Russian Sitcoms: From Post-Soviet Copycats to Aspiring Global Players

Abstract

Russian sitcoms have gone through a series of rapid changes since their introduction following the end of the Cold War. The genre was initially met with skepticism in the post-Soviet period. Owing primarily to Russian culture’s lack of familiarity with the genre early attempts to localize it failed to attract significant audiences. Only once the television channel STS, with significant help from Sony Pictures Television, began working to bring adapted American sitcoms to Russia did the genre start to resonate with viewers. The first popular sitcom on Russian television was an adaptation of CBS’ The Nanny. The success of that series led to the production of numerous other similar programs. Since the early 2000s, Russian sitcoms have proceeded rapidly through three phases: localization, hybridization, and cultural odorlessness. This paper traces the development of the genre by examining three programs: My Fair Nanny, Daddy’s Girls and The Kitchen. Each of these programs marks the beginning of a new phase in the development the Russian sitcom from localization, the creation of original Russian series and programs aimed at the global market for formats. The paper also looks at the role that STS and Sony bring the genre to Russia.

doi: 10.5294/pacla.2017.20.3.6