Cartoon Animals vs. Actual Russians

Abstract

Despite continual improvements in production and writing quality, live-action Russian series have fared poorly in the global market. While many deals have been struck, Western remakes of Russian series have failed to appear, and live-action programs have failed to find mainstream audiences outside of Russia. Russian animated series, on the other hand, have enjoyed global success. The success and failure of different types of Russian series in the global media market suggests that many of the central problems of cultural exchange remain. Issues related to cost and risk continue to impede the global transfer of live-action series and formats from Russia even as animated series have become the most widely viewed Russian media products in history.