• Russian Channel One to air second season

  • Rating Hit on Estonia’s TV3

Munich, December 17, 2009. Building on its success, Russia’s leading TV station Channel One will be airing a second season of “Southern Butowo” twice a month from January 17th till May 31st 2010. Based on Germany’s leading improv comedy show “Schiller Street” (created and produced by Hurricane), the first season of “Southern Butowo” was broadcast Sundays at 10.30 pm. The show outperformed Channel One’s average share by up to 50%. The outstanding rating success of “Southern Butowo’s” first episode was record-breaking for new shows launched in recent times on this late prime time slot.

“Southern Butowo’s” popular cast includes Russia’s most prominent stand-up comedian Sergey Svetlakov as well as famous actors, stand- up comedians and TV hosts like Dima Brekotkin, Timur Batrudinov, Timur Rodriges, Stepan Abramov, Kseniya Lavrova-Glinka, Vera Brezhneva, and Nastya Shunina-Makhonina. New popular performers such as Alisa Grebenschikova and Yulia Timonina will appear in the new season.

Jens Richter, Managing Director of SevenOne International: ”We are absolutely thrilled about the success of “Schiller Street”on Channel One and cannot wait to see the second season launching. Also in Estonia, this truly innovative and entertaining format has been captivating audiences this autumn.”

Alexander Tsekalo, Producer of the show, is confident that the second season will repeat and might even shift the success of the first series. “Improvisation based show is a new type of entertainment for Russian audience which the viewer longs to watch and enjoys a lot. So do we as a production company”.

Ruslan Sorokin, Creative Producer of “Sothern Butowo”: “The first season surprised by it’s outstanding success even for the ChannelOne’s managers who choose and launch the very best content. We are Page 2 of 2 happy to acknowledge that Channel One has relied on it’s intuition.”

The Estonian adaptation titled ”Vilde tee“ reached market shares of up to 34.9% (15-49) on TV3. Airing Saturdays at 7.30 pm, the show has been outperforming the MTG Viasat channel’s time slot (18.1%) throughout its season with an average rating of 23.43%. Debuting on Germany’s SAT.1, ”Schiller Street” has been one of the most innovative and successful comedy formats in the recent years.

So far, the improv comedy show has been sold to 22 countries – including France and Italy. The concept has already won various national and international TV prizes such as the Rose d’Or Press Prize 2005. The Italian adaptation “Buona la Prima” won the national “Telegrolle 2008” and Gran Premio della Fiction Italiana ’08 for best sitcom. “Schiller Street” “Schiller Street” (produced by Hurricane) is improv comedy at its best with a true sitcom feeling: A few top-class comedians are guided not by a script but by spontaneous directions which are communicated via earphones to individual cast members, often resulting in hilarious scenes.