How MTV Russia's 'Bodroye Utro' Woke a Generation

MTV Russia was a unique phenomenon. Its broadcasts didn«t just entertain — they raised a whole generation of what were then called teenagers. The channel spoke their language, and its »voices« were legendary VJs: Alexander Anatolyevich, Vasya Strelnikov, Tutta Larsen, Yana Churikova and others. But MTV is impossible to imagine without the legendary duo — Olga Shelest and Anton Komolov.

You can fully immerse yourself in the era of the 1990s and 2000s — a time when the TV was the main center of attraction for the whole family — in our special project «Okna TV».

«Okna TV» is an attempt to understand how television influenced the formation of an entire generation, why the children of the 1990s grew up to be who they are today, and how the TV shows of those years reflected everything happening in the country.

But above all, it«s a warm nostalgic project where you can return to childhood for a few minutes, plunging into pleasant memories.

The day of millions of schoolchildren and students began with these people. The program «Bodroye Utro» (Cheerful Morning) was an analog of morning shows, but without ties and boring news. While parents watched Channel One, teenagers got energized in the company of the lively Komolov and Shelest.

Funny enough, Anton considers himself a deep introvert, and his TV career an amazing twist of fate. He studied at Bauman Moscow State Technical University and played in KVN (a Russian humor competition), and in 1994 he came to Radio Maximum after seeing an ad. After several radio stations, in 1997 he ended up at BIZ-TV, on the basis of which Boris Zosimov later launched MTV Russia.

Shelest, unlike her colleague, went to work in her profession. She missed the entrance exams at VGIK (the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography), but enrolled at GITR (the Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting) in the TV journalism department. Together with her classmate Sasha Pryannikov, she passed an audition for the channel K-10 (the future Muz-TV), and later landed at the same BIZ-TV.

The duo«s first meeting happened literally »in flight«. One day at the office Olga was urgently called to the phone. Running into the corridor, she tripped on a carpet and started to fall. Flying past the office where Komolov sat, she managed to see Anton, and he — her. Soon it was Boris Zosimov who suggested they host a joint show — »Bodroye Utro«.

Despite the early broadcast, the program had high ratings. The secret of success lay in improvisation. Initially everything was built on a pre-prepared script with written jokes and lines. But that didn«t work. Then, at their own risk, Olga and Anton were given complete freedom on air. They behaved on screen as in ordinary life, and viewers felt it.

The pair became «one of the gang» — friends you could laugh with and chat about anything, by calling in live or sending a message to pager 104-222 (subscriber «Bodroye Utro»).

It was on «Bodroye Utro» in 2001 that Ivan Urgant first appeared. He came to help the main duo, who were no longer able to participate in all the channel«s projects.

— Vanya was very good on his very first try, and we all felt it immediately in the control room — says MTV«s general producer Dmitry Velikanov. — Zosimov had to be persuaded for a long time: he kept saying that in six months »your Vanya will run off to Rossiya, that«s his audience.» He almost guessed right — missed by about three years. The thing is, Urgant frankly disliked uninteresting and stupid people calling in on air — he had a filter for them. And in that sense he was more intolerant than the more mature Shelest and Komolov or the wise Vasya Strelnikov, who got along with everyone. Such «boring» people they could playfully mock on air, amusing the audience.

One of the craziest broadcasts happened when the musicians of Bloodhound Gang came to the studio. Usually stars visited evening shows, but the artists« schedule didn»t work out, and they came to the morning broadcast. Then the band«s bassist suddenly decided to wrestle with Komolov.

— Shelest didn«t realize it wasn»t arm wrestling and cheered: «Yeah, guys, wrestle!» — Anton recalls. — The bassist ripped off his T-shirt — and there was a mountain of muscle! And next to him me with my little arms, my «baby biceps.» We later watched the recording, and you can see the bassist taking off his shirt, and I«m also reaching for my T-shirt to take it off, but I stop in time.

The final episode of «Bodroye Utro» aired on June 14, 2002 — hosted by Shelest, Komolov and Urgant. The cameras then showed the operators and everyone who had worked on the project for three years.

For many, working at MTV was the best period of their lives. According to the hosts, the pay wasn«t very high then, but that wasn»t so important. The main thing Zosimov gave his employees was freedom. He didn«t keep them hungry, of course. When Shelest and Komolov once came to ask for a raise, having prepared a hundred arguments, Zosimov listened to the first three and immediately doubled their salary.

— Boris Guryevich clearly sensed the mood and the moment — Komolov recalls. — He«s an excellent psychologist and, when needed, of course raised employees» salaries.

Such an approach naturally motivated. Thanks to this, the channel«s VJs worked with pleasure. And this energy and drive viewers felt through the TV screen — even those who turned on »Bodroye Utro« sleepy at 7 a.m.