Hello fellow comedy fans, I'm super excited to share my thoughts on the latest Russian comedy series that's been making waves!
I won't sugarcoat it - I'd been eagerly waiting for this new series, and I immediately tuned in as soon as it dropped.
So, where can you watch 'Mister Nogot', how many episodes are there, and will there be a continuation?
The series premiered on STS channel, with a 7 pm start time. The episodes are short and sweet, clocking in at just 30 minutes each, and they're showing three episodes a day, so the whole series will be wrapped up in just four days.
Once it's out, you can catch up on the series on the STS website if you miss it on TV.
I've always been a sucker for Alexander Robak, and it's always a treat to see him take on a new role. For me, and I'm sure many others, he's a household name - the moment I see his name in the credits, I'm hooked, and he's never failed to deliver. At 52, Alexander has an impressive filmography of 192 films, most of which I'd love to watch and re-watch multiple times.
And finally, here's the one we've all been waiting for!
So, what's 'Mister Nogot' all about, without giving too much away? What do we know about this series?
The main character, Sema, aka Semaga, is a master craftsman who specializes in making and decorating traditional Russian matryoshka dolls. He works at a factory that produces these adorable souvenirs.
There was a time when he made headlines for creating the smallest matryoshka in Russia, earning him the 'Golden Hands' award.
What's more, Semaga's a real man who believes that as the head of the family, he should be able to provide for his family and do it with dignity.
But times are changing, and the job that used to bring in a good income is now barely scraping by. One day, a machine is brought in to the factory that can replace all the workers, and now Semaga's losing his small but vital income.
His wife, Viola, is getting a promotion at the company where she works as an accountant, all the way up to financial director, and her salary is increasing exponentially.
She hurries to share the news with her husband, telling him that he can now stop working altogether.
But instead of being thrilled, Semaga feels a blow to his masculine pride.
As a real man, he doesn't want to live off his wife's income.He leaves the family home, vowing to return once he's achieved financial success.
I've always been a whiz with a paintbrush and a chisel, but I realized I had two options - either make coffins or give manicures. And, I have to say, the idea of running a nail salon was way more appealing to me.
So, I decided to open it up with my buddy Antosh, who's always been good for a laugh.
Robak's been playing the role of a true Russian bloke, always finding a way to wriggle out of trouble with his quick thinking, and, of course, he's got the golden touch - as long as he knows where to apply it.
I've gotta say, it's not just about being able to nail a perfect manicure. When I saw two rugged-looking guys, I was expecting the women to be, well, a bit more... enthusiastic about getting their nails done. But nope, they were totally chill.
And let's be real, the 'nail artists' in this scene looked like they just rolled out of bed. I mean, what's up with that?
I've gotta admit, the cast is pretty decent. I mean, if Robak's in it, I'm good. But I have to give credit where credit is due - there are some recognizable Russian actors in this show.
Apart from Robak, I was pleasantly surprised to see Anastasiya Panina in the role of Violetta, the main character's wife. I've seen her in over 100 roles, but my favorite's still got to be Tanya from the show 'Fizruk'. She's just so lovable!
So, seeing 'Tanya from Fizruk' in this show was a nice little bonus for me.
Where was the TV series 'Mr. Nail' with Robak filmed? What city, what locations?
The series was filmed, as usual, partly in Moscow, but one of the main locations for filming was the city of Yaroslavl.
Lately, our Russian filmmakers have been filming their movies and series in cities along the Golden Ring, and Yaroslavl has become a very popular location for filming.
And that's great. Moscow is great, but the cityscapes of Moscow City have been showing up in series for years now, so I'd love some variety.
My overall impression of watching the series.
I was really excited about the idea of the movie - a true Russian man who's not only handy but also incredibly resourceful.
I liked the concept because I'd never seen a storyline like that before, where a factory worker turns into a master nail technician.
However, the overall impression was a bit of a letdown.
I was expecting more. There are some jokes, but the humor just didn't land for me.
The story of this quirky couple, Sema and Antoxa, as they try to achieve their goal through trial and error, is actually pretty interesting.
But I have to be honest, if it wasn't for Robak and Paniina in the show, I would've lost interest.
There are just too many characters who don't really contribute to the plot. The kids of Violetta and Sema, with their unoriginal and uninteresting love stories, are a perfect example.
Way too much screen time is spent on the events at Violetta's workplace, and that's just unnecessary.
Overall, the show relies heavily on an interesting idea and two great actors.
If you're a fan of this amazing actor, you might be interested to know that his son, Arseniy, is already making a name for himself in the film industry.
He's a dead ringer for his dad when he was younger. He's 31 now.
Check him out in his starring role in the series Klerk.
He's not the main star in the movie Bulki, which features Kristina Asmus in the lead role.
He also has a smaller role in the thought-provoking series 'Wait for Me'.
Another big role for Arseny is in the series Second Family, where he gets plenty of screen time and the show is just amazing.
I'd still recommend Mr. Toe to fans of Alexander Robak, though.