Scandalous talk shows are now at the peak of popularity. The team of each such program strives to find a hot topic and lure more interesting characters into the studio. In pursuit of high ratings, channels are ready to spend money: it turns out that not only television workers receive money for filming, but also almost everyone you see on the screen!

Both ordinary Russians and famous personalities openly tell their stories throughout the country, largely because they receive impressive fees for it. Journalists found out exactly who and how many.

Heroes of the plots

During a talk show, various stories related to the main characters are often shown on the screen: relatives, neighbors, and colleagues are interviewed. To do this, the film crew travels to the regions in search of juicy details. But no one is in a hurry to tell unpleasant things for free, but “scamming a neighbor” for a couple of tens of thousands of rubles is another matter.

Heroes in the studio

Heroes who are interested in publicity and solving their problem or simply thirst for fame often agree to come for free. They are paid for travel to Moscow and back, hotel accommodation, and meals. These are, for example, people who lost their homes in a fire, or a person who dreams of proving their relationship with a star.

But the antiheroes don’t want to go to the studio and embarrass themselves in front of the whole country. They solve the problem for 50-70 thousand rubles - a colossal amount for many citizens and a penny for television.

According to some reports, the driver of former ballerina Anastasia Volochkova, whom she accuses of stealing money, was persuaded to come to the Let Them Talk studio for 50 thousand rubles. The veteran, who transferred the apartment to his young wife and left his son with nothing, was paid 70 thousand. Diana Shurygina and her family received about 300 thousand rubles for participating in several episodes of “Let Them Talk.”

Show business stars and their relatives have higher prices. Thus, Danko’s wife received 150 thousand rubles for revelations about the family. Nikita Dzhigurda and Marina Anisina, who like to publicly sort things out, are paid 500 thousand rubles for one program.

Experts

Psychologists, nutritionists, lawyers and other experts who comment on the problem in the studio often agree to broadcast for free - for the sake of their PR. For those intractable people who are of interest to the viewer, television workers pay from 30 to 50 thousand rubles. Moreover, they are brought to the shooting and taken back by taxi, and provided with a make-up artist and hairdresser.

Extras

The audience in the studio gets the least. But they have another advantage - they find out everything first and without cuts. For example, when the country was still wondering who would host “Let Them Talk” instead of Malakhov, these lucky ones already knew that it was Dmitry Borisov.

Leading

The biggest fees, of course, go to the presenters. Thus, in a recent interview with the Kommersant newspaper, Andrei Malakhov did not argue with the journalist, who announced as his annual income for working in “Let them talk” on Channel One the amount of $1 million (57 million rubles, or 4.75 million rubles per month). At his new job, according to the “king of the booth,” his income is “comparable.”

Another broadcast star, Olga Buzova, receives an average of 50 million rubles a year for hosting “House-2.”

Andrey MALAKHOV (frame from Channel One), Boris KORCHEVNIKOV

And then fake “experts” fool us from TV screens

Watching all kinds of television talk shows has long been a favorite popular pastime. There, movie and show business stars, athletes, deputies and other government officials heatedly discuss pressing problems, and numerous experts - specialists of all stripes - analyze what is happening and make their verdict. Spectators are rooted to the spot at the screens. They have no idea that among these “experts” there can be shameless impostors.

Lawyer Denis Merkulov is a frequent guest on television shows on central channels. He filed a complaint with the editors of Express Gazeta about the editors of these programs.

The main evil comes from them, says Merkulov. - And some are engaged in outright extortion. Their notebooks contain contacts of hundreds of so-called “experts” who want to appear on federal television. Of course, such people - lawyers, unknown writers or low-level officials - will not be invited for free. Like, if you want PR for the whole world, pay. The fee is standard: 10-15 thousand rubles in the editor’s pocket. But you can, for example, pay with dinner at a decent restaurant or give a good gift. It would seem: well, to hell with him! In the end, this is advertising to a person, and you have to pay for it everywhere. But on television, no one checks who you really are - a real specialist or Uncle Vasya from the water pump. How many times have I seen such characters in the studio! They will call themselves “public figures”, put on badges of non-existent organizations and let’s broadcast to the whole country. And people listen and believe!

