--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can make a good show, but you still…" description: "\"You can make a good show, but you still need some magical alchemy to get people to watch.\" — Shawn Ryan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/shawn-ryan-19332_alchemy_you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-n_2112716.png" --- # You can make a good show, but you still need some magical… ![“You can make a good show, but you still need some magical alchemy to get people to watch.” quote by Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/shawn-ryan-19332_alchemy_you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-n_2112716.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/shawn-ryan-19332_alchemy_you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-n_2112716.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/shawn-ryan-19332_alchemy_you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-n_2112716.png) > “You can make a good show, but you still need some magical alchemy to get people to watch.” [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating compelling content isn’t enough; it needs a special, almost magical quality to attract viewers. **In simple terms:** Good shows need extra spark. Key Takeaway Add a unique, captivating element. Themes media creativity audience engagement Mood enthusiastic strategic Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - TV pilots - online series - live events Key Concepts marketing storytelling viral dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What element makes a show unforgettable? - How can you sustain audience interest? A Different Perspective Even with magic, distribution challenges remain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alchemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alchemy/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Magical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magical/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I have invented nothing. I have simply documented a magical alchemy that I want to share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/i-have-invented-nothing-i-have-simply-documented-a-magical-alchemy/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [Whenever You are not Feeling well without any Reason.. Just go and Hug the Special one in Your Life, Because Sometimes you Don't Need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whenever-you-are-not-feeling-well-without-any-reason-just-go-and-hug/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In my book (and this is my book!) magical thinking is the alchemy that you can use to visualize and project yourself into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/in-my-book-and-this-is-my-book-magical-thinking-is-the-alchemy-that/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [You know, I think more people should watch women's basketball. It'd do so much for the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/you-know-i-think-more-people-should-watch-women-s-basketball-it-d-do/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [We swung over the hills and over the town and back again, and I saw how a man can be master of a craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/we-swung-over-the-hills-and-over-the-town-and-back-again-and-i-saw/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [There are three kinds of people in this world: people who make it happen, people who watch what happens, and people who wonder what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lasorda/there-are-three-kinds-of-people-in-this-world-people-who-make-it/) [Tommy Lasorda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lasorda/) > [“Some people make things happen. Some people watch things happen. And then there are those who wonder, 'What the hell just happened?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-bryant/some-people-make-things-happen-some-people-watch-things-happen-and/) [Carroll Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-bryant/) > [“The Arab poet Silm Al Khaser wrote “He who watches people dies of worry” and his words have never been more potent than in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aysha-taryam/the-arab-poet-silm-al-khaser-wrote-he-who-watches-people-dies-of/) [Aysha Taryam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aysha-taryam/) > [It's fun to be in a small club and to be able to look somebody right in the eye and watch them just freak.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/it-s-fun-to-be-in-a-small-club-and-to-be-able-to-look-somebody-right/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I do weird things, and people watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/i-do-weird-things-and-people-watch/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [All the work that I have done is the type I would want to watch. If I can't watch it myself how can I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/supriya-pathak/all-the-work-that-i-have-done-is-the-type-i-would-want-to-watch-if-i/) [Supriya Pathak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/supriya-pathak/) > [People watch me... whatever I do, wherever I go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-morrison/people-watch-me-whatever-i-do-wherever-i-go/) [Tommy Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-morrison/) > [Young people do not watch television; they are on the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/young-people-do-not-watch-television-they-are-on-the-internet/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [I don't really have a problem at all with doing a show that a lot of people watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-lawson/i-don-t-really-have-a-problem-at-all-with-doing-a-show-that-a-lot-of/) [Denis Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-lawson/) > [We're really happy. It still kind of blows my mind that people watch the show!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-sypek/we-re-really-happy-it-still-kind-of-blows-my-mind-that-people-watch/) [Ryan Sypek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-sypek/) ## More by Shawn Ryan > [I don't want my writing to be recognized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/i-don-t-want-my-writing-to-be-recognized/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [In order to appeal to a wider audience on network in order to survive, generally your characters need to be, at a base level,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/in-order-to-appeal-to-a-wider-audience-on-network-in-order-to-survive/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [The payment for certain sins can be delayed. But they can't be avoided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/the-payment-for-certain-sins-can-be-delayed-but-they-can-t-be-avoided/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [Nothing makes me happier than to have a smart person tell me why the show is smart, especially if I didn't intend that. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/nothing-makes-me-happier-than-to-have-a-smart-person-tell-me-why-the/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [I'm very humble in terms of knowing that television is an extraordinary collaborative medium and that one person alone cannot make a great TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/i-m-very-humble-in-terms-of-knowing-that-television-is-an/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [Series finales have that responsibility to leave you feeling good about entire series. You want to feel like the viewer closes the book satisfied.