TV shows have long been firmly established in our lives. The undisputed leaders in “stamping” entertainment programs considered UK and US. It is the talk show versions of these countries that are diligently trying. This is understandable, because purchasing a license from a proven TV show is much safer than coming up with a new project. But which talk shows have broken all popularity records?
1 "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993)
This is an American talk show that aired for more than 10 years - from 1993 to 2009. The program was accompanied by a live orchestra. Project format: first, a comic skit is performed, conversations with celebrity guests, and for a “snack” - a game or musical number. However, at first the talk show did not gain much success, since O’Brien had a rather specific sense of humor, which took a long time for viewers to get used to. But the presenter decided not to despair, and he was right: as a result, the audience began to grow very quickly.
2 "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (2003)
This show also comes from America and airs on NBC. The first season won 4 Emmy awards. Presenter comedienne Ellen Degeres conducts dialogues with guests on various topics: from new music to latest news politicians. In 2007, Barack Obama himself visited the program, he even performed several dance moves. By the way, the hallmark of the show is the dancing. Ellen never misses an opportunity to dance with guests and spectators.
3 "The Craig Ferguson Show" (2005)
This American show is hosted by famous writer, actor, producer, director and comedian of Scottish origin. Craig Ferguson. The program's great success was brought by the charisma of the presenter, who has the talent to tirelessly entertain the audience.
4 "Regis and Kelly" (1988)
This program was broadcast on the same NBC channel. In 2011, she even visited the talk show and denied rumors that her husband was dyeing his graying hair.
The talk show is shown on the VET channel. How the show works: show music videos popular artists R&B and hip-hop in the so-called countdown mode depending on the vote of the audience. The program also conducts short interviews with singers in a humorous manner.
6 "The David Letterman Show" (1993)
The late-night talk show airing on CBS is hosted by renowned journalist Letterman. In 2002, the program was ranked 7th on TV Cuide's "50 Greatest Shows" list. David recently announced that he will remain as host only until 2016, then he will be replaced by satirist and actor Stephen Colbert.
7 "Tonight" with Johnny Carson" (1962-92)
It is Carson who is considered the founder of the genre of entertaining evening shows. The program numbers include sketches, variety shows and conversations with stars. Many celebrities of that time visited the journalist. He was replaced in 1992 by comedian Jay Lenno.
8 "Guest in the Actors Studio" (1994)
The talk show was broadcast in 125 countries. The program, in fact, was a seminar for students who dream of becoming actors. A director or actor was invited to the studio to answer questions from the host and guests.
9 "QI" (2003)
Intellectual and comedic British game. The principle of the talk show is to answer the largest number of questions and earn points. The trick of the game is that points are awarded not only for correct answers, but for the funniest and most original answers.
This program had a major impact on American popular culture. The project is considered the longest running talk show in the USA (25 years). The program has 25 seasons and 4561 episodes.
In our country, talk shows have not yet achieved this great development. Will a domestic talk show ever get into such a rating? Well, not “Dom-2”, really... So there’s not much hope yet!
Reality TV programs are loved by TV viewers all over the world. Their participants are stars and ordinary people, but in both cases the program’s rating can be exceptionally high.
Popular intellectual reality shows
Intellectual reality shows are a certain exercise for the mind, a game that you can simply watch or take a passive part in, independently completing the tasks of the participants."Polyglot"
The “Polyglot” program was broadcast on Russian television and was a huge success. The essence of the competition is training foreign language under the guidance of a polyglot and translator in just 16 lessons. 
Each season is dedicated to exploring specific language. In the first season, the participants learned English, in the second - Italian. In the third season we learned the basics of the French language, in the fourth – Spanish. The fifth season taught them German, and the sixth taught them Indo-Aryan and Indo-European languages (Hindi and Urdu). The participants in the show were celebrities who previously did not know foreign dialects at all or only remembered the basics of the school curriculum.
"Candidate"
In America, viewers fell in love with the intellectual reality show “The Candidate.” In this program, participants are tested on their mental abilities by asking the most difficult tasks and puzzles, test ingenuity and erudition. 
