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- Very nice things: how the leaders of the Russian rating of TV series hooked the viewer
Very nice things: how the leaders of the Russian rating of TV series hooked the viewer
Dark detective stories based on real criminal cases, relaunches of cult franchises and melodramas about lovers who are separated by insurmountable circumstances: the top ten of the latest Rating of Russian TV series has set the trend for genre diversity. Medialogia has compiled the top 2025 TV series popularity based on views, search activity, social media discussions, citations, and a number of other criteria. Both Russian and foreign hits appeared in the top 10. Film industry experts: producers, screenwriters, actors, critics and top managers of large companies told Izvestia about why the top ten was formed by specific series, why they, as they say, got knocked up.
"The Squid Game", 1st place
A shot from the TV series "The Squid Game"
The South Korean series has become a cultural phenomenon. In 2025, its third season was released, and viewers around the world once again clung to their screens to watch poor people playing children's survival games in giant doll sets.
Jean Prosyanov, CEO of <url>:
The "Squid Game" is a unique cultural phenomenon that criticizes the current situation in modern Western society, to which South Korea belongs. This is a criticism of capitalism, over-crediting, and the stratification of society. Here, it seems to me, on the one hand, there is some exoticism. At the same time, this is a clear format of the series in the spirit of the "Royal Battle". But behind this are long and persistent investments by both the state in Korean cinema and modern streaming services, which rely heavily on it.
And the fact that it's popular in our country suggests that there are some universal things. Despite the departure of Western platforms and Western content, information is getting through. And when such big things appear in the world of TV series, then in this sense the world becomes one. But at the same time, I want to say that for me personally, the main phenomenon of the year is "Lilies of the Valley".
"Very strange things", 2nd place
A shot from the TV series "Stranger Things"
The series takes viewers to the fictional town of Hawkins. A group of local teenagers discovers a parallel reality, the Inside Out, whose inhabitants want to destroy their world. "Stranger Things," which ran for five seasons (the last one was released in 2025), successfully combined elements of fiction, mystery, drama, and comedy against the backdrop of the visually stylish and atmospheric 1980s.
Artem Remizov, film reviewer, author of the Telegram channel "Remizorro":
"I think one of the main things that touched our viewers while watching Stranger Things was stylish nostalgia. Yes, we are not very familiar with the American flavor of those times, but it somehow brings the viewer back to childhood, to a time when every walk with friends on the street was a small adventure. And combined with the stylish design that the eye clings to, the series works on the entire spectrum of human feelings at once.
"Very Strange Things" is a tale of friendship and dedication. The series correctly tells us that each of us can become a hero if we let this heroism into our hearts. And also, thinking about where the final seasons got such high ratings, it's worth saying that the main characters grew up before our eyes, and many viewers grew up with them. We watched them explore themselves, their new emotions, and it brought us closer and closer to them. Therefore, before the start of the final season, many Russian viewers filmed videos on their social networks, where they talked about who might die in the final season. And they constantly clarified that they really didn't want this or that character to die, because they had already all become our friends from the neighboring yard."
Sled, 3rd place
A shot from the TV series "Sled"
The premiere of the detective "Sled" took place almost 20 years ago, the same number of seasons have been released, and interest in the series is still active. His main characters are employees of the FES (Federal Expert Service). They are the best specialists in all areas of criminology and solve the most complex crimes.
Marina Belova, Deputy General Director, Head of the Directorate of Programs and Marketing of Channel Five:
"We have a movie for the audience. We are clearly working with our target audience. Its core is women aged 25-59. We create different worlds for them. As a rule, the characters who act within the framework of these detective stories are men. Not singles, but always teams. These are understandable characters, they have understandable professions. These are the people who live next to you, but all sorts of funny, funny adventures happen to them. All our franchises are united by the theme of social justice. Evil will be punished. It's in "Trace" and in our other series that are in the top 100."
"Daddy's daughters", 4th place
A shot from the TV series "Daddy's daughters. New ones"
The premiere of the first "Daddy's Daughters" also took place almost 20 years ago. The female leads grew up in front of the audience. The project was restarted two years ago. The formula was the same — the father is left alone with a horde of children after his wife mysteriously leaves him. History repeats itself in the same family, but a generation later, so not only new actors participate in the show, but also the stars of the original cast.
Philip Pale, actor, performer of the role of the father in the comedy "Daddy's daughters. New":
"The place in the rating did not surprise me, but once again I was very pleased, because "Daddy's daughters. The new ones" continue their victorious march on a par with the foreign tops. This is important because we understand that we did not try in vain, that all this great and very difficult work done by the team is in demand and appreciated.
The secret is simple: people are tired of blackmail, heavy and chthonic content and want a simple and easy story about love and friendship, about a family with understandable conflict. There's no way without him when you have four daughters, like my hero. And we, "Daddy's daughters. The New ones" have become such a lifeline and "chicken soup for the soul" for our viewers. People often come up to me on the street and say that we are helping with parenting. When adults see that their children are watching "Daughters," they understand that this is a safe zone and they don't have to worry. Of course, the cast worked: the girls are so precise, yet they have different personalities. And our family relations are very real, because it's fun on the set, friendship and warmth reign — all this is transmitted to the audience."
Univer, 5th place
A shot from the TV series "Univer. Young"
The "Univer" began in 2008 with the story of poor students Allochka, Kuzi, Tanya and Gosha, in whose dorm the son of an oligarch Sasha was moved in. Since then, the project has produced more than one generation of heroes. In 2025, the University took over the baton. The young ones."
Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov, producer of the Univer franchise:
"This universe was created a long time ago. Four TV series were filmed. Now the characters are led by the authors, and the audience loved them so much that they became family members. The project is so… I won't say old, but it has become a classic series. So the audience loves him and watches him, many even out of habit. It is worth saying that the last "University. The Young Ones" didn't go very well on TV, but it was successful on streaming. It is unclear how and what to believe. That's what Medialogy is for—I want to know the real numbers."
"Lilies of the Valley", 6th place
A shot from the TV series "Lilies of the Valley"
Musical melodrama "Lilies of the Valley. Such a tender love" became an event in the world of Russian cinema in 2025. The project was released on January 1 — quietly, without aggressive promo. But in a matter of days, he became wildly popular — he was discussed on social networks, disassembled into fragments of film criticism. The project about the relationship between the rich heiress Katya and a simple tanker Lekha, who goes to defend his Homeland, has gained more than 100 million views on various platforms and on television.
Alexander Kosarim, Director of content at the online cinema Wink:
"The series turned out to be lamp-like, fabulous. I think that's what we've been missing. The audience always wants to see some kind of modern hero. This hero is absolutely present there. People always want to see sincere feelings. Love is what this series is imbued with. Besides, there is self—sacrifice, heroism - pure emotions. There are so many difficult things in life, but everything is very straightforward and simple: if you love, love, if you tell the truth, do it, if you have a position, defend it.
These simple, largely instinctive things are shown there. This is a direct path that elicits a wide response. When we entered the project, we didn't think it was about OUR OWN. We believe that this series is about relationships, about people who find themselves in various difficult circumstances and vicissitudes, but it's still a story about life, about love and about faith in the future."
"Kingfisher", 7th place
A shot from the series "Kingfisher"
After the series "Knock on My Door" died down, fans of Turkish content switched to "Kingfisher". The story is all about the same thing — about the strong love of two people who are always being violently tried to separate by something: relatives, envious people, circumstances, their own stubborn characters. However, this is the formula for success in the case of Turdisi. Plus beautiful faces, rich dream homes, and heartwarming music. The actors of the series felt the result of this equation almost physically — fans, mostly from Russia, were on duty daily at the mansion in Istanbul, where filming took place, to take pictures with their idols.
Emre Altug, who plays Orhan Korhan in the series "Kingfisher":
"Actually, we were very pleased that the fans came to the shooting. There were indeed a lot of Russian tourists among them. They brought gifts. We were happy about it every time, and whenever possible, we took pictures. At one point, fans even discovered another way to get to the mansion - from the water (laughs). They started sailing up on boats, waving at us. We waved back. But not only in Russia, but in Turkey, this series has also become very popular. It's really a very successful job."
Outsourcing, 8th place
A shot from the TV series "Outsourcing"
The first viewers saw "Outsourcing" starring Ivan Yankovsky long before the premiere — back in 2024 at the New Season festival. There, the project won the main prize — it was named "The most anticipated series." It went online in February 2025. This is one of the darkest and most unusual stories of the past year. The events unfold in the mid-1990s in the depressing scenery of a small provincial town shortly before the introduction of the moratorium on the death penalty. The new warden of the local prison sets up a business — he starts selling victims' relatives the opportunity to take revenge on the killers.
Gavriil Gordeev, General Producer of Okko:
"Outsourcing" is a necessary work for a given moment in time, touching on the eternal theme of justice. Speaking at the level of philosophy, this is, in fact, an Old Testament fantasy. There are questions, but there are no answers, because the answers are given in the New Testament. This is a very interesting construction. There is no happy ending here, as in Russian drama in general: instead, there is catharsis. And you experience it, because in the end there is no material reward — like "I won, I earned money" and so on. This is not a Western model of drama. According to the Russian cultural code, spirituality takes place here: you begin to understand, ask questions that help you realize pain, work through it, make decisions, let go, forgive, forget. And, oddly enough, most of the hits, even pop ones, carry this effect for the viewer."
"First Department", 9th place
A shot from the TV series "The First Department"
The action-packed detective story is based on real criminal cases and tells about the talented investigator Yuri Bragin. He was played by Ivan Kolesnikov. The project has already had five seasons.
Sergey Sychev, film critic:
The "First Department" perfectly hit the niche it was aiming for. This is a series for those who want a little more than just a detective show, of which there are many competitors. The authors received the official support of the Investigative Committee for their work, which became an ideal advertisement for the target audience."
Fischer, 10th place
A shot from the TV series "Fisher"
"Fisher" is the second project in the top 10, where the main role was played by Ivan Yankovsky. Here he is also a law enforcement officer, an investigator who, together with his partners, investigates brutal murders. It is based on real events. Serial killer Sergey Golovkin had the nickname Fisher. The second season also tells about a real criminal, but the creators do not disclose who exactly, because the events took place not so long ago and talking about it can hurt the relatives of the victims and survivors.
Andrey Zolotarev, screenwriter ("The Boy's Word", "Pinocchio", "13 clinical"):
"Nostalgic detective stories—a little scary, noir ones—work very well overall. This is a genre that our viewers love and enjoy watching. But the Fisher is also well-made. It doesn't look like anything. The first season was a breakthrough — it went beyond the usual TV detective story. He turned out to be very platforming, mature, and tough. And the hero, who was perfectly embodied by Ivan Yankovsky, is a very cool character. The second part highlights this."
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
