History Main / WinTheCrowd

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->''"I wasn't the best because I killed quickly. I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd, and you win your freedom."''
-->-- '''Proximo''', ''Film/{{Gladiator}}''

So the ComingAttractions got lots of people to watch the first episode of a new show. But is that enough to keep them watching?

Of course not. If the audience thinks your show sucks, then they change the channel and know once again to NeverTrustATrailer.

So basically you need the viewers to keep watching. While that is obvious as hell, the thing is that it's not always obvious exactly how you do it. One might think that writing a good show is how you do it, but not really. Not only does that [[SturgeonsLaw seemingly eliminate most writers]], there's also the fact that viewers have different tastes about what is good and what isn't.

This is why subjectively good writing is less important for viewership than simply getting the viewers to like the show. Thus it's a good idea to write what your audience likes. This is why so many shows are StrictlyFormula.

The very beginning of the show is often crucial for this. That's why the first two to three minutes of a show almost invariably either has a hook for the rest of the show, has a large percentage of the best jokes/tensest moments/biggest explosions, or has a combination of those. This is almost always where you will find the QuipToBlack.

Regardless, it's important to keep the viewers liking your show. Even [[GrowingTheBeard it isn't immediate]], you can still make the show work eventually [[NetworkToTheRescue if the suits see the potential]]. But that [[ScrewedByTheNetwork can often be harder than winning the audience over]].

Also beware of PanderingToTheBase.

Compare with GrowingTheBeard (which can also win viewers), KillerApp (which wins the crowd for a system), SugarWiki/AndTheFandomRejoiced, WinBackTheCrowd (If you lost your aforementioned crowd in the past, but managed to get it back) and SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome.

Contrast with JumpingTheShark.
----
!!Example subpage:

[[index]]
* Film:
** WinTheCrowd/DCExtendedUniverse
[[/index]]

