The paper examines the critically acclaimed 2018 limited series Call DiCaprio! directed by Zhora Kryzhovnikov from two main perspectives: (1) how the series engages with contemporary Russian culture and the television industry in particular; and (2) how the series reflects current transnational trends in television, often dubbed as the new Golden Age of television. On the one hand, Call DiCaprio! fits the model of “complex TV” (Mittel 2006), joining the new global television aesthetics that emerged in the 2000s. On the other hand, Call DiCaprio! is also steeped in the contemporary Russian context of media production and consumption. It provides an unflattering look into the underbelly of the industry and crafts a very particular meta-referential cultural experience for its viewer through mise en abyme aesthetics and a complex network of references to classical Russian literature.