“Decent” KORCHEVNIKOV does not even suspect the tricks of his charges

According to Denis, this happens on all more or less rated TV shows.

I had a conflict with one of the talk shows hosted by a man named Leonid,” continues Merkulov. - I paid the editor for filming, came to the studio, expressed my opinion, but as a result I was cut off the air. That is, it turned out that I gave the money just like that. When I made a claim to the lady who received a tidy sum from me, I heard in response that no one gives any guarantees. They say that the channel reserves the right to decide who to show on TV and who not. At the same time, of course, no one returned the money to me. I tried to contact their superiors, but they immediately blacklisted me. This means that I am now banned from all programs on this channel.

Almost simultaneously with Denis, a producer acquaintance complained to the author of these lines about a similar problem. They say that if earlier his players were regularly invited to appear on television, now they are no longer allowed to appear on talk shows without a bribe.

We decided to check whether it’s so easy to appear on a federal channel as an expert by paying whoever needs it. And almost immediately we came across the Instagram of Andrei Malyugin, who, judging by the photographs from the backstage of Boris Korchevnikov’s Live Broadcast program, works there as an editor. On his page, Malyugin promises anyone who wants to organize a “minute of glory” on the screen. We immediately contacted him.

Yes, it won’t be difficult for me to arrange for you to shoot,” Malyugin immediately got down to business. - It’s simple: pay 20 thousand, send your photo, brief information about yourself and wait for an invitation. I’m pushing you through my channels. I can’t say right away what topic the program will be on or where you will be called, but I guarantee that it will definitely happen.

Of course, neither the management of the program, nor even more so the presenter Boris Korchevnikov, as well as his colleagues from other channels, have any idea that their cunning charges earn extra money in this way.

Moreover, Malyugin assured that he could help become an “expert” not only in “Live,” but also, for example, in the “Male/Female” or “Let Them Talk” programs of Channel One.

Having learned about all this, it immediately became clear to me how, say, one loud-mouthed woman regularly infiltrates Korchevnikov’s program, introducing herself as a journalist and throwing mud at celebrities just to attract attention to herself. I wouldn’t be surprised that this young lady of pre-retirement age is invited to the broadcasts only after she butters up the right people.

But I hope that soon all viewers will be able to breathe a sigh of relief: after reading this note, wise TV officials will figure everything out, and the path to the screen for dubious “experts” will forever be closed.

Andrei Malakhov's show “Let Them Talk” is one of the most popular on Russian television. Previously, it was published in a similar format, but under different names - “The Big Wash” and “Five Evenings.” Viewers witness touching stories, scandals and quarrels. We decided to find out what tricks the creators of the program resort to in order to achieve such a high rating.

The executive producer of documentary television projects, Natalya (not her real name), worked for some time next to the pavilion where the “Let Them Talk” program was filmed. For more than a year, the woman watched the process of creating the show and concluded that only an unscrupulous person who is ready to lie, deceive and persuade (not without compensation, of course) the heroes to come to the program can work there.

“An ordinary citizen can be offered 15 thousand to begin with (this is in addition to paid travel and accommodation). Rubles, of course. If he doesn’t agree, the rates will rise. Not to say that the editors were wasting money. 50 thousand - this is if the story is completely “chic”. Most potential heroes, if they are from the provinces, fall for the very opportunity to see Moscow, get on television - it turns out to be a free excursion,” Natalya said in an interview.

Celebrities receive more serious amounts. For example, the American actress Lindsay Lohan, who had a scandal with her Russian boyfriend, was lured to Moscow with a fee of 600,000 rubles, according to press reports. However, she did not come to the broadcast, so Malakhov had to go to her hotel to interview her.

The family of Diana Shurygina received about 200,000 rubles for five programs. Moreover, contracts are concluded with the heroes of all talk shows, implying non-participation in other television projects.

Smaller stars are paid around 100,000 rubles. “Prokhor Chaliapin, who had two scandalous affairs in a row, at one time turned out to be a kind of business: he gets married, then gets divorced, then starts a new one. The ratings are good, everyone is happy,” added Natalya.

