Calambur

Calambur (Ukrainian: Каламбу́р, Russian: Каламбур, Pun) is a Ukrainian sketch comedy TV show that was first aired on October 12, 1996 on Russian TV channel ORT (now Channel One Russia). It combines slapstick humor and stand-up elements to create what its creators describe as "video comics".
In early 2001, with the unanimous decision of the cast and producer, Calambur was ended.
In 1992 the clown trio Magazine «Foo» (Russian: Магазин «Фу») consisted of Sergey Gladkov, Tatyana Ivanova and Vadim Nabokov, and the comic troupe Sweet Life (Russian: Сладкая жизнь), with actors Yuri Stytskovsky and Aleksey Agopyan, joined popular Odesa comic troupe Maski (Russian: Маски). Their debut on TV was characterized by episodic and several main roles in Maski Show, a series of silent comedy movies that put slapstick and eccentricity into sitcom-style storytelling. Later, five actors created their own group, Full House (Russian: Фул Хаус). The name was motivated by the actors' specialization — three clowns and two comics, like in the poker hand, and a pun, which they roughly translate on Russian as "house full of fools".
The idea of "video comics" was created by Gladkov and Nabokov. The first two sketch movies of Magazine «Foo» characters were made in 1992 and 1993 as Snow Show (one of them was later used in the first New Year episode of Calambur). On the production of the TV show Anshlag they met comic actors Ilya Oleynikov and Yuri Stoyanov and decided to complete their "clown comics" with dialogue, but the actors could not arrange about location of production (Odesa in Ukraine or Saint Petersburg in Russia). Later this idea was realized after creating of Full House.
The production of the first 12 episodes of Full House show started in April 1996 in Kharkiv, at the studio of TV channel Privat TV. Yuri Stytskovsky became director, while his wife Irina Kozyr was executive producer. The first general producer of show was Eduard Verkhoturov of CIZ creative group. A demo tape with the first five pilot episodes was shown to direction of one of major Russian TV channels, ORT. It was accepted with a request to change the name and the Cabaret-inspired appearance of the host character (Yuri Stytskovsky); yet he is still seen in the opening title sequence of the final version. The show was renamed to Calambur, with the changing of several lines in the closing theme song, and sketches with host and makeup artist (Aleksey Agopyan) were reshot. For making a contract with the channel, Irina Kozyr invited producer Yuri Volodarsky, who closely worked with Maski.
Starting from the second season, production was relocated to Odesa, at the Odesa Film Studio.
In 2000 by the decision of general producer Yuri Volodarsky, Calambur moved to RTR TV channel for one season. This was due to ORT financial problems that began after the russian economic crisis, and a change in management policy. After the filming of new sketches ceased, the writers created digest series assembled from previously shown episodes.
No later than 2004 a global edit of all episodes was made, which "created" originally nonexistent 13 and 30 episodes, divided last New Year special episode on two parts and added three more episodes with previously unused sketches.
All animated sequences and intros for the show were produced by Odesa Animation Studio, which also worked with other Ukrainian comedy shows of the time, such as above mentioned Maski Show and Gentleman Show.
In early in 2001, after the broadcast of its sixth season, with the unanimous decision of the cast and producer, production of show was stopped and Calambur was soon ended.
Yuri Stytskovsky continued making his own movies and TV projects (mostly sitcoms), while Sergey Gladkov, Tatyana Ivanova and Vadim Nabokov continued their theatrical activity as a Calambur (or Fool's Village) comic group, with actor Oleg Kolchin as Medved, and sometimes affiliating with Maski. Aleksey Agopyan has since participated in various Ukrainian and Russian movies and TV series (mostly in episodic roles), including Stytskovsky's projects, and several theatrical performance, sometimes with the mentioned comic groups and in the duet Odekolon with former Maski actor Vladimir Komarov.
In 2003 Gladkov, Nabokov and Agopyan planned to make a Fool's Village spin-off about Muzhik and Moryachok being at the North Pole with a polar bear, but it didn't rise for unknown reasons. At the Odesa Animation Studio they later produced the animated shorts series S.O.S., where fools were also on a desert island.
Plans on making new Calambur episodes were later mentioned in 2008 and 2011 but this didn't occur, presumably due to disagreements in the cast.
The full name of the show was Magazine of video comics «Calambur» (Russian: Журнал видео комиксов «Каламбур»). The series was presented as a comic magazine and composed of different "rubrics". Rubrics are usually introduced to "readers" by the Host (Yuri Stytskovsky), who turns pages and conflicts with the unmindful Helper (Aleksey Agopyan). In the third and fourth seasons this gag was replaced with just Host alone, who introduced sketches via a giant illustrated magazine and sometimes appeared in various suits, talking with puns about his "new TV series in the making", or interacting with an audience of caricatured cardboard people. In the fifth season page turn gags weren't used, and in the sixth season the comic-book style of the show was completely removed, with quarrels of Host and Helper complemented by fake live transmissions with the audience via telephone booth and troubles with the broadcast control desk.
Bar "Calambur" (Russian: Бар «Каламбур») — set in a simple bar at the city. All characters talk with sped-up high-pitched voices (actually voiced by one actor) and speech bubbles appearing on screen.
The Nose Dive (Russian: Крутое пике) is a parody on American disaster films with all characters talking broken English with VHS-esque one-voice translation and occasionally breaking the fourth wall. Every episode is accompanied by CGI footage of a falling airplane (in first episodes were used fragments of Airbus A340 demo footage) and starts with a relatively long introduction with a nervous air traffic controller (Sergey Gladkov) in the background: "Airliner Broiler 747" (an allusion on TWA Flight 800, when a Boeing 747 crashing into the Atlantic Ocean) during 325 episodes. The crew of airliner valiantly fighting to save the lives of passengers. Starring..."
Iron Kaput (Russian: Железный капут) was created as a replacement for The Nose Dive, sharing similar touches (long intro, German speech with dub translation and footage of transport between sketches), but remained only for one season. It starts with a compilation of military footage from the beginning of the 20th century and monotonous narration, like in a documentary film: "In the beginning of XX century in military laboratories of First Reichschmacht was created super secret tank which had military power and weaponry ahead of its time. For testing tank and not destroying Europe before given time, it was sent in Central Africa for taking over unruly Zusu (allusion on Zulu). After some time, for security reasons, everyone who knew about this project were eliminated and the tank was forgotten. Yet its fearless crew have not forgotten about their great mission and was ready to accomplish their duty. In the annals of history this secret project was called "Iron Kaput"." Sketches take place inside of the tank and rarely near Zusu village. The tank itself is far from the definition of Wunderwaffe as it has a lot of flaws in its construction and injudicious weapons. It's presented as a radio-controlled replica of World War I panzer with desert camouflage.
Fool's Village (Russian: Деревня дураков) is the most well-known and iconic sketch series which appear in every season. It has separate VHS releases and remains popular presently. It is the longest by run time. It is based on characters and early performances of Magazine «Foo» and is set as a silent slapstick comedy with clowns (in later seasons they have high-pitched dialogue). The action takes place in a courtyard and inside of a house of the main characters, a married couple.
The fifth and sixth seasons also have various short and several long sketches that aren't presented as part of any above mentioned rubrics but serving same purpose as Aperitif rubric.