{{Infobox television | camera = Single-camera | writer = {{Plainlist| * Roman Volobuev * Mila Prosvirina * Ilya Malanin }} | creator = {{Plainlist| * Mila Prosvirina * Ilya Malanin }} | first_aired = {{Start date|2020|09|24}} | channel = KinoPoisk HD | company = {{Plainlist| * Sreda }} | runtime = 46-37 minutes | location = {{Plainlist| * Moscow }} | image = | producer = {{Plainlist| * Aleksandr Tsekalo * Olga Filipuk }} | num_episodes = 4 | num_seasons = 1 | language = Russian | country = Russia | starring = {{Plainlist| * Yevgeny Stychkin * Anfisa Chernykh * Rina Grishina * Katya Fedina * Yuliya Snigir }} | genre = {{Plainlist| * Drama }} | caption = | director = {{Plainlist| * Roman Volobuev }} }}
'''''Just Imagine Things We Know''''' (Russian: '''Просто представь что мы знаем''', translit. ''Prosto Predstav' Chto Mi Znaem'') is a Russian television miniseries about the inner workings of Moscow media industry directed and primary written by Roman Volobuev, that premiered on KinoPoisk streaming service on September 24, 2020. Initially planned as an anthology series, it was renewed for a second season in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Волобуев анонсировал выход нового сезона "ППЧМЗ"|url=https://www.gazeta.ru/culture/news/2021/03/17/n_15749480.shtml|access-date=2021-05-31|website=Газета.Ru|language=ru}}</ref> Season 2 was written but never produced<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title="Диктаторы не падают с неба». Как кончился «Последний министр»? Роман Волобуев в «Поживем—увидим" |url=https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2023/09/06/diktatory-ne-padaiut-s-neba |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=Новая газета Европа}}</ref> as a result of director being blacklisted for opposing Russian Invasion of Ukraine and eventually emigrating from Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-14 |title="Нам говорят: "Нахуя ты на Геббельса работал?" А мы: "Вы не понима-а-аете, там все сложнее!"" |url=https://holod.media/2023/09/14/volobuev-interview/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=«Холод» |language=ru-RU}}</ref>
== Premise == 5 years after surviving an assassination attempt and fleeing with his family to UK a veteran investigative journalist Evgeny Malyshev returns to Moscow to find Russian media stifled by censorship and himself effectively blacklisted. Unable to find work he's forced to join a guerrilla news operation run on a banned Telegram messenger by three 20-something clueless tabloid reporters.
== Production ==
=== Background === The show was inspired by a recent trend among Russia's news outlets to migratе to alternative platforms to avoid censorship and is loosely based on a real-life story behind founding of ''Mash''<ref>{{Cite web|title=ПММЛ — "ППЧМЗ" Романа Волобуева|url=https://seance.ru/articles/volobuev-telegram/|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Журнал «Сеанс»}}</ref> one of Russia's most popular Telegram channels<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ryabikova|first=Victoria|date=2020-09-14|title=10 most popular Telegram channels to get inside the Russian mindset|url=https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/332716-10-most-popular-telegram-channels-in-russia|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Russia Beyound|language=en-US}}</ref> that currently boasts more than 895 000 subscribers.
=== Writing ===
The script originated from a series of in-depth interviews with media industry insiders<ref>{{Cite web|title="Просто представь, что мы знаем": Сценаристы сериала рассказывают, как сделать журналистов интересными персонажами|url=https://www.the-village.ru/weekend/tv/serial-pro-tg-vyu|access-date=2021-03-07|website=The Village|language=ru}}</ref> and is described by its authors as a cross between a journalistic procedural and a satirical roman à clef with most of it characters being based on a real-life personalities from Moscow's media world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Кто все эти люди: Краткий гид по "Просто представь, что мы знаем" — Статьи на КиноПоиске|url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/media/article/4002892/|access-date=2021-03-07|website=КиноПоиск|language=ru}}</ref>
=== Filming === Most of the first season's principal photography was done in March 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic allowing filmmakers to use empty exteriors of quarantined Moscow as a backdrop. The filming was halted only when city went into full lockdown.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Телега и пятое колесо|url=https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2020/09/04/86966-telega-i-pyatoe-koleso|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Новая газета - Novayagazeta.ru|language=ru}}</ref> During this forced hiatus the show's script was rewritten to incorporate pandemic and also some shifts in the political climate such as unexpected decision by the Russian government of to lift a formal ban on Telegram messenger which show's characters use.