It is worth saying that the “Let Them Talk” program has been criticized more than once by the public. Thus, the well-known actor Alexey Serebryakov publicly criticized the show:
“This program most clearly demonstrates to us that, it turns out, putting up for sale someone else’s pain, tears, troubles, digging through dirty laundry in full view of the whole country without any moral right today is called the simple word “format.” Or rather, a format that brings good money. The degree of cynicism is simply beyond belief<…>And what do you want?! Of course this will be in demand! Toilet paper, for example, will always be in greater demand than Dostoevsky's manuscripts! And stupid reality shows, in which participants endlessly sort things out and sleep with everyone, will a priori have a higher rating than a Tarkovsky film.”

How much do they pay for participating in extras?
“Fashionable sentence” (1 channel) - 350 rubles for 9 hours
“Malakhov +” (1 channel) - 350 rubles for 10 hours
“Let them talk” (1 channel) - 250-350 rubles per filming
“Two Stars” (1 channel) - 200 rubles for 5 hours
“The Smartest” with Tina Kandelaki, “Children’s Pranks” with Glucose (STS) - 300 rubles for 12-13 hours
Comedy Club (TNT) - 100 rubles per filming (1.5 hours)
“Thank God you came” (STS) - from 300 to 500 rubles for 10-13 hours

How much do talk show characters get paid?
“Trial by Jury” (NTV), “Federal Judge” (Channel 1) - witness (2,500 - 3,500 rubles), main role (4,000 - 5,000 rubles)
“The trial is coming” (Russia) - witness (1,500-2,500 rubles), main role ($100)
“Judicial Passions” (DTV) - from 900 to 1,200 rubles
“The Hour of Judgment with Pavel Astakhov” (REN-TV) - 1,200 rubles for 20 minutes

The crisis forces Muscovites to look for sources of income, and some of them find them under the spotlights. Experts say that the demand for participation in the crowd of television talk shows has increased significantly. DAILYONLINE spoke with those who sell applause and laughter, and with those who buy them. A day on the set of the program “Thank God, you came!” convinced DAILYONLINE that the world of “show business” is limited to a small, stuffy studio, and fees most often only cover transportation costs. For such an activity to bring real income, you will have to sacrifice your reputation.

“When they find out that they also pay money for it, they sign up for the shoot with double enthusiasm.”
In order to get on the blue screen, just call the phone number indicated on the air, or type the corresponding request on the Internet. Viewers for the filming of television programs are recruited by full-time employees of television channels, special agencies or foremen “on free bread”.
However, for the “actor” himself, it doesn’t matter how he got to the shooting – this does not affect his salary in any way.
The more popular the program, the less work its administrators have.

Kirill, guest editor of the Malakhov + talk show, told DAILYONLINE that in his work “the mountain itself comes to Mohammed.”
“The program is rating, designed for a specific audience - housewives and pensioners. They are bored of sitting at home all the time, but here they watched Ostankino, showed themselves, and their friends have something to brag about. They call themselves and ask to film. When they find out that they also pay money for this, they sign up to participate in the filming with double enthusiasm,” shares Kirill.

The demand for filming as extras has increased, but fees have fallen by 2-3 times
For another DAILYONLINE interlocutor, Irina, recruiting as an extra is an unofficial job. She is a free foreman for hiring spectators. The more people from her who come to the shoot, the more she will earn. The girl says that within a year she has already acquired regular clients and favorite viewers.

According to Irina’s experience, the most popular programs are “The Smartest” with Tina Kandelaki and “Children’s Pranks” with Natalya Ionova (Glukoza), since mothers combine business with pleasure: they entertain the children and earn a little money.
“We place advertisements for paid audiences on special websites and give out our mobile number. Once the information gets onto the Internet, the phone literally doesn’t stop ringing,” says Irina.
According to her, since the beginning of the crisis, those interested in this type of income have increased many times more, but not everyone agrees to participate in the filming; the number of spectators has even decreased.
“Since January, most TV channels have cut pay for extras by 2-3 times, so they call, ask questions, and when they learn about the fee, they hang up,” explains Irina. She argues that the crisis has also shuffled the composition of television viewers.
“Those who used to travel constantly are now protesting against the meager payment, which is barely enough for travel. But “fresh” faces appeared - those who were fired from their jobs. True, they will come once or twice and never appear again. They think that such income is a pleasure, but in reality it is hard work,” says Irina.