The most gifted participant gets the opportunity to get a job with the billionaire, 45th US President Donald Trump, who is one of the ten most successful and richest people in America. Accordingly, the salary for the service of such an employer is also significant. So this show is kind of an interview with probationary period, because the host of the program is the billionaire himself.
Entertainment reality shows
The reality show format involves working without repeated takes, the absence of a rigid script and the modeling of special conditions. Perhaps these are the basic rules, and then everything depends on the imagination of the authors. In fact, literally any situation can be turned into an entertaining reality show: from looking for a job, to shopping, to solving survival problems. 
The most famous foreign shows
The most inventive and creative producers and directors for creating interesting reality shows are Americans. All the most popular programs in the world are analogues of their projects: “Fear Factor”, “X-Factor”, “The Bachelor”, “So You Can Dance”.Family show "Juliana and Bill"
According to TV viewers, the most famous American show is “Juliana and Bill,” in which married couple share your problems with conceiving and bearing a child. A young girl was diagnosed with breast cancer. She needs to undergo chemotherapy and undergo surgery to remove the tumor. 
She is strictly forbidden to have a child in this condition, so the couple decided on surrogacy. Throughout the show, viewers watched the young couple's struggles and victories in achieving their goal.
Cooking show "Hell's Kitchen"
One of the most popular culinary reality shows is Hell's Kitchen and its analogues in various countries peace. The program is based on the idea of revealing culinary talents among professionals and amateurs in conditions of fierce competition and psycho-emotional stress. 
First, the participants are divided into teams. Following a series of competitions, the losing team must remove one of its representatives. But already in the middle of the program team game is replaced by an individual one, in which everyone fights for himself. The winner receives a cash prize and the chance to work as a cook in a prestigious restaurant.
Fashion and beauty reality show
The fashion and beauty reality show “America's Next Top Model” is very popular. Participants compete among themselves for the opportunity to create a career in modeling business. Filming of the first episodes takes place in America, and in the second part of the show the participants travel to the most beautiful cities Mira: Paris, Tokyo, Milan, etc. 
The most famous domestic shows
Russian television is full of a wide variety of reality shows, so everyone can choose a project based on their preferences, and, perhaps, become a participant. 
"Dom-2" is the longest running reality show
Of course, speaking about the “long-lived” projects of Russian television, one cannot help but recall “Dom-2”, which was hosted by Ksenia Sobchak, Ksenia Borodina, Olga Buzova and others. Already in 2006, just 2 years after its start, it entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-running reality show in the world. The goal of the project is to find your soulmate and win a dream home in the Moscow region. According to the terms of the show, participants are in a certain area under the constant sight of television cameras. They fall in love, break up, start families and have children. 
Extreme show "The Last Hero"
“The Last Hero” and its successor reality show “The Island” began their history in 2001. According to the rules of the project, participants are marooned on a deserted island for 40 days, completely deprived of all the achievements of civilization. Their task is to survive on the island, getting food, water, and creating housing. In addition, they take part in mandatory competitions. Eventually last Hero receives a cash prize. Usually the participants in reality shows are simple people, but season 3 consisted entirely of Russian television stars. The final prize was then won by Vladimir Presnyakov. 
Ice shows
Popular figure skating shows “Stars on Ice” and “ glacial period"have been loved by TV viewers since 2006. The concept of the transfer is a competition between paired skaters. Moreover, one partner of the couple is a professional, and the second is an amateur. Some of the participants had never skated before the project. During this time on ice show Several presenters, many judges and professional athletes have changed, but the constant chairman of the jury is the legend of world figure skating - coach Tatyana Anatolyevna Tarasova. 
Mystical show
Lovers of mysticism and paranormal phenomena Since 2007, they have been watching the testing of the psychic abilities of clairvoyants in the reality show “Battle of Psychics.” By creating various tests for them, skeptics determine the most powerful owners of the sixth sense. The popularity of the project is so wide that it is often people who are desperate to find answers to their questions who turn to psychics and ask them to understand the reasons and circumstances of a particular event in their life. 