!!Other examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime]]
* The 2012 anime adaptation of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', despite the series' trademark style being already on display, opened with a first episode that many new viewers found extremely downbeat. It didn't start to truly win a new crowd until episode three, when Dio [[spoiler:becomes a vampire, transitioning the series away from Victorian melodrama and towards fantasy.]]
* Many people don't like the first episode of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' until the [[AntiHero final]] [[PsychoticSmirk few]] [[MagnificentBastard moments]].
* It gets a lot easier to get people into ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' after they get to the first psychotic outburst.
* Assuming you don't [[LateArrivalSpoiler already know how it goes]], let's just say you should watch ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' until the third episode before you decide whether or not to drop it.
* Many ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' fans didn't start to enjoy ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamAge Gundam AGE]]'' until they got to the last three episodes of the First Generation (that's [[AnimationBump episodes]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome 13]], [[TearJerker 14]], and [[WhamEpisode 15.]])
* Thanks to the CompressedAdaptation, ''[[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]]'', is criticized for ''not'' winning the crowd until nearly twenty episodes, when it finally starts uncompressing. However, many critics and fans of the series let this slide considering the fact that the [[GrowingTheBeard remaining forty episodes are widely hailed as some of the best animated television in recent memory]].
** A variation also happens with its predecessor, the [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist 2003 anime]]. The first two episodes are great, but the next ten contain rather skippable fillers as at this time, the anime was stalling for the manga to release new plot points. It was only until episode thirteen that the plot picked up again with the appearance of [[KnightOfCerebus Scar]], and ''especially'' since episode twenty five after the author Arakawa asked them to make a different ending from the manga, that the anime went to an entirely new route that have many fans praised as being very great, dark Seinen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* Although ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' is an awesome movie overall with a soundtrack of [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic great music]], showing the "Circle Of Life" scene before the opening title definitely counts. The music, the animals, the SceneryPorn, etc. It's all good. It's telling that the initial trailer consisted of nothing but this sequence. [[MagnumOpusDissonance Before that, Disney was just making it as a filler film before]] ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' [[MagnumOpusDissonance came out the next year,]] but after that it became clear that it would be a massive success.
* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory''. When the first song, "You've Got a Friend in Me" started playing over the opening credits as Andy played with Woody, the crowd was won over.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'' is the TropeNamer, and the opening battle likely was this for many.
* Despite all the apprehension about ''Film/{{Paddington}}'', a new trailer that came out Halloween week which showcased Creator/BenWhishaw's voice as Paddington, as well as an actual plot, won people over. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bZFr2IA0Bo&list=UUFSILgKCKo35QYGz8Kob51g Watch it here. ]]
* The opening crawl and the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic kickass John Williams theme]] won the crowd for ''Franchise/StarWars'' and that even before the [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome shot of the puny Tantive IV being chased by the miles huge Star Destroyer]].
* ''Film/{{Scanners}}''. [[YourHeadASplode You know the scene.]]
* The opening of the first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' film as the score by Music/JohnWilliams really gets going as Superman's chest symbol appears, marking the beginning of the SuperHero film as a big time movie genre.
* The much more Turtle-centric second trailer for ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014'', featuring franchise-style humor and playfulness from the Turtles, impressive action scenes, and a MoneyMakingShot of the Shredder, is generally agreed to be a much better advertisement for the film and has turned some detractors around into supporters while in general calming the fanbase.
* ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows'':
** This seems to be in effect after the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks divisive]] previous film, as the changes regarding Shredder and the Foot to make them look TruerToTheText have been better received. Same with the inclusion and casting of fan favorites Casey, Bebop and Rocksteady.
** The first trailer starts off rather serious but quickly goes for as much goofy action comedy as you can fit into a single trailer. Stephen Amell shows up as Casey Jones saving April with a hockey stick and topping it off with Bebop and Rocksteady appearing, looking very accurate to their original cartoon appearances, right down to the purple glasses, mohawk and goggles. Even those who disliked the first movie admitted they loved this trailer.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' won some fans by [[TropeNamer growing the beard]] in the second season, won a few more with the acclaimed third season episodes, but with "The Best of Both Worlds", even the holdouts were won over.
-->Riker: ''Mr. Worf, fire.''
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' achieved this when introducing the Daleks, resulting in a series that was originally going to run for just 13 weeks lasting for 26 years. That's more than '''''one hundred times as long as planned'''''.
** Then, after 16 years of being off the air, ''came back'' and became even more ridiculously popular than it was during the old series and has been on ever since.
** Thanks to the [[TheNthDoctor built-in]] {{retool}}ing, it gets to (and maybe needs to) ''keep'' winning the crowd. Steven Moffatt said that he expected it to take about six episodes for Matt Smith to be accepted as the Doctor. As things turned out during test screenings, it took closer to six minutes.
-->'''The Doctor''': Can I have an apple?
* The first few episodes of ''Series/TwentyFour'' were solid, but it was the sixth episode, where Janet York was murdered in her hospital bed by the man who, up until that point, the audience had believed to be her father and Jack Bauer was told his daughter had been kidnapped and would be killed if he didn't comply with the terrorist's instructions, that proved the show could live up to its hype.
* The end of the second episode of ''Series/{{Lost}}''.
