Battle of the Psychics / Битва Экстрасенов

Bitva Extrasenov (Битва Экстрасенсов), Battle of the Psychics, is a Russian-language TNT (ТНТ) TV show based on Britain’s Psychic Challenge. Running since 2007, the show reached peak popularity in November 2013 with a season dedicated to the death of Vladislav Listyev (Владислав Листев), a Soviet TV personality and journalist killed by two unknown assailants in […]

Renovation School / Школа ремонта

Renovation School (Школа ремонта) is a Russian home-improvement show—the Russian version of HGTV, basically. It’s been airing since 2003, with hour-long episodes. The host and foreman is San Sanych, who is actually actor Aleksandr Grishaev (Александр Гришаев). He is aided by actors Sergey Shubenkov (Сергей Шубенков) and Yulia Yegorova (Юлия Егорова). The show draws on an […]

Star Factory / Фабрика Звёзд

Star Factory (Фабрика Звёзд) is a Russian music-competition TV show in which teams compete to become the new hit act in Russian pop music. The show has created such stars as Fabrika, Korni, and Polina Gagarina. It aired from 2002 to 2007 in Russia, with a triumphant return for one season in 2011. There are also […]

Let Them Talk / Пусть говорят

Let Them Talk (Пусть говорят) is a Russian talk show reminiscent of the classics of American daytime TV—particularly Jerry Springer. The show has been airing since 2001, when it was called The Big Wash (Большая стирка—because you could watch it while you did the laundry); after a few years it was changed to Five Evenings (Пять вечеров), and then […]

Let’s Get Married! / Давай поженимся!

Let’s Get Married! (Давай поженимся!) is a Russian talk matchmaker show—kind of like the American Dating Game, but slightly more family-friendly. The show has been around since 2008, but it feels like it’s been much longer. Indeed, there have been more than 1,500 episodes. It doesn’t seem to have good critical reviews, or even good viewer […]

Wait for Me / Жди мне

Wait for Me (Жди мне) is a Russian talk/reality show, though quite unlike what that that genre usually means. It’s not only a TV show but a government service for finding missing people. It’s termed an international social project, just just a TV show—the show notes that “We search throughout the entire world and unite […]

The Voice / Голос

Golos (The Voice, Russian: Голос) is a Russian reality talent competition. Running since October 2012, the show is one of Channel One’s most popular programs. Golos is the Russian version of the international talent competition The Voice, which began as The Voice of Holland and now has versions in various countries. The winners of the first […]

Dom-2 / Дом-2

Dom-2 (Дом-2) is the longest running reality TV show in the world. When it first aired in 2003, the contestants’ objective was to construct a house while at the same time finding a romantic partner. After contestants have coupled up, they then compete for the house itself. Hosted by Ksenia Sobchak (Ксения Собчак) and Ksenia Borodina […]