Reality shows can be seen in the TV schedule every day, but the world's longest series was not broadcast on Russian television.. It lasted for more than 50 years.
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When you are bored and have nothing to do, turning on the TV and flicking through the channels is still a priority. On modern television a great variety of entertainment programs are presented. Such a product is now being produced by everyone without exception, and all kinds of TV shows are especially popular.
What is a TV show?
What is this TV show anyway? This concept is quite broad, because this type of television creativity is defined in different ways. For the viewer, a TV show can be defined as an exciting action that is interesting to watch. This article will help you identify the best TV shows. A list of TV products that are definitely worth watching can be compiled based on this information.
Talk show
This is similar to the concept of a TV show - “talk show”. Why is it called that and how is it different from the TV show? Yes, actually, nothing. Talk show is a conversation show (from English talk show). This is a type of television program in the format of which it is customary to discuss certain topics. The conversation can take place between the host and the guest, or there can be many guests. A necessary element is that the participants must talk, and that it be as interesting as possible.
Reality show
Everything is clearer here. Reality from the English reality - “reality, reality.” This genre is characterized by the fact that people fall into a certain life situation, and the viewer observes its development and the behavior of the participants in the action. The trick is watching real people. Are they really that real, or are they hired actors? It's not always the same. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes you can only guess.
List of Russian TV shows
Topping the list of TV shows is the program “Let Them Talk,” broadcast on Channel One. In that evening show Discussions are held with the well-known Andrei Malakhov on various topics: from everyday situations to global events. Guests - both direct participants and simply famous personalities, whose opinion is interesting to the general public. Interestingly, the TV show is currently on its third title. Previously the program was called "Five Evenings", then " Big Wash". The essence has remained unchanged for seventeen years. The presenter analyzes the problems of the population within the framework of the individual and the state.
“The Battle of Psychics” has also been breaking popularity records for many years. People with psychic abilities perform tasks, and depending on the quality of their performance, the most powerful psychic of the season is selected. The first stages of the show were hosted by Mikhail Porechenkov, and since the eighth season the host has been Marat Basharov.
“Field of Miracles,” or a folk TV show, as viewers called it. Probably everyone has ever dreamed of going there and winning a car or an apartment. A program where guests from different parts of the country spin the drum, earn points, guess words and give gifts to the presenter. And he, of course, thanks in return, but only to the most erudite or simply those who are lucky. It happens in different ways, but in any case, the final stage - the super game - is not so easy to win.
There are a great many such programs on the screen, and the list of Russian TV shows is constantly updated with new projects. TV shows there are for every taste: singing - "Voice", music - "Star Factory", humorous - "Comedy Club", culinary - " Dinner party" and "MasterChef", reality - "Dom-2", motivating - "Weighted People", analytical - "Alone with Everyone" and many others.
List of American television shows
Many TV shows from the American environment have Russian analogues, but there are also unique projects. If you were to make a basic list of American TV shows, it would certainly include programs such as: “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “ Golden fever", "Project Runway", "Late Night", "MythBusters". This is perhaps a classic of American television, but this is just the beginning of the list of American television shows. The variety of products has been pleasing Russian viewers for many years.
What is worth seeing, or Variety of choices
There are so many TV shows that it's overwhelming. Many people are puzzled by how to choose something worthwhile from the variety of culinary, humorous, reality or analytical TV shows. Their beauty lies in their multi-part nature, so the only the right decision will use trial and error. Decide on the genre that interests you most, find a list of popular TV shows on this topic and select the top three highest-rated and three lesser-known programs. After watching each episode of the show on the list, you will definitely understand what they are and choose something to your liking.
Domestic manufacturer
As mentioned earlier, many Russian TV shows are just copies of a foreign product. Yes this is true. Projects that have gained great popularity in their homeland are often sold out. The abundance of imported programs on TV is associated with many factors, including such obvious ones as the later appearance of television broadcasting. And yet there is a list of TV shows that were invented in our country.