“You are not joking here, you are getting paid for this!”
DAILYONLINE experienced what it's like to be an extra. The test took place on the set of the show “Thank God, you came!”
In the TV version, the entire show fits into 40-50 minutes. In fact, filming one program lasts three hours or more.
Humorous improvisation requires careful preparation: setting up the scenery, adjusting the sound, training the audience to applaud and laugh at the right moment. At least half an hour is allotted to master the art of competent applause. The clapping of delight should be emotional, clear and loud. But not for long, so as not to prolong the moment and give the hero the opportunity to make a new joke in silence.
Filming takes place in a small, stuffy room, with the producer seating the audience.

The “chairman of the jury” sits in the center of the hall; the camera lens will most often be turned on him, so the most beautiful and photogenic spectators are placed nearby.

The remaining extras are seated randomly. The most advantageous place is in the central part of the hall. For those sitting on the sides, many aspects of the show will be out of view as the stage is divided into 3 separate rooms.
You see it or you don’t see it, but you still have to smile - after all, the TV cameraman also earns his salary.

When the audience was seated and prepared, and the scenery had not yet been assembled, the producer himself had to act as a comedian and amuse the audience.
We waited for more than an hour for the show to start.
The program's intro music plays. Presenter Mikhail Shats comes on stage - the audience falls silent, straining their ears in anticipation of a joke. Schatz's microphone doesn't work and he goes backstage again. The sound takes another half hour to adjust.
Finally, Schatz comes out, and the microphone works, and the joke sounds - everyone laughs and claps.
The presenter introduces the participants. Everyone claps again. And they clap again. And again.
After 10 minutes, my palms begin to burn and my ears begin to clog.
But now the participants are introduced - filming of the first scene is finished. There is still half an hour of preparation ahead for the next episode. It is necessary to set up a stage for improvisation, and dress the participant in a costume that matches his scenario.

One elderly lady, during breaks, threateningly scolds those who, in her opinion, clapped and smiled sincerely enough: “You are not joking here, you are paid money for this!”
It turns out that she is one of the show's many administrators. When asked why she is so unkind, she snaps: “Sit here like me for days, you’ll hate everyone.”

“The persistent and patient are paid from 300 rubles”
One program has 5 scenes. There are long breaks between them. The programs are prepared in bulk - three per day. You can stay for just one, but the fee is quite cheap. And those who are persistent and patient are paid from 300 rubles.
Filming begins at 13.00, in theory it should end no later than midnight, but the regulations are not always observed.
A regular viewer of the show complains: “The prices have been reduced, but they keep it up until the night. I often leave by taxi, since this is a residential area (near Profsoyuznaya metro station), a car is not cheap. In the end, God willing, I’ll earn 100 rubles per day. What should I do? Now every ten is important to me.”
The extras are repeatedly reminded that they are here at work. A young girl administrator runs between the rows and warns: whoever doesn’t wait until the end will not receive a penny. However, despite her threats, with the arrival of dusk the hall begins to empty...

It is worth noting that in general the atmosphere at such events is very friendly - stars do not “star” in front of the people, producers during breaks turn themselves inside out in front of the audience so as not to run away. But spending a day in stuffiness, without food and with a forced smile on your face is a dubious pleasure.
“At first it was very funny, joyful, show business,” says filming regular Vdamimir. “However, over time, even the best jokes lose their sharpness when you sit here for 10 hours and really want to eat and sleep, and not laugh at all.”

For the sake of real earnings, you should forget about a respectable image
Those who have been attending filming for a long time know that you can’t earn much as an extra, you have to come out of the shadows and into the foreground.
Sergey works as a driver at the Ostankino television center. He says he got a job specifically to have a pass into the holy of holies of Russian television. At his main job he earns 12,000 rubles, but this is only a third of his personal budget. The rest comes from filming in programs.

