10 Soviet serial films, when shown, the streets were emptied

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Now, in the age of high technologies and the Internet, you can watch absolutely any film or series without being tied to the time of its showing on television. But earlier in the USSR, people were waiting for the broadcasts of their favorite films as a holiday. During the screenings of some Soviet films and TV series, even the city streets were emptied, because people hurried home to cuddle up to the TV screen and see their favorite TV heroes.

Big Break (1972)

The script for this Soviet film took two whole years to write. And during the filming, they constantly changed something. Take at least the number of episodes, initially there should have been two, then three, and in the final four episodes turned out. The cast also changed. At first, this film was considered not very interesting, so to speak, passing and unworthy of attention. Many famous actors refused to shoot in this project. And those who agreed to the shooting did not have much hope.

Initially, the main character was supposed to be the people's favorite Andrei Myagkov, then Konstantin Raikin and Yevgeny Karelskikh auditioned. But in the end, the role went to Mikhail Kononov, who so organically got used to his role as a history teacher that he became a real model of a teacher. He was able to combine a true professional in his field and a good friend for his students.

And the heroes of the picture Ganzha (Alexander Zbruev) and Lednev (Yevgeny Leonov) became universal favorites, which viewers could watch endlessly, both on weekdays and on holidays. So, contrary to the criticism that was at the beginning of filming, the film can be considered a cult and often broadcast on television.

Eternal Call (1973)

This multi-part feature film in the genre of a family saga was based on the novel by Anatoly Ivanov. The shooting lasted for ten years. The result was nineteen episodes, which were able to accommodate the events unfolding over fifty years. The film is one of the longest running Soviet television projects.

The main characters of the saga are the Savelyev family, who are going through the main and difficult times of our country. Namely, the Russian-Japanese and World War I, the revolution, the civil war, the period of repression, the Great Patriotic War and other important events in our history, up to the Khrushchev thaw.

The number of heroes, both positive and negative, is so huge that you can't even mention all of them. This saga fell in love not only with ordinary viewers, but also with the government, which in turn awarded the directors of the film with Lenin Prizes.

"Guest from the Future" (1984)

This fantastic five-part feature film is loved by everyone, regardless of gender or age. It was filmed based on the book "One Hundred Years Ahead" by Kir Bulychev. For the first time, viewers saw the tape in 1985, during the spring school holidays. The ratings were so high that in the future the film was shown very often and on almost all channels.

This picture of schoolchildren was especially fascinating, because there is everything that children like: exciting adventures, real friendship, fantastic robots and blasters. And the main character Alice became a role model for girls and an unattainable dream for boys.

Now in Russia they are shooting a remake of this film. According to preliminary data, it should be released this year. Yes, from a technical point of view, this film will be very different from the Soviet version. It will have a lot of modern special effects and computer graphics. But will it be as successful as the original? Or is he, like many remakes, simply forgotten over time? The answers to these questions will be known soon.

"Two Captains" (1976)

This famous six-part adventure film was based on the novel by Benjamin Kaverin. This was already the second screen version of this novel. The first film was only an hour and a half long. It was the second version that the viewer liked more, since there is more time and place for a story about the life, feelings and aspirations of the main characters. The film is literally imbued with the spirit of romance and adventure.

As the leading actor Boris Tokarev said, this film fell into eternity, because he guessed the time and state of the viewer. Thanks to this film, many guys have learned the real strength and value of friendship, love, devotion, nobility. This tape teaches you to fight to the last and never give up.

"Twelve Chairs" (1971 and 1976)

Perhaps this cult eccentric comedy is one of the best works of the genius director and scriptwriter Leonid Gaidai. This picture was filmed in 1971 in two parts based on the novel of the same name by satirists Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov. After the release of the film in the Soviet distribution, he quickly took a leading position.

And already in 1976, based on the same novel, the director and scriptwriter Mark Zakharov shot the second adaptation of the novel in the USSR - a four-part feature film of the same name. And, if we compare it with world cinema, then this was already the fifteenth version of the adaptation of the famous novel.

It is pointless to argue about which version is better and more interesting. Each picture has its own advantages and advantages. They even have a similar cast, because ten actors managed to star in both film adaptations of the USSR. In any case, both films always have enough views when shown on television.

"The battalions ask for fire" (1985)

This four-part television film was shot to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. The plot is based on one of the important moments of the war - the crossing of the Dnieper by Soviet troops and the liberation of Kiev.

This tape cannot leave anyone indifferent, it shakes with a tragic and gloomy atmosphere, makes you survive all the events together with the heroes. "Battalions Ask for Fire" is one of the best films about the war. All the characters have been masterfully worked here and they mention many mistakes made in hostilities, which led to large losses.

"The meeting place cannot be changed" (1979)

This five-part detective film can rightfully be called one of the most watched in the USSR. Interestingly, after the release of the screens, this film did not receive any awards or awards. But the love of the audience cannot be measured by awards. Even the genius Vladimir Vysotsky, who played one of the main characters of Gleb Zhiglov, was awarded the state prize posthumously.

Gleb Zhiglov and Volodya Sharapov (Vladimir Konkin), despite the complexity and ambiguity of their characters, became real heroes of that time, models of courage and an example for police officers. Even now, these heroes have not lost their relevance in the modern world.

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" (1979)

This cycle of Soviet detectives was filmed for seven years. Initially, the director Igor Maslennikov planned to film only one two-part film based on the famous works of Arthur Conan Doyle about Sherlock Holmes.

But, after the first screenings on television, the director was literally inundated with letters and calls, with requests to shoot the sequel as soon as possible. As a result, there were as many as five films, consisting of eleven episodes. And this is perhaps the best thing that was filmed based on foreign literature in the USSR.

Confrontation (1985)

In the USSR, a fairly large number of films were devoted to the theme of war. The six-part feature film "Confrontation" based on the novel of the same name by Yulian Semyonov was no exception.

The audience appreciated this strong military detective story. There are no special effects in it, everything is simple and unadorned here. And the brilliant performance of talented actors Oleg Basilashvili and Andrei Boltnev brought even more colors to this picture. Of course, it was not without censorship from statesmen. Since the film was filmed in the pre-perestroika period, it criticized the authorities and order. But much of the discontent with the government was cut.

"Seventeen Moments of Spring" (1973)

This Soviet twelve-part war feature film was shot based on the novel of the same name by Yulian Semyonov. The plot is based on the story of a Soviet intelligence agent who was introduced to the highest echelons of power in Nazi Germany. They wanted to time the screening of this film to coincide with Victory Day, but due to the visit of the Soviet leader Brezhnev to Germany these days, the screening had to be postponed until the end of summer.

The film was liked by the audience from the first screening. As a result, it was repeated on the air just a couple of months later and it had no less views than on the day of the premiere.