all3media International Sends Gogglebox to Russia

LONDON: all3media International has licensed Studio Lambert’s factual-entertainment format Gogglebox to CTC in Russia.

Gogglebox presents highlights of the week’s television intercut with footage of ordinary people watching TV at home. An 8-episode Russian version, locally titled Couch, is slated to begin airing in prime time tonight. The show is a co-production between Wmedia and CTC Network, produced by Svetlana Podchernyaeva for Wmedia and Fatima Gappoeva for CTC.

Xenia Bugrimova, the head of the entertainment department at CTC Channel, said: “We searched for remarkable, interesting and emotional characters, and our primary criteria were charisma, the ability to behave naturally and the ability to express thoughts clearly. We wanted to depict the Russian society as it is, so for our casting we selected people of different social classes, interests and income levels.”

Daria Legoni-Fialko, the head of CTC Channel, noted: “This show is about us, because we all watch TV and pretty often talk to it. Previously, our thoughts aloud stayed at home—now they are going to break free. For the first time ever Russian viewers will see themselves from the outside and those in the TV industry will hear what the audience, usually hidden behind impersonalized ratings, really think about their work.”

Lucy Roberts, sales manager for EMEA North at all3media International, added: “I’m delighted to see Gogglebox head to its next major territory with CTC in Russia—this Studio Lambert format has proved to be a stand-out success on the international stage, picking up commissions from key broadcasters around the world. Its appeal lies in its simplicity and inherent relatability—those participating on screen are doing exactly what the viewers at home are doing, watching and reacting to television, ensuring that any local adaptation delivers hugely entertaining must-watch content.”