"KVN", or "Club of the Cheerful and Resourceful", has been delighting fans with good quality humor for many years. This world-class game show has been loved by everyone since childhood.
"Star Factory" is also a Russian production. The project was created to support young performers. And he justified himself, because now there are so many singers on the stage whom we know precisely as graduates of the “Factory”.
"What where When?" - a product dating back to the times of the USSR, for the first time intellectual show aired in 1975. In terms of the duration of its existence, this game simply has no equal. Brainstorm, difficult questions, an integral attribute and prize for the wisest players - a crystal owl.
Another native of the USSR is “The Travelers Club”, the program has been on the air since 1960, and for some time it was broadcast under the name “The Cinema Travel Club”. An interesting and vibrant program about tourism with a presenter, guests and interesting details of life in different parts of the Earth. It ended its existence in 2003.
For some reason, television games turned out to be almost the only genre in which Soviet television workers were on an equal footing with their Western colleagues. Not in terms of the number of shows - it is difficult for one (and completely state-owned) channel to compete with the developed industry of the USA and Britain - but in terms of the quality of content. Certainly,
Most of the favorites were ordinary competitions like “Come on, girls,” but they were not the ones who created fame in the international arena for domestic television.
In general, Western television producers at that time were unlikely to look back at what was happening behind the Iron Curtain. Games from ordinary life Naturally, they first appeared on the radio, and in the late 30s they came to the newborn television. The first such show was Spelling bee - very popular in English speaking countries a game that requires the correct spelling of words (played nationally, for example, by Lisa Simpson in one of the Simpsons episodes).
The real heyday awaited the game show in the 50s - but along with scandals associated with accusations of rigging and dishonest play, which eventually led to the almost complete disappearance (for some time, of course) of television game shows and the limitation of the size of possible winnings (this limitation is gone along with rising inflation).
Filmmakers, of course, could not ignore such a serious phenomenon -
and in 1994, when passions had largely subsided, the film “Television Show” was made based on those events with Ralph Fiennes.
Now, by the way, such situations are perhaps only possible in the movies - US courts in the late 50s and early 60s adopted laws that, if they do not completely exclude cheating, then reduce its likelihood to very insignificant values. It is simply more profitable to be honest.
Everything is fair
Alexander Maslyakov in the TV game “KVN”
First channelThere were no such problems in the USSR, especially at the very beginning of the 60s, when many new ones appeared and, as it turned out, good passes— they were on the air for a long time, and some are still on. In 1961, the “Club of the Cheerful and Resourceful” was launched - a direct successor to the show that was released back in 1957, during the first wave of the thaw, and then closed after an incident with the audience (they were asked to come to the studio in winter clothes in the summer to receive a prize). "Evening of fun questions."
Wordplay was in vogue at that time, so the transformation of VVV into KVN (this was also one of the possible decodings of the name of the most common TV model of that time) was relatively painless.
Like other thematic programs of the early 60s (for example, “Health” or “Travelers Club”), KVN took root on television and beyond: the club gave birth to a whole movement among university students, comparable in popularity to student brigades. And it was closed in 1972 - for reasons, as they say, far from creative, since the potential of the transfer was not fully realized. This situation was corrected only in the late 80s, during Gorbachev’s perestroika, when the revived KVN began to host again.
Maslyakov was generally one of the most recognizable television personalities of that time - the 1986-1987 Moscow Art Theater team called him “the permanent presenter since the Middle Ages” (in fact, Maslyakov only joined the program in 1964).
Be that as it may, now KVN is an international empire, in which there are many teams (most of all from countries former USSR), festivals and competitions.
TV presenter of the quiz “What? Where? When?" Vladimir Voroshilov (center) waits for an answer to a question, 1984
Yurchenko/RIA NovostiThe other one went about the same way TV game Soviet era - the intellectual club “What? Where? When?".
