Russian TV channel Gazprom to make ‘political satirical’ sitcom about Biden

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Russian TV network TNT is set to produce a sitcom in which US President Joe Biden moves incognito to Russia, the network announced on August 27.

According to preliminary details about the show, called “Goodbye,” an undercover “Biden” travels to Russia to investigate why Western sanctions are unsuccessful. After losing his documents, Biden is forced to become an English teacher to save money and eventually return to the U.S.

During his adventures, Biden will also try to understand the “Russian soul,” the press release said.

Biden is played by Russian actor Dmitry Dyuzhev, best known for his role in the 1990s cult series Brigada about the Russian mafia.

“I myself am very curious to see what will come out of our bold experiment and whether the public will immediately recognize me in Biden and Biden in me,” Dyuzhev told the media outlet TV Mag.

Series creator Alexander Baldin said the “project is definitely a comedy with satirical elements.”

“We wanted to create a story that not only entertains, but also makes you think about the relationship between Russia and America. We wanted to illuminate these relationships through the lens of humor and absurdity.”

It is not the first time that Russian media, usually state-run or at least state-controlled, have used entertainment to spread political messages.

Earlier in 2024, investigative journalists obtained documents collectively known as the “Kremlin Leaks,” which revealed ties between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government and various pop culture projects that—subtly or unsubtly—included popular Kremlin talking points.

While the funding for Biden’s show “Goodbye” is unclear, the TNT network is owned by Gazprom Media, a subsidiary of Russian state energy giant Gazprom.

In 2020, Russian TV channel NTV, also owned by Gazprom Media, aired a sketch featuring an actor in blackface playing former US President Barack Obama. The sketch was widely criticized for its use of racist elements.

Tigran Keosayan, who played the role of a TV presenter in the sketch, also made a state-funded film with his wife, Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan, entitled “Crimean Bridge: Made with Love.”

The film, which was panned by critics and a box office flop, tells the story of a budding romance set during the construction of the Crimean Bridge, which was built illegally after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea to connect the Russian mainland with Kerch, a city on the easternmost tip of the Crimean peninsula.