Adrian didn’t worry about that. Not to mention that Kelly Hu, like Reeves, only had one quarter Chinese ancestry, "Alias" was set to air on cable, where viewers subscribe and consequently have to watch the channel regardless of whether they like the other programs or not.

At best, the timeslot was just slightly off, but it could be adjusted to a better date. If not Tuesday, then Wednesday should do, as these two days have always been the peak for viewership ratings. And if a TV show were to be moved to a Friday slot, it usually indicated that it was either about to be canceled or concluded. Charlize fought hard in the executive meeting to secure a good timeslot for "American Idol."

Many people thought the competition show had potential, but after all, it hadn’t been tested by the audience yet, and ABC already had plenty of high-rated programs. There was no need to make so much space for it. However, Charlize presented the bustling audition data and individually debated with the executives, using substantial material and sharp words that almost left them speechless.

"This is not just about the success or failure of this program, but also our enterprising spirit! Gentlemen, the reason ABC has developed to this point, and still stands firm even in the face of losses, is due to constant trial, innovation, and discovery, not by placing our hopes on a few high-rating programs!" It was said that this was Charlize’s closing statement.

Although this was slightly exaggerated, when combined with Charlize’s passionate tone and the strong-willed female executive demeanor she had always displayed, several executives present were subdued. As a result, they eventually compromised, allowing some of the competition to take place on Wednesday, and then considering whether to place the finals on Tuesday based on viewership ratings.

"Your secretary assistant is an impressive woman, Ed," ABC’s current CEO Paul Polard said to Adrian at a certain reception.

"I’m just stating the facts," Charlize responded.

"How did you manage to mentor her?" Claude asked curiously.

"She’s doing quite well," Ivanka feigned indifference.

Regardless, it was now common knowledge across ABC that the new female head of the planning department was a very capable and strong-willed woman. The other executives couldn’t even be angry after being rebutted by her—they knew who was behind her was one reason, and the fact that Charlize managed to counter their points without embarrassing them was another. Coupled with her decisive and efficient management style, the planning department was operating very effectively. Hence, the nickname "Iceberg Queen" began to slowly spread.

Alright, back to "Alias." As long as it was scheduled for a fitting timeslot, and considering the drama itself was quite compelling, the initial viewership ratings might not be high, but they should gradually increase afterward.

As is known, American TV series only air one episode per week, and for many dramas, it is essential to set up sufficient suspense at the end of each episode and season to draw the audience in. "Alias" did this very well. Adrian still remembered from his past life that someone had commented, before a certain sci-fi TV series, this drama was the most mind-bending, with countless big and small conspiracies interlocking in a way that left viewers unclear about what was real and what was not.

This is actually a pretty good method for storytelling; you simply have to introduce a bigger conspiracy before the current one is fully revealed. As long as you manage this balance well, it won’t be a problem to either wrap it up or cancel it once the ratings start to fall. There’s a common saying, isn’t there? If you dare to underestimate the intelligence of Americans, you’ll achieve success.

Even though there are many programs with high ratings now, Adrian had already allocated some good series to networks like CBS, NBC, and WB. Because of the fall season this year, besides "American Idol," there are other shows like "The Apprentice" and "Project Runway" being aired, leading to some adjustments in reality TV. Shows like "Millionaire" were upgraded to "Weakest Link," which was handed over to network television, but the more high-rating programs there are, the better.

With the rapid development of cable networks, aside from TBS’s TNT and ABC’s ESPN, many others have branched out, not to mention CNN News. There’s ABC Family, a lady’s channel part-owned by Hearst, a youth channel, and so on, all needing a large amount of high-quality programs to fill them. For example, ABC Family targets Disney Channel, so they are about to launch "Lizzie McGuire," starring Hilary Duff, who played Sherry in the resident Evil movie series! Similarly, TNT targeting HBO, has snatched away shows like "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under," and "Band of Brothers." Then, they brought Larry David over to produce "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Larry David was the writer of "Seinfeld." After "Seinfeld" ended in ’98, he switched to writing scripts for films. Although screenwriters for films don’t wield as much power as those for TV, their influence tends to be much greater, and there are also more of them serving as chairpersons of the Screenwriters’ Guild than their television counterparts. Regrettably, he’s better at conceiving short comedies rather than longer scripts, so he’s consistently hit barriers. That’s why Adrian, who had meticulously sorted through HBO’s more popular shows, found him and had "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which was meant to emerge at this time, produced.

Much like "Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" follows a short-comedy format. Moreover, Larry David plays a semi-authentic portrayal of his own life as an actor. With minimal investment, while he multitasks as a writer, actor, and producer, as long as he maintains his usual standards, producing up to eight seasons like "Seinfeld" should be no issue.

In last year’s ratings chart, ABC secured six spots in the top ten, greatly exceeding NBC to become number one among the four major networks. With the swift development of cable channels, it’s only a matter of a few years before the situation becomes more competitive. Even then, with his support, his own networks would still be able to leave the others far behind. However, he’s also considering the issues that come with being a big target - that’s already in the planning, otherwise, he wouldn’t have handed "Scrubs" off to CBS and "The Office" to NBC.

So, might as well push ABC to its peak now - bolstering ABC’s cohesion as it fulfils its ambitions and fully showcasing his own strength, then gradually step back and maintain a consistent advantage afterward.

That’s it for TV series. As for the movies, both "Winter’s Bone" and "Erin Brockovich" are nearing post-production; they’re low-budget films that don’t require CG effects like "The Lord of the Rings." Especially for "Winter’s Bone," with just a two million dollar budget and a relatively simple plot, it’s almost ready for marketing once Natalie arrives to finish the ADR for certain scenes. "Erin Brockovich" may take a bit more time, but that’s no big deal. As long as it can be released by the end of the year, so Adrian still has energy to do other things, such as scheduling the production of the remaining two parts of "The Matrix."

After working overtime in the animation studios in Japan, the first part of the animation series depicting the rise of robots was released ahead of schedule on television. It was only one episode, but it was enough to excite the somewhat disheartened "The Matrix" fans. Since the first movie premiered in ’98, countless fans have eagerly anticipated the next two parts, knowing many plot details through novels, but still very much looking forward to them, especially since Adrian himself said that the movie version would differ from the novels, particularly the ending.

What the fans didn’t expect was that Adrian spent the following year in New Zealand, devoting his time to filming "The Lord of the Rings," much to their disappointment. Adrian knew that he couldn’t drag this on for too long, especially as Monica aged and might not mesh as well with Reeves.

However, because he produced two films this year, though both were low-budget, filming the next two parts of "The Matrix" was to be done back-to-back. He didn’t want to relive his days in New Zealand, so it was moved to next year. Next year was perfect. Even though another movie shooting is planned, a lot of the preliminary preparations could be done this year, such as Reeves’ refresher training or setting up some props and scenes - no rush, there’s plenty of time.

So when the person in charge came over to consult about coordinating with the transportation department on which freeway was better, Adrian waved his hand assertively, "Find a place and spend some money to build a stretch of brand-new freeway just for filming!" (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote for it and give monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)