Found "Fingerprints": experts named the best TV series in May
The youth melodrama "Off Campus", the fantastic "Radar" in the spirit of "Very Strange Cases", the sports drama "The First Racket" and the detective "Prints" entered the top 30 most popular projects in May 2026. The latest Russian rating of TV series was published by Medialogia. Together with actors Danila Kozlovsky and Ilya Lykov, director Sergey Filatov and other movie stars, Izvestia figured out the secret of the success of the new products that were included in the selection.
"The first racket", 9th place
The genre of sports drama works on two levels at once: it keeps the viewer in suspense due to the element of competition and makes them emotionally live the story of the characters. The famous tennis coach Igor, played by Danila Kozlovsky, traveled all over the country in search of a young talent, and one day luck smiled at him. On a private court, he meets 17-year—old Katya (Polina Gukhman), for whom fights with rich amateurs are just a way to survive. She once gave up on her career — a difficult character, lack of money, and now vision problems. But together they begin the path to the championship.
Danila Kozlovsky, the performer of the role of Igor Strelnikov's coach
A shot from the TV series "The First Racket"
— I think the audience responded to the "First Racket" not only with a well-told story and a strong, balanced cast, but also with the dynamics of the relationship between the student and the coach. Each of us has found ourselves in similar circumstances in one way or another, whether in sports, studies, or any other field. In addition, the genre of sports drama in itself is conducive to genuinely empathizing with the heroine and following the development of events. And, of course, tennis played a role — a spectacular and not yet so often represented sport in the movies. By the way, I've been playing tennis myself for a very long time, and after work-related breaks, I return to it periodically. This is an incredibly addictive game that helps you tune out the noise in your head and fully focus on the process.
Interestingly, professional athletes took part in the series. One of the roles was played by tennis star Alina Yuneva. Before making her film debut, she took an acting course.
Alina Yuneva, tennis player, performer of the role of Ksenia Shablinskaya
A shot from the TV series "The First Racket"
— My first day of filming took place on a tennis court, and this is a familiar environment for me — a place of strength. It helped me a lot. In general, tennis is very popular in our country, but before the "First Racket" we did not have a movie about this sport. At the same time, the series is not only about the game, but also about life around it — about relationships, high competition, envy, and the desire to win. I had a task to play a bitchy girl. I wasn't like that in real life, but that was the point of interest—how truthfully I could convey the character. It seems to me that everything was successful.
"Off-campus", 12th place
The action of this series also takes place in the sports arena, but on the ice. Although, however, the story of "Off Campus" is not about sports, but about young boys and girls who are trying to sort out their feelings and learn how to make difficult decisions outside of their usual university life. The main characters are an excellent student and a hockey player, whose fictitious relationship develops into a real one.
Sergey Sychev, film critic
A shot from the TV series "Off campus"
— The success of the series is quite natural, since it is based on the popular book series by El Kennedy. Kennedy did what seems obvious today, but that's exactly what the know-how was: she combined the new adult and sports romance formats, each of which had existed for quite a long time before and seemed to be asking for such an interesting symbiosis. She added many other attractions for audiences of different ages, including humor and explicit scenes, and now these are works that are addressed to many groups of readers (viewers) at once. In this way, "Off Campus" compares favorably with, for example, the Russian novels by the writer Anna Jane, the reader/the audience of which is strictly high school students or young women without education. Kennedy's "Alloy" is much more viable.
"Verdict", 16th place
A crime drama about a man who is unfairly accused of murder, and years later he tries to regain his life and sort out the events of the past. The story unfolds in two time periods at once, gradually revealing the causes of the tragedy and keeping the intrigue until the very end. The series captures not only the intense plot, but also the ambiguous characters, each of whom has his own truth and his own motives.
Kirill Rusin, the performer of the role of the young Savva Martov
A shot from the TV series "Verdict"
— I am very glad that our series has been well received by the audience. Crime stories always arouse interest because they are an emotional attraction that is hard to get off. The most difficult scene was a five-man brawl. It wasn't easy to separate her choreography so that no one got injured. We worked with the stuntmen for two days, and I was even mentally preparing for this shoot. Everything went great, but not the first time (laughs). We had stand-ins, but I try to act in action scenes myself. I only needed them in racing episodes where I had to perform difficult maneuvers with the car.
"Dogs and Wolves", 18th place
Bright characters are the main weapon of this project. A bandit named Magaban and former operative Igor Rubtsov (the duo of Sergei Zharkov and Maxim Stoyanov) become the main suspects in a high-profile crime. Despite the strained relationship, the characters have to become partners in order to find the real killers.
