However, choosing a series required a careful approach, as revenues depended directly on ratings, and the ratings system in the U.S. was significantly different from the Chinese one. In America, like in the film industry, series are divided into those that air on public channels and those on cable.
Television series on public channels are available for free. In 2002, the most widely covered public channels were CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, WB, UPN, and PBS.
PBS was a special case, as its programs were mostly educational or children's shows, like "Sesame Street." These programs had little overlap with traditional American TV series.
As for the CW channel, often mentioned in China, it was only created in 2006 by merging WB and UPN and did not exist at the moment.
Public channels were strictly regulated: rarely could you see scenes of nudity or coarse language. Even some sensitive words were censored, similar to PG-13 rated films. For example, one of Eric's favorite shows, "Friends," aired on NBC.
Cable channels, on the other hand, were paid and thus could afford more freedom. After all, if a viewer pays to watch, why not show them something more adult than "SpongeBob SquarePants"?
Among the well-known cable channels were FX, AMC, CNN, HBO, Showtime, and others. These channels were divided into basic and premium. Basic channels still considered the teenage audience and included advertising elements in their programs. Premium channels typically had no advertisements and allowed for more explicit content.
For example, on the basic channel AMC, famous series like "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul," and "The Walking Dead" were broadcast. Among them, the premiere of the fifth season of "The Walking Dead" even set a record for cable TV viewership.
The premium channel HBO was known for masterpieces like "Game of Thrones," "The Sopranos," "True Blood," "Band of Brothers," and "Sex and the City." HBO even ran ads with the slogan: "It's not porn, it's HBO."
Even amid fierce competition and numerous outstanding shows on cable channels, "The Walking Dead" stood out as one of the most profitable projects. Although it didn't have the highest ratings or viewership, its popularity and commercial success were impressive. Eric decided it was worth starting with this project.
"Billy, you work with the marketing and legal departments to conduct research, especially regarding the comics. I don't want to deal with copyright issues later. I expect a report in three days," Eric ordered.
Billy understood this was his first serious test and confidently replied that he would handle it.
Eric turned to the creative department: "Do you know a writer named George Martin?"
One of the employees quickly responded: "Yes, he's a writer and screenwriter. He worked in Hollywood but didn't achieve much success, though his novels received good reviews."
"That's right. I need the rights to his books. 'A Song of Ice and Fire' is an excellent work. We must get ahead of other companies."
"Also, keep an eye on horror film scripts on the market, collect them and bring them to my office. That's all for now."
When Eric finished, everyone sighed with relief. The company had not yet gotten off the ground, and they were already speeding up. Such hasty actions were quite risky.
Charlie Cooper gave a few more instructions, and the employees gradually began to leave the conference room.
"Judy, stay for a minute," Eric said.
Hearing his voice, Judy stopped and returned one foot from beyond the threshold.
"What's up, boss~~?"
When everyone else left, Judy immediately switched to a playful tone, stretching her words with a feigned accent.
"Enough joking, I want to ask you something. I remember, you're Jewish, right?"
"Yes, so what? You don't like Jews? If that's the case, it's too late to say it now."
Eric thought that even if he really didn't like Jews, he would never dare say it out loud. Look at Mel Gibson – how many stars have been expelled from the industry for the wrong words?
"Good that you're Jewish. I have a task for you."
Judy's face immediately lit up with a smile.
"Warren and Geese have already received their assignments, and I've been waiting for when I'd get some work. Turns out you have a secret mission for me."
"Um, it's not a secret mission, it's just a task. First, take a look at this."
Eric pulled out a magazine and opened it to a page with a picture of a girl smiling widely.
"What do you think of her?" he asked, pointing to the image.
Judy's eyes lit up, and she immediately snatched the magazine from his hands, closely examining the girl. Licking her lips, she said:
"She's so beautiful and young, but why are you suddenly interested in the fashion industry?"
"I recently stumbled upon her. This girl is Gal Gadot, an Israeli Jew. I think she has potential for the big screen."
Judy laughed.
"Many models want to get into the film industry, but few succeed. I admit she's beautiful, but how do you know she has potential? Just by her looks?"
"Yes, just by her looks!"
Judy was stunned, but after a moment, she asked:
"Okay, what do you want me to do? Help with your woman hunt?"
"Don't put it that way. It's all for work. Find out her address and contact details. See if she wants to try her hand in Hollywood. I'm giving you certain authority; you can promise her something specific."
Judy shrugged:
"No problem. I know how to deal with women, especially beautiful ones. Just to clarify: you're definitely not interested in her? If not, I might give it a try."
Eric sternly replied:
"Don't you dare. She's still a minor."
"Really? Then my interest in her has grown even more!"
"..."