Russian TV Channel 1
Russian TV channel 1 is the definite leader of Russian TV industry. For years, Channel One Russia has been a steady supplier of good entertainment shows, movies and series - and lately its positions have only improved.
No competitor can match it, even taken the fact that ORT doesn't really have any special "focus" - it just beats others pretty much everywhere.
Out of all Russian channels, only RTR comes close in popularity - but the gap is still way too large!
However, despite all the popularity, ORT is far from being perfect. Some shows are good while others are terrible - it's just that on other channels, nearly everything is of poor quality - at least for my taste.
Plus, the news programs are heavily biased - basically, they stopped delivering news long ago, and now only serve the official point of view - or shall I say "propaganda"?
Nevertheless, Russian TV channel 1 has got quite a lot to offer to its viewers - and there's no reason why you shouldn't switch it on from time to time!
ORT is very good in entertainment. It basically managed to gather or copy every last good idea around, and turn it into a show of some kind. Some of them aren't of very good quality, but there are several "stars" that's been running for ages and are well known in Moscow the rest of Russia.
For example, one of such shows is called "KVN" - and it was first aired back in 1961! Yep, its history is sure long - but there was a large "break" in the middle, as KVN was closed in 1972 due to censorship restrictions. Luckily, in 1986 it was restored again - and has been with us since then.
What is it about? Hard to explain, as it's a uniquely Russian invention. Basically, teams from all across the country gather together to compete in humor. It's sort of a blend of stand-up comedy and sports, bringing in loads of good jokes.
I must say I adore this show. Even during our "politically correct" times, when criticizing government is a taboo, KVN participants still manage to squeeze in a couple of spicy jokes about the establishment.
That's especially true for "KVN Premier league" where all of the teams are composed of young people who has never been very loyal to any government - and that's literally a breath of air these days.
In addition, there are many other good shows, like:
- "Zvezdy na l'du" ("Stars on the Ice") - where Russian stars are given the chance to perform with world's famous figure skaters.
- "Minuta slavy" ("A Minute of Fame") - where people from all around the country show their talents.
- "Prozhektorperishilton" (non-translatable), where Moscow's most famous comedians gather together to comment the recent events...
...and many other excellent programs that will surely help you pass the boring evening (although it's hard to have one in Moscow!)
Another good thing about ORT is the blockbuster movies it produces. In fact, Russian TV channel 1 stands behind nearly every famous Russian movie!
Their names probably won't tell you much, but in Russia, films like "Night Watch", "Turkish Gambit" and "Admiral" has been extremely popular. Once, there was a huge demand for Russian movies made at "Hollywood" level - and Channel One Russia was quick to fill this niche!
Not all of the movies were good, of course, but you've gotta hand it to the people in Ostankino - most of their creations have become absolute hits. In fact, "Night Watch" and "Day Watch" director Timur Bekmambetov had a chance to film the famous movie "Wanted"! Yes, yes, it's us, Russians that brought you that film. Surprised? 
In addition, Russian TV channel 1 has created countless number of series like "Spasite Nashi Dushi". While they are mostly soap operas, at least some of them have a good plot and famous actors - and honestly, what else is there to ask?
There's been a rise of new class of series recently. They look like soap operas - and they mostly are, but their plot has several good twists - good enough to have you follow them till the end. It's either that - or I'm just getting too sensitive with age...
Alas, Russian TV channel 1 also has quite a few disadvantages. I would say the biggest one is ORT's daytime shows. To sum it up - they are TERRIBLE. Here's just a few:
- "Federal'nyi Sud'ia" ("Federal Judge") - a horrible remake of Western "court" shows. I've seen it a couple of times - and could never last for more than 3 minutes. The show is boring, the acting is terrifying - and I can't really say what was the reason to film it at the first place. There was a very good show on "Ren-TV" called "Chas Suda" ("Court Time"), with famous Russian lawyer Pavel Astakhov, and it was much, much better. It seems that ORT tried to copy its success - to no luck, apparently.
- "Detektivy" ("The Detectives") - another poor adaptation of Western idea, the show is also a bad "remake" of RTR's "Kulagin i Partnery" ("Kulagin and Partners"), which was about a private detective team and shot in a very realistic way. "Detektivy" is basically about the same thing, only that the plot is missing and the acting is simply non-existent.
- "Sled" ("The Trail") - it was supposed to be the Russian TV channel 1 version of American "CSI", but... it was not. Although lots of money was invested - the outcome is really, really poor. Again we see bad acting, lack of plot and even the slightest logic - and I can only guess why the show is aired on weekdays primetime...
Another huge disappointment is the news. They've been extremely biased recently - and it just keeps getting worse. I don't watch them for quite a time now because there's simply no reason to.
If you want to find out what's really going on in Russia - I suggest to use the Internet. To ORT's defense I must say that nearly every other Russian TV channel has the same problem.
Despite all of these, Russian TV channel 1 is still the leader. "Seek and though shall find", as the saying goes - don't change it right away if you see something you don't like. Channel One Russia can be really good and entertaining - you only have to find the shows that are right for you.
Now where's that remote?
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