ViD (Alternative Russia)/Programs

Original programming

 * ViD Hot Summer Nights Concert Series (1990-present): A ViD staple since the dying days of the Soviet Union, when ViD consisted only of a single station in Moscow. This is a series of concerts, initially only in Moscow from 1990-94, but now (since 1995) across the entirety of Russia, which runs throughout the summer months from late May to early September, aired live on ViD channels throughout the country, and features both Russian-specific and international artists and bands, both famous and obscure. As this is one of the biggest TV events in the country, most other non-ViD channels only run repeats against the concerts; except in Summer Olympic years, when RT1 (due to being the state broadcaster, having the exclusive contract with the IOC) airs live Olympic coverage.
 * Tales from the Trans-Siberian Railway (1993-2005, 2011-present): A popular “R-drama” series about the lives of railway engineers. Has been re-aired on PBS as part of Masterpiece since 1994, introducing American audiences to Russian television, and the “Mask of Guo Xiang” logo, for the first time.
 * The Fishcins (1993-2006): An animated sitcom, created to provide a “distinctly Russian counter-balance” to The Simpsons (which still airs on ViD today). Focuses on the titular family in the fictional city of Chelovka, Muscovy.
 * Detective Julya (1994-2001, 2017-present): One of the first series to combine animatsiya with the Japanese tokusatsu method. The adventures of a group of teenage girls that were selected by the UN to become almost immortal (which prevents them from aging); while marketed as a children’s show in its native Russia, the show is actually very dark by Western standards. Based on the comic book series of the same name (1991-present), which was one of the very first comic series created under the ViD Comics unit. Title character Julya is the unofficial mascot of ViD.
 * Mir Monstrov (World of monsters) (1998-2004, 2015-present): A hybrid animatsiya/rostokusatsu series, heavily inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion (which had a Russian dub aired on ViD at the same time as in Japan), with influences from the Godzilla series and H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos as well. Is credited with introducing animatsiya to a mainstream American audience through English-dubbed repeats on PBS’ Masterpiece Theater.
 * The Heraskovas (2011-present): A children’s animatsiya series, focusing on a family of 6 siblings who just moved to Moscow. Also airs on international Nickelodeon channels.
 * (TBA)