Entertainment TV shows have a large audience in Russia. Some are shown on television, while others are so embarrassing that they aren’t even aired on TV but are instead shown on various video-hosting platforms.
The longest, most famous, and scandalous TV show in Russia is “Dom 2,” which ran for 16 years and had more than 6,000 episodes. This show can be considered cringe due to its lack of cultural and intellectual content. In this project, participants built a house and formed relationships in the process. The idea was that participants would create couples and build relationships in front of the cameras. “Dom 2” focuses on personal dramas, scandals, intrigues, and conflicts between participants. Many people believe this project exploits human emotions and is unethical since it is built on public quarrels and manipulations.
Let’s move on to a list of shows that are aired on Russian TV and various video platforms. We’ve compiled our own list of projects that we used to watch just for fun. As the saying goes, “they do it, but I’m the one who feels embarrassed.”
Pregnant at 16 (or Mom at 16)
“Pregnant at 16” is considered a cringe show because it exploits very personal and complex topics like teenage pregnancy and family problems for entertainment. The show depicts intimate moments of minors’ lives, including their conflicts with parents, partners, and societal judgment. The format makes viewers uncomfortable, as it feels like these serious situations are used to boost ratings rather than to provide real help or solve problems. It becomes especially cringeworthy when every scene feels staged, which is obvious to the naked eye. For example, scenes where a mother learns from her daughter that she’s pregnant and reacts with exaggerated “surprise,” or when young couples awkwardly argue over the difficulties of raising a child.
Let’s Get Married
As you might guess from the name, the format of the show involves a potential groom or bride choosing a partner from three candidates. Each episode includes discussions about the participants’ personal lives, character, interests, and relationships with the opposite sex.
The hosts of the show, Larisa Guzeeva, Rosa Syabitova, and Vasilisa Volodina, play different roles: Guzeeva leads the conversation, Syabitova acts as a matchmaker giving relationship advice, and Volodina is the astrologer, offering her opinion on the compatibility of couples.
The show draws a lot of criticism and features many unusual moments. For instance, there have been cases where contestants appeared in superhero costumes or came on stage with extravagant gifts. In one episode, a contestant brought a sheep as a gift to make an impression. Some participants also shared shocking stories about their past, such as numerous marriages (around 10), legal disputes with ex-spouses, or even criminal history, leading to awkward pauses in the studio. Participants sometimes had strange requirements for their future partners, like the need for a house in Italy or strict veganism, which surprised both the audience and hosts.
These moments create an atmosphere of absurdity and awkwardness, making the show entertaining but often cringe-inducing.
Man/Woman
“Man/Woman” is a Russian talk show that has been airing on Channel One since 2014. The hosts are Alexander Gordon and Yulia Baranovskaya. The show focuses on social, family, and domestic issues, as well as conflicts between men and women. Topics range from complex family situations and divorces to child-rearing issues and scandals related to relationships and domestic violence.
The main goal of the program is to help people understand their personal situations, improve relationships, or get advice from experts. The hosts play different roles: Gordon is usually the rational and calm analyst, while Baranovskaya emotionally supports women and asks more personal questions. The show often invites psychologists, lawyers, and other experts to help resolve participants’ problems.
The program has a reputation, like other similar talk shows, for its emotional delivery and frequent dramatization of situations. Many criticize the show for excessive publicity and exploiting personal issues to attract viewers.
There are often heated arguments on air, where participants yell, cry, or even fight. There have been instances where participants behaved strangely, like one who came to the studio drunk and began acting inappropriately, refusing to speak coherently and provoking the hosts. Sometimes participants confess to things that clearly go beyond acceptable TV discussions, like illegal activities or intimate details of their lives, shocking both the audience and hosts. There have been episodes where DNA tests revealed infidelity or exposed one of the participants’ lies (though no one denies that some of it might be staged).
Child from Hell
“Child from Hell” is a relatively new Russian reality show that appeared just a few years ago. The essence of the program is that spoiled teenagers from wealthy families are sent to live in ordinary, often low-income families for four days. The parents of these privileged teens contact the show because they can no longer handle their children’s behavior. The goal of the project is to show these teenagers real life, teach them responsibility, and change their consumerist attitudes.
During the show, participants face household challenges they’ve never encountered before, such as waking up early, helping around the house, and adjusting to simpler living conditions. Conflicts with their new “parents” are inevitable, but by the end of the show, many teenagers, according to the script, change their outlook on life. The show is built on the contrast between their usual luxurious lifestyle and the modest conditions of the families they join. The cringe factor is abundant, and instead of recounting stories from this show, we recommend you watch an episode — everything is so obvious and clear that subtitles aren’t even necessary.
Patsanki
“Patsanki” comes from the word “patsan,” a colloquial term in Russian culture that refers to a young man, often with rough or street manners. It’s associated with a certain boldness, aggressiveness, and rejection of formalities. Here, the term is used as a feminine version — “Patsanka.”
The main idea of the project is to rehabilitate troubled young women and transform them from “patsanki” into real ladies. The participants often suffer from alcohol addiction, smoking, have aggressive behavior, and exhibit antisocial tendencies. In the program, they attend the “School of Ladies,” where they learn manners, self-control, and a new outlook on life.
Each season is filled with dramatic and emotional moments, where the participants face their inner problems and struggle with bad habits. The rehabilitation process includes various challenges and tasks aimed at overcoming personal difficulties. Their mentors are experts in etiquette, psychology, and other fields, and by the end of the show, each participant undergoes both an internal and external transformation.
This is probably the most trashy and cringe-worthy show in our rating. The girls secretly drink, behave inappropriately, are rude to their teachers, fight among themselves, and it all looks very brutal. Sometimes there is so much cursing that it’s beeped out for entire dialogues, making it unclear what the conversation was even about.
Despite the fact that many Russian shows often cause discomfort and are criticized for their low content quality, we still continue to watch them. These programs, whether it’s public conflicts, emotional breakdowns, or absurd situations, create a “guilty pleasure” effect. We watch other people’s dramas and scandals because they offer a distraction and give us something to laugh at, even if the situations seem absurd or over the top. In the end, these shows, strange as it may be, grab our attention because they provide us with a hefty dose of cringe.
