Transformation of Russian Sitcoms in 2000–2014

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Olga V. Veselova

PhD student, Faculty of Social Sciences, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Moscow, Russia

e-mail: olchikveselova@gmail.com

Section: Television and Radio

The results of a study of Russian situational comedies are published in this article. The author analyzes the series of 2000–2014 that were shown on terrestrial television and investigates closely the aspects of the sitcom format and its transformation over time. The study shows the evolutionary trends of Russian situational comedies. Production becomes more complicated, its cost increases: more locations are used in the series, outdoor shooting takes place more often. The off-screen laughter gradually ceases to be used and the speed of changing camera views on the screen increases. The main sitcom characters also change: they become richer, still remaining middle class; and they appear not officially married more and more often. The stories embrace family relations more and more seldom. The humor is only partially transformed: the topics remain practically unchanged, but the format of the jokes becomes predominantly visual rather than verbal. At the same time, a number of format generating features remain stable, for example the number of storylines keeps corresponding to the classic approach in a sitcom.

Keywords: sitcoms, situational comedies, format, television, series, Russia
DOI: 10.30547/vestnik.journ.4.2022.79112

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To cite this article: Veselova O.V. (2022) Transformatsiya rossyskikh sitkomov (2000–2014) [Transformation of Russian Sitcoms in 2000–2014]. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seriya 10. Zhurnalistika 4: 79–112. DOI: 10.30547/vestnik.journ.4.2022.79112