Chapter 1219: Zhang Ye's new show is coming! (First Half)
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
The next day.
Zhang Ye's Studio was still in a celebratory mood.
The public also took so ti to appreciate Zhang Ye's soaring popularity.
But it was at this ti that sothing unexpected happened.
—These were troubled tis.
—Gossip flies when a person gets popular.
These two sayings were the most apt descriptions of the entertainnt industry. There were a lot of unrest and activities constantly going on. No one could predict what would happen next!
Central TV Departnt 1 announced without warning in the afternoon that they were going to begin production on the second season of The Voice. In fact, they were already midway through production, so it wouldn't be long before they t the audience again. In the announcent, it was even revealed that they would stick to the old ways and continue making the show in the sa style as the first season of The Voice. There would be an all-new panel of guest coaches joining the show and an all-new production team of professionals to help recreate this classic reality show. They would bring the audience a most fresh and aweso audio sensory experience.
When the news got out, many people were shocked!
There was amazent all over Weibo!
"What?"
"Season Two of The Voice?"
"That's great, it's finally returning!"
"What so great about that? Isn't that show copyrighted to Zhang Ye?"
"Right, it was this exact matter that embroiled Zhang Ye and Central TV Departnt 1 in a lawsuit, so what's with this? Has Teacher Zhang made up with Central TV Departnt 1? Did he give them authorization to film the show?"
"That's impossible!"
"Look at what they said in the announcent. They ntion that it's headed by an all-new production team!"
"Right, Zhang Ye couldn't have authorized them. Who doesn't know what his temper is like!"
"The Central TV Departnt 1 executives were even scolding Zhang Ye on Weibo last night on his essays getting selected for the Chinese language textbooks! They couldn't have made up so quickly overnight!"
"Then why does Central TV Departnt 1 still dare to call their show The Voice?"
"It's copyright infringent, right?"
"I'm utterly confused as well!"
No one in the industry expected that Central TV Departnt 1 would actually go against the grain and act so brazen. They even said they were already halfway through production?
At Zhang Ye's Studio.
Ha Qiqi said angrily, "What the heck are they trying to do!"
Zhang Zuo said, "Old Ha, didn't you say their show would adopt a na and format change?"
"Yeah," Ha Qiqi said, "that's why I don't understand what's going on either!"
Zhang Ye did not even hesitate and said, "Send them a cease and desist!"
And so, the law firm representing Zhang Ye's Studio imdiately issued a Cease and Desist Letter to Central TV on the sa day and sent soone to liaise with the courts.
The incident blew up!
Zhang Ye and Central TV Departnt 1 were going to go to court again?
However, the way things developed caught everyone by surprise!
Just as countless people's attention focused on this incident, Central TV Departnt 1 quickly deleted that promotional Weibo post and updated it with a new one. The official Weibo account of Central TV Departnt 1 announced that due to copyright issues, their new show would drop the na of The Voice and be known as Sing! instead. There would be so changes to the format of the show as well. At the end of the post, it even hinted that although the na was changed, the spirit of the show would still be the sa.
Video publicity!
Advertising campaigns!
The promos went into full swing!
The na of Sing! was quickly made known to everyone too!
It was at this mont that everyone realized what was going on!
Central TV Departnt 1 knew that there would be a problem with the copyright, so they hadn't planned to produce the show as the second season of The Voice. Right from the start, they were planning to change the na and modify the trademarked segnt where the coaches turned around in the chairs. By having a different look for the show, they were intending to continue doing The Voice as it was. But as they were afraid the audience would not be convinced if they just announced this new show and inadvertently suffered a drop in viewers and notability of the show, they billed it as the second season of The Voice. Seizing the opportunity to publicize Sing! while the dia's attention was all on Zhang Ye, it was their way of telling the audience that this was not an entirely new show, but in fact, the second season of The Voice! If this wasn't their intent, Central TV Departnt 1 couldn't have possibly reacted so quickly. It didn't even take a day for them to co up with another na for the show? And change the format of the show's segnt? Even the publicity video was readily released after the announcent? It was impossible that they could do all that so quickly! They were riding on the na of Zhang Ye and The Voice!
Moreover, they had already deleted that previous Weibo post, so it wouldn't affect them much even if Zhang Ye's Studio sued them in court. There was no loss for them!
So of Zhang Ye's fans started cursing.
"Fuck!"
"How can they be so despicable?"
"Damn, I've lost my faith in humanity!"
"They were scolding Zhang Ye on Weibo just last night but are now using his na and show to promote themselves? This is what Central TV Departnt 1 is? How can they do that?"
"What they're doing is really shaless!"
"If you all want to make Sing!, then go ahead. But why did you have to do it this way? Even back then, you were in the wrong first, no? The Voice is Zhang Ye's baby. You didn't want to pay Director Zhang for the copyright and even tried to steal it from him to sell it off. After that, he was even shipped off to the Docuntary Channel while you continued to raise a ruckus about him until Central TV was forced to terminate his contract. In this past year, you've continued scolding Zhang Ye on the Internet and criticizing him at various public events. But in the end? This was what you resorted to doing? Haven't you gone too far!"
Of course, so people didn't mind.
"Anything is fine as long as we get a second season of The Voice!"
"Right, I like this show so much. They mustn't shelve it!"
"Counting the days, it's about ti the second season began. I'm really looking forward to it!"
"It's just a na change, we'll still watch it anyhow."
"Yeah, there are too few good singing shows, and The Voice and King of Masked Singers are the two most representative works in the genre. Since King of Masked Singers only ended a few months ago, I doubt there'll be a second season anyti soon. So there's only The Voice left to look forward to. I don't care if they change the na to Sing! They can call it Dog Shit for all I care! I'd still watch it!"
"Hurry up and start broadcasting please!"
"Just don't destroy the reputation of The Voice."
"I watched the promo vid and found it quite good!"
There was a lot of controversy!
A lot of attention was given to it too!
But this was exactly the effect Central TV Departnt 1 was going for. They knew that even though so people would scold them, those sa people would still co and watch the show when it was broadcast. This was because there was no one to compete with their show, nor was there anyone who could compete with them. Among the singing shows, they would sweep away everyone else. As long as they could hold viewer attention on the show's premiere and make them realize that it was basically The Voice with a different na, then the viewers would give their recognition to it. They wouldn't possibly just give up on the show just because Zhang Ye wasn't the director or the host. Other than Zhang Ye's diehard fans and so hot-blooded youths, not too many people were so principled and bothered by such things. In the end, what the people needed was entertainnt, not so impossible to emulate person standing on stage speed-reciting so advertising ssages!
The Voice was already an established show!
Therefore, Central TV Departnt 1 no longer had a need for Zhang Ye!
The host?
The director?
The guests?
It would all be the sa whoever held those roles!
1. In 2016, contractual disputes arose between Talpa Holding, the owner of the show's format and franchise, and Canxing Production, the show's production company. It was revealed the forr had inked a joint venture with another production company, Talent International, to produce the upcoming seasons of the show. In response to the dispute and to prevent copyright breaches, Canxing Productions launched Sing!, a rebranded version of the show which the producers claid to co with an original format, though it still shares several similarities with The Voice of China.
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