Helga Filippova, acting as the investigator for particularly important cases, Colonel Tatiana Vasnetsova
A shot from the TV series "Dogs and Wolves"
— The detective becomes even more interesting when he acts in the comedy genre. Now, it seems to me, this is one of the most sought-after niches. At the same time, humor is a complex genre. Only smart and talented people can joke well. The success of the series "Dogs and Wolves" is directly related to the director of the project Alan Dzociev. He's a very interesting and deep person, and it's very cool to work with him, because he welcomes any suggestions from actors, knows what he wants to shoot and feels the genre.
"The Cabby", 22nd place
In the center of the plot is an experienced detective Yuri Aldanov, who joins a criminal group, but ends up behind bars because of a setup. After an unfair imprisonment, he tries to get to the truth and regain his honest name. The story combines intense investigation, chase and action with the personal drama of the hero. And Evgeny Miller's charismatic and restrained image makes the story compelling and emotionally engaging.
Evgeny Miller, actor, performer of the role of Yuri Aldanov
A shot from the TV series "The Cabby"
— I think that any detective series should be based primarily on human relationships, good acting and increasing intrigue in the development of the plot. I hope that the "Cabby" project has managed to combine all this. I had an understudy, but I try to do all the fights, chases, and stunts myself whenever possible. The most difficult and unpleasant moment was the fracture of the phalanx of the finger on my hand, for about three weeks I was filmed with a splint — I had to hide my hand in the frame and fights.
Radar, 24th place
The plot shifts to 1988. A mysterious object is falling in the vicinity of a small Soviet town located in the area of a powerful missile defense system radar. Soon, the bodies of the locals are taken over by unknown entities. Only children remain invulnerable. On the screen is a successful mix of nostalgia for the USSR, mystical suspense and a sense of mysterious threat. Fans of "Stranger Things" will love it.
Ilya Lykov, the performer of the role of engineer
A shot from the TV series "Radar"
— To be honest, I did not expect such success. Not because I didn't believe in the project, but simply because in our profession you can never guess in advance what exactly will hook the viewer. But even at the level of reading the script, I was immediately attracted to this story. I'm a huge fan of science fiction myself, and getting into this world was a childhood dream. I still remember Alice with the mielophone in "Guest from the Future". And the aliens — they appeared for a second, but it was so scary! I think there's a lot of scary stuff in Radar, too. And this is despite the fact that the main characters are children. I was particularly touched by the topic of relationships between adults and children. For some characters, they are difficult even before the alien invasion, and after that, teenagers are left all alone. They are the ones who are able to distinguish the truth from a lie. If we talk about visual aesthetics, my spectator pupil was simply "rinsed in beauty." What cameraman Vanya Chengich and his team have created is incredible: the color, degree, and atmosphere of a small, cold Soviet radar town are very precisely found. As a result, this is an unusual, cool, retrofantastic adventure for young viewers. And for the older generation, it's our good old nostalgia, a story in the spirit of "the boy pioneer saved the world." This combination has captivated people.
"Prints", 25th place
Fans of unraveling a complex tangle of crimes, wanting to find the "main boss", will obviously like the series "Prints", directed by Sergey Filatov, known for the acclaimed detective thriller "One Call Bar". And the real events at the heart of the picture add a special spice to the crime drama. In the story, Yana, a suspended investigator, is forced to return to her hometown, which is shaken by violent crimes. The heroine will have to not only get on the trail of the maniac, but also face the traumas of the past.
Sergey Filatov, director of the series
A shot from the TV series "Fingerprints"
— When the plot is based on genuine emotion, real human pain, a core appears. This energy feeds the creative people who work on the story, they connect to it and enhance it. Filming the finale became emotional and difficult. We had a long one-frame scene that breaks the set visual style. But the funny thing is that, despite all the drama, we filmed this episode in a fun way. We joked a lot during breaks, and then suddenly we got ready. This is probably the only way to survive difficult events.
"Shores of Love", 27th place
The action takes place in 1929. Lovers Nastya Pakhomova and Matvey Lykov want to be together, but the girl's influential father is categorically against an unequal union. The drama unfolds against the backdrop of major historical events.
Veronika Lysakova, the performer of the role of Nina Pakhomova
A shot from the TV series "Shores of Love"
— The most difficult scene for me was in the forest. My heroine's two-year-old daughter is blown up by a mine left over from the war. To do this, they made a special explosion underground. For me, working with pyrotechnics is generally a big responsibility. And here, in addition, it was necessary to live and experience the full range of feelings. Of course, emotions were running high in this scene. There are so many twists and turns, problems, hopes and the honesty with which our team worked.
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