Invented in the mid-70s by Vladimir Voroshilov and Natalia Stetsenko, the TV game eventually turned into an international corporation, which also mainly covers the countries that emerged from the former USSR. But there are also differences - ChGK was never closed (after his death in 2001 he became the host), and the program format was sold, for example, to Turkey (the program has been broadcast there since 2011) and in the USA (Million Dollar Mind Game aired on the channel in 2011 year and was closed after the first season - but not because it turned out to be bad).
Everything has already been in The Simpsons
Leonid Yakubovich in the capital show “Field of Miracles”
First channelIn post-Soviet times, the production of original game shows practically disappeared - television people were finally allowed to look at the rest of the world, where the game television industry had flourished for decades, and choose from the offered assortment, if not the best, but close to it.
However, this first began at the very end of the 80s, when the USSR, although not in good health, still existed. The captain of the already mentioned KVN team from Moscow Chemical Technology Institute became the first of the new recruit who eventually changed his profession - instead of a chemical technologist, he became a TV presenter. In 1989, he began hosting “Happy Chance,” the Western analogue of which was the board game Trivial pursuit (“Race for the Leader”) - a box with it was given to all participants in the program and, in general, it was promoted in every possible way on Russian market board games. “Happy Chance” lasted on the air of ORT (now -) for a surprisingly long time, until 2000, then it moved for a short time and was soon finally closed.
Around the same time as “Happy Chance,” “Field of Miracles” also spun its famous wheel.
Its first presenter was Vlad Listyev, responsible for many high-profile television projects of the perestroika era - for example, he invented (or transferred to Russian soil) Rush Hour and the talk show Tema. And if “Rush Hour” was copied from the show, then the model for “Field of Dreams” was the game “Wheel of Fortune”, also from the USA.
Quiz game “Own game”
NTVThe Western format was also used for the game “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” (which originally appeared as “Oh, Lucky Man”) - the basis for it was the British quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and for the program “The Weakest Link” (also British The Weakest Link), and for “Joke” (American Jeopardy !), and for “One Hundred to One” (Family Feud). One of the few examples of proprietary game content in TV games of that time was “Brain Ring”, invented by the creator of ChGK Vladimir Voroshilov back in the early 80s team competition, similar to “What? Where? When?".
In general, it is now quite difficult to create an original entertaining game show - it will definitely be similar to something that already exists; 80 years of experience practically guarantees this. And there is nothing wrong with the purchase of Western formats by domestic channels - in this way they avoid the risks of litigation, and those introduced during adaptation national characteristics they still turn various “Wheels of Fortune” into a truly domestic television product. What, for example, “Field of Miracles” has become over the past 27 years.
Much has been adopted from the American one. Unfortunately, this “much” has atrophied under the weight of Russian television realities, where any plot becomes a loud parody of itself. It’s almost impossible to watch our programs, which is good - we spend less time watching TV. On the other hand, sometimes you just want to relax your brain, and in this case the Americans with their style of making a show out of nothing can come to the rescue. Think about it - they created a dynamic show about a damn pawn shop! Could there be a more boring place than a pawn shop? Perhaps a make-up studio, but they made a show out of it too.
Reference: all the shows can be found in the public domain if you fly the pirate flag.
1. Pawn Stars
Let's start with the most “boring” program. "Pawn Shop Stars" is a show that spanned 15 seasons and tells the story of an ordinary... daily work an ordinary (sorry for the tautology) family pawnshop. The pawnshop, by the way, is real. It is located in the most gambling and vicious city in the world - Las Vegas. A good location for such a business, which you immediately realize when you look at the type of visitors that come to the Harrison family (the owners of this establishment). The business is extremely masculine and focused on art, expensive collectibles and things that have historical value. For example, right now the pawnshop’s website displays works by Albrecht Durer and Marc Chagall.
But the show is interesting not because they buy and sell expensive things, but because of the most ordinary relationships, conflicts that arise within the family circle or when communicating with strange clients. They also conduct a thorough analysis of the item that comes into their hands. We make allowances for the fact that the show is shown on the History channel, and we get a popular product where you can still learn something new.
