“Mammoths”
Where and when to watch: On Okko — no date announced yet.
In the drama, daughter Julia (Maryana Spivak) lives with her father, Nikolai Nikolaevich, who is retired and living in Moscow. He is given a smartphone by Julia for a quick look around but doesn’t have time to explain the risks of scammers pretending to be part of the “bank security service.” As a result, Nikolai ends up staying in his granddaughter Polina’s apartment—Polina is a sharp, 15-year-old girl who often grumbles about life. The thieves drained money from the sale of their own home, leaving the family with nothing to buy a new place. Yet Nikolai remains determined to uncover the scammers and reclaim what was stolen.
“Mammoths” offers a warm, crowd-pleasing mix of gentle family comedy and a detective thread that grounds the story in real-life concerns about aging, finances, and trust. It stands as a thoughtful heir to previous family-centered dramas, showcasing a casting chemistry that makes viewers feel as if Stoyanov could truly be a grandfather figure. The series captures the precise rhythms of observational humor, appealing especially to audiences curious about the challenges of caring for aging parents. Its pilot built on proven audience appeal from the earlier show “A Friend for an Hour,” and the pairing of Stoyanov with Ishchenko brings a palpable, lived-in dynamic. The story evolves from a familiar sitcom setup into something richer, as the local, everyday setting gradually intertwines with a more intricate investigative arc.
“Kill Rita”
Where and when to watch: Premiere fall 2023.
Rita (Evgenia Borzykh) is a chemistry teacher at a Vyborg school who faces dismissal after a taboo relationship with a student becomes public. Her mother sits high in local government, which complicates Rita’s career prospects, and she later takes a job as a cleaner at a nightclub. There she encounters the wife of a powerful businessman and is hired on as a more permanent cleaner due to her meticulous, chemistry-grade cleanliness. The job seems to symbolize a fresh start, but trouble follows—a large bloodstain from a party forces Rita into a tense confrontation with the consequences of her choices. The show follows her as she navigates danger and moral ambiguity, with the threat closing in around her.
“Kill Rita” draws inspiration from high-octane cinema influenced by Quentin Tarantino and Luc Besson, emphasizing action-packed storytelling while occasionally skewering masculine perspectives. Maria Agranovich directs, with Evgenia Bogomyakova scripting and Victoria Ostrovskaya among the producers. The team behind the project includes Nelly Yaralova, Maria Shukhnina, Yulia Arapova, and Yulia Razumovskaya, all known for gripping, contemporary productions. Borzykh delivers a layered performance that blends subtle drama with thriller-grade intensity, and the surrounding visuals—courtesy of cinematographer Dmitry Karnachik—enhance the show’s mood with sharp, kinetic framing. The result is a narrative that keeps viewers hooked with unexpected twists while exploring themes of power, vulnerability, and resilience.
“I Will Look”
Where and when to watch: On TNT and Premier — schedule is currently unknown.
Alena Days (Daria Vereshchagina) drifts through life with a casual detachment: parties, alcohol, and a resistance to confronting painful memories. Her world shifts when a breakup leads to a dog escaping from the chaos—perhaps the single creature that loves her without question. This triggers a potential turning point where Alena might forgive herself and begin to reclaim her life. The series examines personal guilt, the pull of the past, and the possibility of healing through small, stubborn steps.
In Russia, there has been a wave of modern takes on Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, especially when centering on female-led stories. Some of these efforts have found traction, including Roman Volobuyev’s Aurora and Adam Alexei Ivanov’s I Will Call, which, though created by a single writer, lean into the same intimate, neo-noir sensibility. The project’s strength rests on Vereshchagin’s magnetism and the film’s atmospheric styling—neon glow, fog, and a brisk, punchy tempo that keeps the plot moving. The look is complemented by sharp editing and deft camerawork. Ultimately, the series hinges on Vereshchagin’s performance, with the potential to extend her character into future adventures, as audiences follow her toward new revelations—and a dogged search for the white rabbit, or perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel in a dark tunnel of clues.