Ex-Wife (Russian TV series)
Ex-Wife (Russian: Бывшая жена; Byvshaya zhena) is a 2013 Russian television series whose lead character, Natasha, played by Nelli Uvarova, works in a government department that seeks to collect unpaid alimony. The bailiffs of the office pursue deadbeat fathers (there's no example of a woman owing alimony) in a Russian city. In the first episode, Natasha quits a singing gig in order to join the department as an intern, and hopes to collect from her own ex-husband. Real-life tough guy (a mixed martial artist) Oleg Taktarov plays as Natasha's protective boss.
In a review of Russian television shows, The Verge called it "most inventive twist on a cop show".[1]
It has twelve episodes in its single season.[2]
Cast
Characters include:[3]
- Natalia (Natasha) Sergeyevna Melnik,[4] played by Nelli Uvarova
- Victor Mikhailovich Lukin, Natasha's boss, played by Oleg Taktarov
- Kirill Valentinovich Popov, Natasha's ex-husband, played by Yuriy Baturin
- Galina Borisovna, Natasha's friend who hired her into the department, played by Viktoriya Fisher
- co-worker Anzhela Kislevskaia, played by Kristina Babushkina
- internet-savvy student co-worker Piotr (Petya) Smyslov, played by Grigoriy Kalinin
- Danila, Natasha's son, played by Sasha Drobitko
It is a Russian World Series / Russian Golden Series production.[5]
References
- Molly Osberg (January 9, 2015). "Planet TV: In Russia, TV watches you--A tour of the Motherland's smallscreen offerings".
- "Watch Ex-Wife (English Subtitled) Season 1 Episode - Amazon Video".
- "Byvshaya zhena". IMDB.
- [Natasha is referred to as Natalia Sergeyevna in Episode 4. Natasha is diminutive form of Natalia.
- Credits in episode openings, per English subtitles