* This happened with ''Series/TheMandalorian''. While the movies have become a rather [[BrokenBase contentious subject]] with fans being all over the place on whether they're good, bad, improvements, or let-downs, the fan reaction to The Mandalorian was overwhelmingly positive and attracted (and [[WinBackTheCrowd attracted BACK]]) all fans of the series as well as bringing new ones into the fold. Pretty much ''everyone'' who watched it was hooked the second they spotted "[[EnsembleDarkHorse Baby Yoda]]" ([[spoiler:Real name "Grogu", but you don't learn that until well into Season 2]]).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Television Networks]]
* The Oprah Winfrey Network struggled until January 2013, when Lance Armstrong was interviewed by Oprah, and admitted to doping on national television.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' has an InUniverse example. If you don't have enough paragon/renegade points, you can still rally the crowd to have [[spoiler: Tali]] acquitted if you saved Kal'Reeger and didn't send Vetor to Cerberus.
* An InUniverse example is the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 game, ''VideoGame/ShadowOfRome'', where the segments that have you play as Agrippa the gladiator requires you to have a lot of flash and impressive moves, because if you play for speed and simple efficiency, the crowd wouldn't like your performance and it's GameOver.
* In-universe again in Chapter 3 of ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', you have to defeat your opponents in a particularly spectacular manner in order to advance to the next rank.
** Winning the crowd over during regular fights (yes, you're on stage) can earn you bonuses Star Power for style.
* In-universe yet again in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', where the crowd will often chant out one Smasher's name if they're doing well.
** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' added the Bonus Mode, where the game is determined not solely by the number of knockouts in a match, but by the point total of every bonus they achieved. While this does include knockouts in a single match, it also factors in how an opponent is defeated, how often you used a move consecutively (subtracting points if you spam), how many times you were knocked out, and even whether you fought at all. Essentially, the game switches from a last man standing game type to a contest of style, forcing players to change up how they fight to keep things interesting.
* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}''
** Critical reaction shows that [[KillerApp a lot of people want to buy a Wii U for this game]]. To break it down:
*** This is Nintendo's first new title made by an EAD team to feature a new cast of characters since ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'' in 2001. While Nintendo does experiment with gameplay, they often mash up new ideas with either [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] or Franchise/{{Kirby}} to decrease the risk of failure. The fact that the company had enough faith in this idea to make it an original property impressed a lot of people.
*** Nintendo has also given it a notable marketing push in stark contrast to their other title, ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'', which received next to no promotion.
*** It was also considered to be one of the best shooters in all of E3 2014. Keep in mind that this is a game that is competing with [[VideoGame/CallOfDuty several]] [[VideoGame/{{Battlefield}} established]] [[Franchise/{{Halo}} big-name]] [[Franchise/FarCry franchises]], is LighterAndSofter than the competition, and is an exclusive for a console that has been struggling to find a market.
*** The Nintendo Treehouse videos demoing the game emphasized its unique, yet intense competitive aspects, focusing heavily on claiming and defending portions of the map as opposed to scoring kill streaks. Nintendo's most competitive game prior to this is ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', surprising viewers and attendees that they succeeded in making a viable shooter where other Japanese developers fell short.
*** A press event on 23 March 2015 showed off more multiplayer maps and weapons and part of the single-player mode for the first time, which had critics even more excited for the game in their hands-on features.
*** A "Global Testfire" special demo for the general public was hosted in three one-hour periods between May 8 and 9. Nearly all those who played it felt their hype was justified.
*** By 10 May 2015 (nearly three weeks before release) ''Splatoon'' has taken the #1 spot in all of the games on Amazon Spain. It's also the #11 on Amazon UK, while the amiibo bundle is in the top 10. On Amazon Japan, ''Splatoon'' is sitting in the 1, 2 and 3 spots in gaming overall. Amazon France has the game at #3 and Amazon Germany has it in the top 20. In America it's #16, though that's mainly due to the fact that it's lumped in with peripherals and gift cards; limited to actual ''games'' it's #6.
*** The game sold out almost instantly at most retailers in Japan. [[GoneHorriblyRight Nintendo released an apology for the shortages]] [[https://twitter.com/Nintendo/status/604233317760684032 via Twitter]] and promised that new shipments would be arriving the following week.
*** ''Splatoon'' won the Video Game Awards 2015 for Best Shooter. It was up against ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsIII'', ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefront'', ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', and ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}: The Taken King'', all of which were very hyped games with bigger budgets and ad campaigns than ''Splatoon'', as well as those four games all being a part of already well-established franchises made by companies far more experienced in making shooters than Nintendo, making ''Splatoon'' quite the dark horse winner.
** When they were first revealed, the Squid Sisters, Callie and Marie, received a lukewarm reception, many people finding their design jarring with the rest of the game and overall [[UncannyValley rather creepy]]. But once the game was released and that their personalities became more apparent, people progressively warmed up to them, to the point that they are now the biggest {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s of the game, eventually having Toys/{{amiibo}}s in their likeness and doing real life [[VirtualCelebrity holographic concerts]] to fans eager to see their "squid waifus".
* With ''Ground Zeroes'', the prologue game for ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'', [[TaintedByThePreview there were two things that fans were very skeptical about]]: Creator/KieferSutherland as Snake and its villain, Skull Face (as well as his voice actor, Creator/JamesHoran), with none of the trailers particularly convincing them. Each won many fans over when the game was leaked and eventually came out. For Sutherland, it was at the end of the campaign, due to the emotion put in during those final scenes. For Skull Face, it was the interrogation tapes and end credits, due to Horan's chilling and terrifying performance, and how shockingly horrific his actions in the tapes were.