He started as an extra, but now he is no longer interested in such trifles. He is the main character of staged TV shows. Over the course of a year of such part-time jobs, Sergei has already tried on the image of a murderer, a thief, a sexually anxious school teacher, an abandoned husband and dozens of other masks.
“The most disgusting role was this role of a corpse for a crime program, then I couldn’t close my eyes all night. It gave me goosebumps,” admits the extra.
The producers of talk shows on almost all central channels recognize him by sight, and some respect him for his willingness to sacrifice his reputation for the sake of acting.
Many, on the contrary, no longer pick up the phone - the face on the screen is too lit up.
“You have to put on a wig, a mustache, and makeup,” admits the driver-actor.
Most of all, Sergei remembers 2 embarrassments. One day he was recognized on the street by an old woman who had watched a crime program. The pensioner literally pounced on him and was going to tie up the “criminal” in order to “take the bastard to the police.”
Grandma had to explain for a long time that not everything that is shown on TV can be trusted.

The second unpleasant incident is related to the fact that a crime program was again broadcast on competing TV channels at the same time, and in both he was in the lead roles. The producers of the programs paid a premium for such inconsistencies, and Sergei is now denied filming. But this doesn’t upset him very much - there are enough TV shows now.
“I get 1000-1500 rubles for an hour of shooting, sometimes there are even 2 shootings a day, so I’m not afraid of a crisis,” said the “main character.”

Sofia Doronina, Inga Kazmina

One of the most popular genres on television is talk shows. These are programs in which participants discuss various topics. Talking room, in a word

In principle, there are not many people in the world whose conversations you can listen to with interest for hours. But on talk shows they listen and watch the talking heads without stopping. Even if in the frame there are not Nobel laureates, but ordinary housewives.

Talk shows are different. Political, psychological, event-related. And the issues discussed in them can be anything. From the meaning of existence to communal squabbles. But one thing is constant in most programs: they contain heroes, guest experts and spectators. And, of course, the presenters.

Heroes

There is an opinion that the characters in many talk shows on everyday and family topics are actually guest actors who act out stories written by scriptwriters in front of the camera. This is not entirely true. Numerous programs on judicial topics actually involve actors, including non-professional ones. In talk shows of the “Let Them Talk” or “Live Broadcast” level, actors are not used as heroes. Firstly, they need to be given a very decent fee. Secondly, the viewer these days is sophisticated, and it’s not so easy to fool him.

Another question that often arises among audiences is whether non-star talk show characters are paid to appear on the program. Otherwise, why would it occur to them to shake their dirty laundry in front of the whole country? They pay, but not always.

Oddly enough, there are people who are ready to turn their souls inside out for five minutes of fame. An hour-long presence on the air of one of the federal channels promises them not only the highest level of popularity among neighbors and acquaintances, but also a possible solution to personal problems. This is especially true for residents of the outback. In some Gluhomansk, a person who knows Andrei Malakhov himself cannot be easily removed.

It is to these kinds of characters that the call that invariably appears in the finales of talk shows is addressed: if you have an interesting story, write.

Of course, TV channels pay for guests’ travel to the capital and hotel accommodation.

Serious problems arise with the opponents of the main characters. Let's say that in the center of the plot there was a woman who did not really know which of the three boyfriends she gave birth to, which she wrote about in the spirit of Ostankino. But for intrigue, all three men should be invited to the studio. Do they need it? This is where you should offer money. Small ones, of course. However, in Glukhomansk even 10 thousand rubles is a significant amount.

Brainwashing

Filming a talk show is difficult. The authors of the program, getting acquainted with the next life story, compose an approximate scenario based on it, where each participant is assigned a specific role. Someone has to be a hero, someone has to be a villain. Sometimes reality does not fit into the constructed scheme.

But that's not so bad. It’s worse when the characters in the show don’t know how to formulate their thoughts and say who knows what. To prevent such situations, preliminary work is carried out with participants. As an example, let's continue to develop the above story. So, the lady does not know from whom she gave birth, but in her own eyes she looks not so much a frivolous person as a deceived victim. Let’s say that the authors of the program have already reached an agreement with three of her men. But all three of them unanimously claim that this friend of theirs loves to go for a walk... And where is the intrigue here?