== Cast ==
=== Main ===
* Evgeny Stychkin as Malyshev, a former investigative reporter with Kommersant newspaper, who left Russia after failed assassination attempt. Controversial opposition journalist Oleg Kashin has been named as a main inspiration for the character<ref name=":0" /> * Anfisa Chernykh as Bella Mambetova, a Muslim from a strict Kabardin family and a former tabloid reporter * Rina Grishina as Ira Gromova, a former SMM, Bella's friend and business partner * Katya Fedina as Ksusha Pogorelova, a queer Berkley-educated rich kid, operation's main field reporter
=== Recurring ===
* Yulia Snigir as Terletskaya, a paraplegic socialite and radio host, Malyshev's ex-lover and his main connection to Moscow's business and political elites * Ekaterina Vilkova as Katya, Malyshev's philanthropist wife he leaves in London * Maksim Vitorgan as Tyoma, a former political journalist now «working for the Dark Side» as a spokesman for the unspecified government-affiliated entity * Artur Vakha as Georg Papa, a pro-Kremlin tabloid tycoon * Denis Burgazliev as Ilya Khamaganov, an oligarch rumoured to be behind the attempt on Malyshev's life
== Reception ==
=== Critical response ===
The first season's critical reception in Russia was mostly positive, with Kinopoisk reporting a 79% critical approval rating based on 29 reviews,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Просто представь, что мы знаем (2020, сериал, 1 сезон) — критика|url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/1355058/press/|access-date=2021-05-31|website=КиноПоиск|language=ru}}</ref> Iskusstvo Kino calling it «a smart and beautiful depiction of an ugly subject»<ref>{{Cite web|title=Землемер В.: Роман Волобуев и неправильный прикус отечества|url=https://kinoart.ru/texts/zemlemer-v-roman-volobuev-i-nepravilnyy-prikus-otechestva|access-date=2021-05-31|website=Искусство кино|language=ru-RU}}</ref> and Gazeta.ru going as far as dubbing it «the best Russian series about journalism».<ref>{{Cite web|title="Просто представь, что мы знаем": сериал о жизни Telegram-канала|url=https://www.gazeta.ru/culture/2020/09/24/a_13265137.shtml|access-date=2021-05-31|website=Газета.Ru|language=ru}}</ref> Most of the criticism was directed at the small number of episodes, disorienting open ending and mentioning of real-life media figures that ''Snob Magazine'' called «a name dropping ad nauseam» and «the endless inside baseball nobody outside media crowd cares about».<ref>{{Cite web|last=Барченков|first=Дмитрий|title=Хоррор в психбольнице и Telegram-драма со стриптизом|url=https://snob.ru/entry/198193/|access-date=2021-05-31|website=snob.ru}}</ref> The show's casual depiction of LGBTQ characters also caused a backlash with Russian conservative critics, who called the series «obsessively and pointlessly queer».<ref>{{Cite web|title=Нувельваг|url=https://t.me/apichatpong/3669|access-date=2021-05-31|website=Telegram}}</ref>
Russian-Armenian media tycoon and founder of LifeNews media empire Aram Gabrelyanov on whom the character of Papa was based<ref>{{Cite web|title="Просто представь, что мы знаем" — легкий и язвительный сериал Романа Волобуева о русских медиа. Кому он понравится и что с ним не так?|url=https://meduza.io/feature/2020/09/28/prosto-predstav-chto-my-znaem-legkiy-i-yazvitelnyy-serial-romana-volobueva-o-russkih-media-komu-on-ponravitsya-i-chto-s-nim-ne-tak|access-date=2021-05-31|website=Meduza|language=ru}}</ref> posted a profanity-laden review of the show on his (now deleted) personal Telegram channel in which he unfavourably compared it to HBO's «The Loudest Voice» and nicknamed it «The Loudest Fart»<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-28|title=Вышел сериал "Просто представь, что мы знаем": Рецензия Metro|url=https://www.metronews.ru/showbiz/reviews/vyshel-serial-prosto-predstav-chto-my-znaem-recenziya-metro-1714676/|access-date=2021-05-31|website=www.metronews.ru|language=ru}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|11966878|Just Imagine Things We Know}} * [https://www.kinopoisk.ru/series/1355058/ ''Just Imagine Things We Know''] on kinopoisk.ru * [https://mubi.com/films/just-imagine-things-we-know ''Just Imagine Things We Know''] on Mubi
Category:Russian political television series Category:2020s Russian television series Category:2020 Russian television series debuts