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Magazine digest -- Military dramas make surprise comeback
2010/07/28 20:39:47 |
A military TV series -- "Rookies' Diary" -- that airs weekly on Formosa Television (FTV) has shot to the top of the ratings.
Military TV dramas became popular in Taiwan in the period 1987 to 2000 with the release of a six-part series "Yes Sir! " that focused on the experience of Taiwanese men conscripted to the armed forces.
The genre's attraction has faded over the years with the changes to the military draft. The conscription period has been cut to one year and plans are in the works to convert the armed services to an all volunteer military.
TV producer Shen Yu-lin said past surveys showing that Taiwanese viewers are not interested in military dramas have discouraged producers from planning such shows.
"Rookies' Diary" is different from most TV dramas in that its cast is not star-studded and its storyline does not revolve around romance or family relationships.
"It would be unrealistic if all the characters in the drama were played by top stars, " said the show's producer Hao Hsiao-tsu.
He said he chose actors who look like average people and with whom viewers could easily identify.
The show has attracted mostly men and urban office workers -- the younger "Internet generation" that FTV had previously been unable to reach. The station's core audience is older women outside of northern Taiwan who watch mostly family soap operas.
Before FTV launched Rookies' Diary on July 2, it set up a mini-website, blog and Facebook page for the show. The station regularly posts previews of the show on its Youtube page and sends out text message advertisements.
It is estimated that the show's third episode on July 16 attracted 4.47 million viewers.
While the show is streamed live online, Taiwan fans who miss an episode can catch up on Youtube and Tudou -- video websites that also allow viewers in China, Hong Kong and Singapore to follow the show.
Capitalizing on the show's instant success, FTV has been working with mobile operators to launch a downloadable game based on the series. It is also planning to produce branded merchandise such as military mugs and camouflage clothing.
FTV has been successful in this line of business, selling merchandise such as dishes from its prime time soap "Night Market Life." The sales of these products account for nearly half of the station's revenue.
Picking a military drama was a daring move. But with its marketing strategies, FTV has drawn the Internet generation back to TV. It will be interesting to see if FTV can now maintain its edge and continue to meet the expectations of viewers, as its competitors are planning similar programs. (Business Today 709) (Translated by Kay Liu) enditem /pc
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