Talk show editors get involved. Heroic fathers are invited to Moscow in advance. They are clearly explained that everything was not as they say, but completely different. One of the main arguments of the editors: “You understand, in order for your speech to be remembered, you need to add some bright details to it. Even if everything wasn’t exactly like that, it will be interesting.”

As a result, men do everything that is required of them.

Stars

Talk shows with celebrities are a different story. Here, as a rule, no one has to pay. Big artists don’t go to such events. Representatives of pop music in all spheres of art are already happy to appear on the screen once again.

Celebrities are invariably present in the studios and as experts. The magnitude of their stardom is directly related to the theme of the program. If the plot is centered on one of their colleagues, whose praises are sung in honor of his birthday, that’s one thing. When it comes to the pregnancy of a schoolgirl, faded stars or outright partygoers come to the rescue.

Year after year, it becomes more and more difficult to invite “first-timers” to a talk show with a problematic plot. Many of them were burned by the fact that after making a fiery speech in front of the camera, in the broadcast version they found only incomprehensible remnants of it.

Spectators

It is known that the bulk of the extras on talk shows are “professionals,” that is, people who earn their little money for being on the program. Those who come to filming out of pure curiosity are a minority. The majority wanders from one studio to another, working off the money they receive with their reactions. Their fees are different. From a couple of hundred rubles to a thousand. The maximum amount is earned by the so-called “active viewers”. They are seated in the front rows. Constantly getting into the frame, they create a lively background for the presenter, simulating a violent reaction to what is happening. They are indignant, laugh, sigh sympathetically. Of course, based on the editors' suggestions from the viewers. There is such a special profession in talk shows. Their task is to fill the stands to capacity, preventing inadequate comrades from entering the site.

Editors

The editorial staff on talk shows is constantly changing. This is a monstrous job that few can endure. If the main story of the program is not made up out of thin air, but has a real basis, persuading its heroes to come is far from easy.

Do you remember when a Moscow schoolboy killed a teacher and a policeman in the morning, and in the evening his classmates, teachers and neighbors were already sitting in the “Let Them Talk” and “Live Broadcast” studios? Can you imagine how much work was done in this short period of time? What arguments were offered to the shocked teenagers to get them to come?..

Editors who don’t know how to talk potential guests down don’t stay on the channels for long. What about competition? Do you remember how the journalists of the same “Let them talk” and “Live broadcast” fought, winning the right to get the father of Alexei Kabanov, who killed his wife?

Record

Real live programs are broadcast extremely rarely. Most people sign up in advance and wait in the wings. Recording takes place in several stages. With a full crowd, with a partial crowd consisting of “professional” spectators. Famous guests are quickly dismissed out of respect. There are no commercial breaks during filming; the presenters only announce them at the right place.

Editing plays a significant role in working on a talk show. It is during this process that, for the sake of entertainment, the phrases of the participants are cut and their lines are swapped. Not fair? Yes. But these programs are not made for the sake of honesty. And they don’t get colossal ratings for telling the truth. And therefore, as the song says, the talk show must go on.

The most famous talk shows on Russian TV

• “Let them talk” (Channel One, host Andrey Malakhov)
• "Live" ("Russia 1", presenter Boris Korchevnikov)
• “The right to vote” (TV Center, presenters Olga Kokorekina, Roman Babayan)
• "Sunday evening with Vladimir Solovyov", "Duel" ("Russia 1", presenter Vladimir Solovyov)
• “We talk and show” (NTV, presenter Leonid Zakoshansky)

Competently

Natalya OSIPOVA, psychologist:

Most viewers love life stories told as if in a fit of revelation. It's like having a non-committal conversation with a random fellow traveler on a train. But if, after watching, you try to sort everything you saw and heard in the talk show into pieces, you may find inconsistencies in details and characters. It is clear that a lot was invented on the fly, that the heroes do not always manage to play the role intended for them. But it doesn't really matter. You don’t have to trust your neighbor in the carriage either. The main thing is to kill time.