Is 'Evening School' a good show for comedy fans?

Unfortunately, no. While the show attempts to tackle some real-world issues and has some potential, its execution falls flat. The pacing is slow, the characters are underdeveloped, and the humor is often forced and unfunny.

What's the show 'Evening School' about?

'Evening School' follows the story of Dima, a PPS employee who's sent to evening school to avoid an inspection. The show explores the struggles of adult education and the challenges of navigating the education system.

Who's in the cast of 'Evening School'?

The cast includes Natalia Vdovina, Ilya Sobolev, and others. While some of the supporting actors deliver solid performances, the main character, Dima, is underdeveloped and unrelatable.

Is 'Evening School' worth watching?

Unfortunately, no. While the show has some potential, its execution falls flat. The pacing is slow, the characters are underdeveloped, and the humor is often forced and unfunny.

What's the release date of 'Evening School'?

The show premiered on January 12, 2026, at STC.

Who's the director of 'Evening School'?

Zhanna Kadnikova directed the show.

Is 'Evening School' a good show for fans of adult education?

The show does tackle some real-world issues related to adult education, but its execution is lacking.

Evening School Review: A Comedy That Falls Flat

Name: I Was Totally Hyped for This Show, But It Was a Snooze Fest
Item: Evening School
Rating: 3
Author: Jason_Fields

I was super stoked to check out "Evening School" before it even premiered, and I have to say, I was expecting a lot from it. I'd seen some of the cast members before, but I wasn't exactly blown away by them.

Director: Zhanna Kadnikova

Release date: January 12, 2026 (STC)

Number of episodes: 16

Genre: Comedy

Plot

Dima's a PPS employee who somehow ended up in the police without a certificate. When the inspection was looming, the management hastily sent him to study at the evening school. And it wasn't just Dima who got sent there - other people of different ages and backgrounds also showed up. The thing is, the evening school had lost its building and is now operating out of an ordinary secondary school, which isn't exactly thrilled about the new neighbors.

Cast and characters

I took a look at the cast before watching and it didn't exactly blow me away. Most of the actors I'd seen before, but that didn't make them more interesting to me.

The main character, Dima, is played by Ilya Sobolev.

He's not even an actor, he's a comedian. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not a fan of his, and sometimes he even annoys me. His character didn't exactly win me over either. I found him too much on screen, and he didn't exactly make me interested in the story. Nikita Sergeyevich, played by Dmitry Sokolov.

As a former director of an evening school, I was surprised to see him take on the role of deputy head. But what really caught my attention was his other passion - making cheese. At first, I thought it was a bit quirky, but over time, I found myself growing indifferent to the character. The dynamic between him and the school principal was definitely intriguing, though. Dmitry Sokolov does a great job of convincing me that he's a cunning deputy head, but it's hard to get invested in his storyline when it comes to his evening school antics.

Catherine, played by Anastasia Reznik.

Catherine, played by Anastasia Reznik, is another character who failed to win me over. In fact, she's probably my least favorite character in the series. While her character's backstory is pretty interesting, especially her initial encounter with Dmitry, the actress just didn't do it for me. Catherine teaches English at the school and meets Dmitry before he joins. Their past encounter has some pretty interesting consequences, and I was curious to see how they'd interact with each other. But since neither of them really clicked with me, I just wasn't interested in their storyline.

Aleksandra, played by Dina Kurbanova..

I'd seen the actress in something before, but I only just found out she's a comedian too. At first, her character was really endearing - the kid-like voice, not exactly what you'd expect from a teacher, but the seriousness was convincing. She could have even taught her own mom a thing or two. But soon, that type of character started to get on my nerves, and then she did something that completely turned me off to her. She started acting like a toddler in a daycare, not like a grown adult at work. Like that scene with the elf.

Natalia Borisova as Christina was another story - she was this high-maintenance woman in an unfamiliar environment and team, and it was clear from the start. I'd never seen her act before, but I really enjoyed her performance.

Ksenia Korneva as Olesya's bus driver was a great character - she wanted to go back to school to help kids with their homework. I had no issues with the character or the actress's performance - it was all really well done and funny. But she was on screen a lot less than I would have liked.

I loved seeing the character of Ludmila, played by Ekaterina Novikova.

She's a woman in her prime, with a lot of life experience and a desire to find her perfect match. Plus, she's a mom, but I won't spill the beans on that one.

Natalia Garanina stole the show as the pensioner who's desperate not to get dementia, and I have to say, it was a really compelling storyline.

As for me, I think the character of Ludmila was a lovely addition to the show - she added a bit of flavor without overpowering the rest of the story.

Ilya Makarov played Pavel, and I have to say, I was intrigued by his storyline. I won't give too much away, but let's just say it was a real page-turner. He's a complex character with a lot of depth, and his story is both heartwarming and unsettling at the same time.

My overall impression

I thought "Evening School" would be something interesting and fun. The concept is actually really cool! It's got a lot of situations from high school life, but for adults, and their personal moments. And the best part is, it's supposed to be relatable.

But then the scenes just keep unfolding: the students arguing with each other, trying to solve the teacher's problems, the teacher coming up with sneaky ways to use the students for their own gain, the complicated relationships between students and teachers, and just everyday situations...

But it didn't take long for me to realize that it's just not that engaging. Yeah, there are some interesting moments, but not always. For example, the moment when Mrs. Nina disappeared had me curious: where did grandma go? But the whole process of finding her wasn't that interesting.

There were some boring moments, silly moments, and even annoying ones (but that's more about the characters). And I was just waiting for some actual plot development, like, where did Mrs. Nina go?!

There are just a few storylines that can actually grab your attention and hold it.

I have to say, the show's ability to keep me engaged was pretty rare. But even when it happened, it was often followed by a disappointing twist. Like when Christina asked Pavel to help her out for her family. It seemed like nothing was happening, but then BAM! A really unimpressive turn of events that left me slightly disappointed. I mean, why did they have to develop it so poorly and unrealistically?

Another thing that bugged me throughout the entire series was the main duo, Katya and Dima. I just wasn't interested in watching them argue, scheme, or build relationships. It was all so boring. Every scene with them was a snooze-fest for me.

I have to give credit where credit is due - none of the romantic storylines really grabbed me. There were a few interesting moments, but that's about it.

And, of course, all my hopes for an atmospheric, emotional, and realistic show went down the drain by the end of the first episode. But I still held onto hope until the second episode. Unfortunately, it was for nothing.

I didn't find any laugh-out-loud moments, but I did manage to crack a smile a few times and chuckle a couple of times. That's something, at least.

I have to say, I'd love to see more of the main characters.

On the one hand, there are plenty of them, but on the other hand, it feels like someone's missing. For instance, a couple more teachers would be great – it feels like the school only offers a handful of subjects: English, Russian, and physics. I'd love to see them be funny, but also relatable. I wouldn't say no to characters with realistic backstories and genuine goals for their exams, and to see them as real people, even if their stories are a bit predictable. As time went on, I got used to some of them.

Visually, nothing special. Most of the action takes place in the same locations, with little to no variation. And the worst part is, you can tell the sets are just that – sets.

I watched all 16 episodes, and it was a breeze since each episode is under 30 minutes long. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I'd even finish it, but I wanted to know how the story wraps up and I found myself invested in some of the secondary characters – Pavel, Christina, Grandma Nina, Olesya, and even Lyudmila, who didn't exactly win me over at first. I think if these characters were the main focus and the plot was more developed around them, I might have enjoyed the show more despite its flaws and lack of realism.

Verdict: I'd give it three stars, and I won't be re-watching it anytime soon, let alone waiting for a sequel.