* Another in-universe example (used as a game mechanic no less) is pro wrestler Beowulf from ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}''. Performing flashy actions like holding the standing light punch to channel Wrestling/HulkHogan or [[MicDrop dropping the mic]] will hype up the in-game crowd, giving Beowulf the ability to perform multiple grab moves after using either Alpha Maul or Wulfamania!, as well as do an extremely damaging pin move if the crowd is fully hyped.
* One of the bigger contentious points with ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsUX'' was unimpressive attack animations and sprite configurations. The initial ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsBX'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfYSgFDahOY trailer]] showcases more animation fluidity and smoother sprites, such as ''Anime/ShinMazinger'', quelling some ''UX'' naysayers. However, BrokenBase is still in play as the latter isn't necessarily applied to all units shown in the trailer, most notably the eponymous ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn''.
* The biggest thing Banpresto has ever done: releasing both ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration The Moon Dwellers'' and ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'', a ''licensed SRW at that'', for the UsefulNotes/Playstation4 and UsefulNotes/PlaystationVita in English was universally praised by fans. Of course, the games are only available in English in Southeast Asia, but it's at best negligible thanks to both systems having no region-lock whatsoever.
* Then they topped it off with ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsT'' for fulfilling what many fans wanted. From the return of ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' and then putting them in the same crowd with ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'' and ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'', all three being lauded as some of the non-Holy Trinity most HotBlooded 1990's shows that ever embraced the SRW history... to the killer combo of newcomers: ''[[Anime/CaptainHarlock Arcadia of My Youth - Endless Orbit SSX]]'' (one of the anime to feature the ever-famous [[SpacePirate Captain Harlock]]), ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' and one series that has been requested from many decades: ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth''. And yes, they will ''still'' come with English language... and it's available for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch too.
* ''VideoGame/LittleTownHero'' won a lot of people over when it was announced that Toby Fox of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' fame will be composing the music.
* The mere fact that ''VideoGame/FightOfAnimals'' has Rollback netcode gave it a great deal of good publicity at launch, with some players going as far as to declare it better than major fighting games like ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' and ''VideoGame/{{Tekken 7}}'' due to that one point alone.
* ''VideoGame/ThemsFightinHerds'' had a tough road ahead of it when it was first revealed: its origin as a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' FanGame means that people who aren't fans of that show might prefer to laugh at it rather than play it, but the fact that the characters aren't actually ponies, just {{Expies}} of them, also repels the Brony fandom who might be upset at how they're not really the characters they know and love. Additionally, the game's cutesy art style and character designs belie a full-fledged fighting game along the lines of ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'', a genre which can be rather unforgiving to beginners. However, it managed to earn itself a positive reputation once word spread that it is a genuinely well-made, balanced, and fun fighting game, its rich lore and well-written characters were able to differentiate themselves from ''MLP'' in the fandom's eyes, and its great tutorial and casual features such as the Pixel Lobbies helped ease fighting game newbies into the experience.
* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'''s debut trailer had people thinking it was going to be an average RPG by Square Enix again. Then, the September 2017 Nintendo Direct and subsequent demo revealed that there would be eight different playable characters with their own intriguing stories, a mechanically deep battle system, and actually pretty great voice acting.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* It's been noted by both [[Webcomic/SchlockMercenary Howard Taylor]] and [[Webcomic/GirlGenius Phil and Kaja Foglio]] that ''every single page'' of a webcomic has to be like this, since it's likely that for someone that one page is the only one they'll ever see. Given the length of the average webcomic page, more than likely it will fill up most of that space.
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is an interesting example. It was first created on the heels of ''Webcomic/ProblemSleuth'', then rather popular in its own right. Andrew Hussie wanted to create a more serious story than the heavily RuleOfCool and RuleOfFunny fueled world of Problem Sleuth, so he introduced the more dramatic aspects gradually, winning his old crowd over with the beginning and undergoing CerebusSyndrome deliberately once they were already reading. However, the more dramatic and overcomplicated aspects of Homestuck later became much more famous than the silly humour, meaning that most of its fans started reading after hearing tales of the less Problem Sleuth-like later acts. For these fans, the beginning of the comic is actually generally the hardest to get through, and it won't be until they see signs of that complexity and badassery that comes later on that they'll be won - when that happens will vary, but it's generally somewhere between [S] WV?: Rise Up and the end of act 4 flash [S] Descend.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Video]]
* When she initially joined the LetsPlay/{{Yogscast}}, LetsPlay/KimRichards had something of an uphill battle and struggled to make a fanbase for herself. Her voice (which some found annoying at first), lack of ''Minecraft'' skill and her supposed tendency to shout. In time, however, she won over the crowd with more collaborations with LetsPlay/SimonLane, LetsPlay/DuncanJones and LetsPlay/HannahRutherford which were agreed to be entertaining. Then she learned how to efficiently play ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' to the point that she was able to defeat the entirety of LetsPlay/HatFilms at once, with her alleged hammy nature being toned down around the same time. Finally, her eagerness to interact with fans, particularly the LGBTQ+ community, have made her among the most popular Yogscast members, particularly on Tumblr.
[[/folder]]

** VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee added the Bonus Mode, where the game is determined not solely by the number of knockouts in a match, but by the point total of every bonus they achieved. While this does include knockouts in a single match, it also factors in how an opponent is defeated, how often you used a move consecutively (subtracting points if you spam), how many times you were knocked out, and even whether you fought at all. Essentially, the game switches from a last man standing gametype to a contest of style, forcing players to change up how they fight to keep things interesting.