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/series-finales-have-that-responsibility-to-leave-you-feeling-good/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [Everyone in Hollywood who is successful becomes less successful at some point. I'm just trying to delay that fall for as long as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/everyone-in-hollywood-who-is-successful-becomes-less-successful-at/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [I don't want my writing to be so unique that when you apply it to different genres, it seems like the previous show that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/i-don-t-want-my-writing-to-be-so-unique-that-when-you-apply-it-to/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [There will always be economic pressure to make hits, identify hits, and then exploit hits. And you're going to exploit them with as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/there-will-always-be-economic-pressure-to-make-hits-identify-hits-and/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [I would say on a creative level I put a lot of pressure on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/i-would-say-on-a-creative-level-i-put-a-lot-of-pressure-on-myself/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [I'm perfectly happy to color within the network lines when I have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/i-m-perfectly-happy-to-color-within-the-network-lines-when-i-have-to/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [Working as a showrunner has made it tougher to watch other shows and movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/working-as-a-showrunner-has-made-it-tougher-to-watch-other-shows-and/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [TV is just such a fast-moving medium that you do what you can do, and what you can't do, you don't worry about too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/tv-is-just-such-a-fast-moving-medium-that-you-do-what-you-can-do-and/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [The worst thing you can do is end up with a network show on cable or end up with a cable show on network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-is-end-up-with-a-network-show-on-cable-or/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [The payment for sins can be delayed. But they cant be avoided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/the-payment-for-sins-can-be-delayed-but-they-cant-be-avoided/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) [Explore all 33 Shawn Ryan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) ## More Alchemy quotes > [“I went because I was interested in the alchemy of issues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-went-because-i-was-interested-in-the-alchemy-of-issues/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“...the world is only the visible aspect of God. And that what alchemy does is to bring spiritual perfection into contact with the material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-is-only-the-visible-aspect-of-god-and-that-what-alchemy/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Art is Alchemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-nicolai/art-is-alchemy/) [ELLE NICOLAI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-nicolai/) > [“You must learn to bend to open windows, my friend. That is why artists and dancers are closest to God. They clench their chests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/you-must-learn-to-bend-to-open-windows-my-friend-that-is-why-artists/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Every human being has gone through a tragedy of sorts. And the idea is that you have two paths you can take, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-michaels/every-human-being-has-gone-through-a-tragedy-of-sorts-and-the-idea-is/) [Jillian Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-michaels/) > [“Introspection does not need to be a still life. It can be an active alchemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/introspection-does-not-need-to-be-a-still-life-it-can-be-an-active/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [ Everybody can close their eyes, picture a dream house or a perfect place \[where\] they'd like to have a picnic. But actually creating it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/everybody-can-close-their-eyes-picture-a-dream-house-or-a-perfect/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [“She pushed the book towards them, and Harry and Ron read: The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/she-pushed-the-book-towards-them-and-harry-and-ron-read-the-ancient/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [For I am every dead thing In whom love wrought new alchemy For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/for-i-am-every-dead-thing-in-whom-love-wrought-new-alchemy-for-his/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Arya Maloney updates the basis and practice of transpersonal psychology by using the spiritual principles of India's masters and the transformational alchemy inherent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-mindell/arya-maloney-updates-the-basis-and-practice-of-transpersonal/) [Arnold Mindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-mindell/) > [“To follow our bliss and dive deeply into the mysteries of fragrance, color, and taste; blend with the magnificent diversity of mother nature; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prana-gogia/to-follow-our-bliss-and-dive-deeply-into-the-mysteries-of-fragrance/) [Prana Gogia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prana-gogia/) > [ I want to explain the new alchemy \[in the "From Earth, Air, Fire, and Water to a New Vision of Mind and Time"\], which… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/i-want-to-explain-the-new-alchemy-in-the-from-earth-air-fire-and/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) > [We swung over the hills and over the town and back again, and I saw how a man can be master of a craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/we-swung-over-the-hills-and-over-the-town-and-back-again-and-i-saw/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We find that alchemy has to do with magicians or magic and may even have roots in the Chaldean people who lived in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/we-find-that-alchemy-has-to-do-with-magicians-or-magic-and-may-even/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) [Browse all 349 Alchemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alchemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can make a good show, but you still need some magical alchemy to get people to watch.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shawn Ryan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-need-some-magical-alchemy-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alchemy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-need-some-magical-alchemy-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/shawn-ryan-19332_alchemy_you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-n_2112716.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/shawn-ryan-19332_alchemy_you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-n_2112716.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/shawn-ryan-19332_alchemy_you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-n_2112716.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can make a good show, but you still need some magical alchemy to get people to watch.” — Shawn Ryan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Shawn Ryan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can make a good show,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-need-some-magical-alchemy-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/you-can-make-a-good-show-but-you-still-need-some-magical-alchemy-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```