Russian Dolls (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Russian Dolls is an American
reality television series
that premiered on Lifetime on August 11, 2011, in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight Russian
women living at Brighton Beach
. Lifetime has committed to 12 episodes.
. Despite a decent lead in, Russian Dolls premiered with dismal ratings. On August 23, 2011 Lifetime
moved the series to a later timeslot, at 11:30/10:30c following a Dance Moms
repeat. On September 21, Lifetime announced that it will air the final five episodes on October 7, as a special marathon event due to low ratings.
The New York Press
stated that "while Russian Dolls is ultimately a Brooklyn Jersey Shore, its unique focus on and respect for Russian culture and parenthood elevates it above the typical reality show drivel." The Wall Street Journal wrote that "Having the opportunity to mash up something as Russian as Brighton Beach with something as American as reality TV really drives home the fact that there’s a place where KGB-era ways and Kim Kardashian can meet."
The show has been criticized for having Ukrainian women appear as some of its "Russian dolls". The Boston Herald
noted that the show "reinforces every negative stereotype about Russian women." Pravda.ru described the show as a "a spit in Russia's face." The New York Times remarked that "If the Soviet authorities had wanted to torture Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
beyond endurance, they would have forced him to watch Russian Dolls." AM New York
describes the show as "so busily edited ...that there’s no flavor of any kind" adding that "If nothing else, this show might make us more appreciative of all the effort those “Jersey Shore” folks put into their portrayals."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reality television series
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
that premiered on Lifetime on August 11, 2011, in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
women living at Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is an oceanside neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. As of 2000, it has a population of 75,692 with a total of 31,228 households.-Location:...
. Lifetime has committed to 12 episodes.
Airings
The show premiered on August 11, 2011 at 10:30/9:30c following hit series Project RunwayProject Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
. Despite a decent lead in, Russian Dolls premiered with dismal ratings. On August 23, 2011 Lifetime
Lifetime
Lifetime may refer to:*Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive*Mean lifetime, a certain number that characterizes the rate of reduction of a particle of an assembly...
moved the series to a later timeslot, at 11:30/10:30c following a Dance Moms
Dance Moms
Dance Moms is an American reality television series that debuted on the Lifetime TV network on July 13, 2011. Created by Collins Avenue Productions, it is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the Abby Lee Dance Company, and follows children's early careers in dance show business along with their...
repeat. On September 21, Lifetime announced that it will air the final five episodes on October 7, as a special marathon event due to low ratings.
Reception
The show has received mixed reviews.The New York Press
New York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
stated that "while Russian Dolls is ultimately a Brooklyn Jersey Shore, its unique focus on and respect for Russian culture and parenthood elevates it above the typical reality show drivel." The Wall Street Journal wrote that "Having the opportunity to mash up something as Russian as Brighton Beach with something as American as reality TV really drives home the fact that there’s a place where KGB-era ways and Kim Kardashian can meet."
The show has been criticized for having Ukrainian women appear as some of its "Russian dolls". The Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
noted that the show "reinforces every negative stereotype about Russian women." Pravda.ru described the show as a "a spit in Russia's face." The New York Times remarked that "If the Soviet authorities had wanted to torture Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was aRussian and Soviet novelist, dramatist, and historian. Through his often-suppressed writings, he helped to raise global awareness of the Gulag, the Soviet Union's forced labor camp system – particularly in The Gulag Archipelago and One Day in the Life of...
beyond endurance, they would have forced him to watch Russian Dolls." AM New York
AM New York
amNewYork is a morning free daily newspaper , published in New York City by Cablevision. According to the company, average daily distribution as of December 2008 was 345,053, according to MondoNewspapers.com. When the newspaper launched October 10, 2003, amNewYork was the first newspaper of its...
describes the show as "so busily edited ...that there’s no flavor of any kind" adding that "If nothing else, this show might make us more appreciative of all the effort those “Jersey Shore” folks put into their portrayals."
Episodes
| Episode | U.S. Air Date | Rating/Share Nielsen Ratings Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States... (18-49) |
Viewers (Millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mama Dearest | August 11, 2011 | 0.4 | 0.97 |
| From Ukraine with Love | August 18, 2011 | 0.3 | 0.77 |
| Tough Russian Love | August 25, 2011 | 0.2 | 0.51 |
| Ruski Business | September 1, 2011 | 0.2 | 0.63 |
| Calendar Girls | September 8, 2011 | ||
| New Year, Old Grievances | September 15, 2011 | ||
| Cold Wars | September 22, 2011 | ||
| It Takes DVA To Tango | October 7, 2011 | ||
| Single Russian Female | October 7, 2011 | ||
| Eastern Promises | October 7, 2011 | ||
| Perestroika | October 7, 2011 | ||
| Russian Dolls | October 7, 2011 |