2. Face Off
It always seemed to us that among Hollywood make-up artists, most of the jobs were occupied by women, but if you watch the show “Face/Off”, you will see that there are enough men there. And this is not surprising - the job of the make-up artist, as it turned out, is not only to apply mascara correctly and emphasize the shape of the face. The make-up artist's job is to create a disgusting monster from an incredibly attractive model.
Participants in the show try to survive until the finale in order to get some money (by the standards of American shows) and a car. For this reason, the participants are ready to turn their wildest ideas into reality in order to please the picky judges, among whom you often meet people like Sean S. Cunningham (director of the Jason films). “Face Off” is also a show that you can calmly watch with a friend, she will also be interested. Well, for those who are interested in cinema and want to understand the inner workings of filmmaking, the show is a must-see.
3. Ice Road Truckers
There are several series about truck drivers on American television. Some of them are boring like recent seasons"Supernatural", but some are quite good. For example, “The Ice Route of Truckers” brought to absolute the love of Americans for this simple profession of driving large monster trucks. The veins of the States are highways, an endless network of roads, so truckers become folk heroes, acquire a halo mystical creatures and the intricacy of folk tales.
In "The Ice Road of Truckers" we're talking about about the network highways, which pass through frozen tundra, lakes and rivers. Along these roads, trucks carry necessary goods to oil workers who work in northern Alaska, in Prudhoe Bay. Danger, drive, endless road problems and time that does not work in favor of drivers - that's why it's interesting to watch this show.
4. Deadliest Catch
The Bering Sea is a relatively small layer of water that separates Russia from the United States of America. The sea itself is used as they wish, because there are always a lot of fish and even more crabs (king and snow crabs) there. Fishermen are stern people, catastrophically courageous and completely different from office hamsters. To go fishing for king crab in Unalaska Bay (Aleutian Islands), you need to have balls of steel.
If you are new to the fishing business, then don’t poke your nose in there - the percentage that you won’t return home is high. But if you are a professional, you can try your luck, because a rich catch gives the ship’s crew good money. Actually, it is money that is the criterion that guides fishermen. For us it's more of a romance. For them it is hard, but rewarding work.
"Deadliest Catch" is a reality show about men who do their hard work and get paid hundreds for doing it on camera. In general, it is clear to us that a lot remains behind the scenes, and there is an element of production, but this does not interfere with viewing.
5. Alaska: family from the forest (Alaskan Bush People)
When you hang out in the office from 8 am to 8 pm, you begin to think that the only salvation of your captive soul is on the other side of the ocean - in Alaska. Or at least somewhere in Siberia, where no human has gone before. But live in wild conditions is not as simple as it seems. The first days you will feel freedom, and all the subsequent days you will feel painful withdrawal due to the lack of the Internet and the usual food. Americans may be fools, but they came up with a show that allows you to feel the hardships of your ancestors' lives through the screen so that you can go to work in peace in the morning.
“Alaska: Family from the Forest” is the choice of a person who decided to stay in the city. There you will see the story of the Brown family. They live so far away that they see other people once every six months (not counting film crew). The family itself calls itself a “wolf pack,” which, in addition to the father of the family, Billy, includes his wife Amy and seven children. In general, in this show you will see how a crazy dad deprives his children computer games, and the wife - shopping centers to prepare for the cold - winter is as close as the beer in your fridge.
6. Moonshiners
We once wrote, but until recently we could not even think that illegal moonshine still flourishes in the States. But it exists and remains vigorous, because an underground product will always be in use if the population does not have money for a legal one.
Americans have been producing alcohol in self-made distilleries for a long time, but the business had to be adapted to modern realities. Today the gangsters who served as the “cover” for this whole business are no longer there. The moonshiners have to cope with the dangers that await them at every turn in the form of the government, competitors and themselves.
It’s a pleasure to follow the process of formation of a criminal empire, even if you don’t take everything filmed on faith. In addition, if you watch this series, you will gain practical skills that will help you survive and make money in the most difficult times. The whole plot takes place in the Appalachian mountains - it is there that newcomers and veterans butt heads with each other in order to capture the entire shadow alcohol market.
