Calambur (, , 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).Актеры шоу «Каламбур»: «На Западе нашу «Деревню дураков» не поняли – там не знают, что такое утреннее похмелье» 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.
Production In 1992 the clown trio Magazine «Foo» () consisted of Sergey Gladkov, Tatyana Ivanova and Vadim Nabokov, and the comic troupe Sweet Life (), with actors Yuri Stytskovsky and Aleksey Agopyan, joined popular Odesa comic troupe Maski (). 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 (). 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".«КАЛАМБУР» | журнал видеокомиксов — Интересные факты
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.«КАЛАМБУР» | журнал видеокомиксов — Сборники (2001-2004 года)
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,Odesa Animation Studio which also worked with other Ukrainian comedy shows of the time, such as above mentioned Maski Show and Gentleman Show.
End 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.
Sketches
The Host and the Helper The full name of the show was Magazine of video comics «Calambur» (). 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" Bar "Calambur" () — 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 Bartender (Aleksey Agopyan) — presumably the main worker of the bar, most of the time imperturbable, sometimes jokes on visitors. The Waitress (Tatyana Ivanova) — a blonde lady who endlessly talks on the telephone near the entrance, making the Bartender angry or clients wait too long. The Cook (Yuri Stytskovsky) — a large man with doubtful talents in cookery, but saying that would be an act of foolishness. He's also used by Bartender and Waitress as a bouncer. The Frequenter (or Drunkard) (Vadim Nabokov) — a regular guest of the bar, wears a hat and typically sits at bar desk in a sketch's beginning. Most of his dialogues with other characters are well-known drink-themed jokes or anecdotes. The Loser (Sergey Gladkov) — a clumsy man with glasses who always lacks money. Most of the time he orders a glass of boiled water, and as for meals he gets the worst dishes from the bar's kitchen and tries to raise jack over that. Sometimes he comes to the bar already drunk. Madam (Vadim Nabokov) — a chesty lady with heavy makeup and red wig, she works as a prostitute, sometimes waiting for clients outside of the bar. She always tries to get compliments from bar workers or visitors or seduce them, but everyone is only joking on her, after which she only says "Cad" () to them. The Rocker (Yuri Stytskovsky) — a fearsome biker looking man with a ZZ Top tattoo on right hand. He always finds a reason to beat up someone in the bar and orders a bucket of vodka. Episodic characters: Loser's girlfriend (Aleksey Agopyan) — clumsy and unlucky just as her boyfriend, she gets drunk after a single glass of soda. She appeared in three episodes. Bar's owner (Sergey Gladkov) — appeared in one episode after Rocker started a brawl in the bar. Madam's friend (Sergey Gladkov) — almost identical to the lady mentioned above, with the exception of hair color, appeared in one episode.
The Nose Dive The Nose Dive () 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..." Resilient and courageous Commander (Yuri Stytskovsky) — always making fun of the rest of aircrew or passengers over their coming death and weak hopes and right away laughs at his own jokes on camera. He also pretends to have dementia (or actually has it) and always asks who just entered the cockpit or sometimes does any other thing except piloting the plane or trying to save the situation. Inventive and resourceful second pilot Drinkins (Aleksey Agopyan) — the main victim of Commander's tricks, he is nervous, sentimental and cowardly, trying to do something with their disaster. In the first episodes he also tried to calm down with alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and knitting. Cute and imperturbable Stewardess (Tatyana Ivanova) — most of the time she enters the cockpit to complain over "problems in the passenger class", after which she gets an advice from Commander. She sometimes sympathizes with almost crying Drinkins or plays along with Commander's jokes. Dispassionate and charming radioman Morse (Vadim Nabokov) — doesn't fit his own description: he has a facial tic and a stutter. He enters the cockpit mostly to pass a phone call, radiogram, newspaper, message from a flight mechanic or the air traffic control tower of Los Angeles, or the current state of the plane. He is the second victim of Commander's jokes after Drinkins. And Incomparable Miss Murple as Miss Burple (Sergey Gladkov) — a large lady in a red dress with a big hat and heavy makeup, she is the main source of "problems in the passenger class", but is actually seen only in the introduction and in the end of 28 episode.
Iron Kaput Iron Kaput () 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. Major Baron von Schwalzkopf XII (Yuri Stytskovsky) — the commander of the tank, referred to as Herr Major by other tank crew members (the word "Herr" is pronounced using an updated transcription that which sounds like a euphemism of a Russian vulgar slang word, unlike the traditional transcription which is now pronounced with a hard g). Proud and not very smart, he calls everyone "dummkopf" ("blockhead") while his "wise" decisions end up with explosions inside of the tank, his torn up uniform and his shout "Ha-a-ans".