Alexey Pokhabov, 40, made a living for several years after the show with his “esoteric skills”
Photo: Oleg RUKAVITSIN
Television shows about psychics are once again among the leaders in television viewing in May. Despite the revelations, television shows in which magicians “predict,” “guess,” and perform other edited miracles are popular. And television channels take advantage of this, and today new castings and filming of similar programs are taking place.
Let’s look at the latest TV viewing ratings. According to the results of the week from April 29 to May 5, 2024, among Russians over 4 years old in cities with a population of more than 100 thousand people, the program “New Battle of Psychics” ranked among the hundred most popular. television programs in an honorable ninth place – the project was watched by 11.7% of viewers who turned on the TV at that time (this is the so-called percentage of television viewing), rating – 3%. Of the entertainment television programs, this week only three projects surpassed the programs about psychics: in eighth place was the finale of “The Mask” (share – 17.4% and rating – 3.4%). The leaders, according to the tradition of recent years, are Malakhov’s entertainment projects: in fifth place “Hello, Andrey!” (16.9% and 3.7%) and in 3rd place “Songs from the Whole Heart” (15.8% and 3.8%). Only news programs are above the top 100. On TNT, “New Battle of Psychics” is the leader of the week with a notable gap with respect to the rest of the channel’s broadcast. Television viewing data – Mediascope. High ratings are the key to stable income, expensive advertising and low production costs for this program.
“Battle of the Psychics” aired on TNT 17 years ago. During this time, there were many revelations about the heroes of the show, some of the stars of the “Battle of the Psychics” were convicted and imprisoned (including for fraud and deception of people). And many participants of the television show continue to make money from gullible citizens: they conduct paid consultations, which are in high demand due to the popularity gained through television. The scandals did not reduce the high ratings of the “Battle of Psychics” or affect the interest of viewers in the project: they watched and watched, argued and argued. For example, only in the group “Battles of psychics” on the social network “VKontakte” there are 1.6 million subscribers who care about the heroes of the program. The project is presented to viewers as if it were based on real events, which is why people receive a program where magicians and sorcerers guess the past, the future and find answers to non-obvious questions. The fight by social activists to have the phrase “all events are fictitious” appear on the air was unsuccessful. The program is presented to viewers as a project about real miracles. “Battle of the Psychics” is presented as a project that “has forever changed people’s understanding of extrasensory perception and human abilities.” Also due to the “Battle of the Psychics”, gullible people believed in the superpowers of criminals posing as sorcerers: and gave them their savings to obtain a prediction or solve a crime.
The other day there were new revelations about television shows about psychics. Alexey Pokhabov, 40 (winner of the seventh season of “Battle of Psychics”), made a living from his “esoteric skills” for several years after the show. But he soon abandoned this idea and now became a supporter of scientific knowledge. Pokhabov, in an interview for Miroslava Bush’s YouTube channel, had this to say about “Battle of the Psychics”: “My complaint is not that this is a production (although it is, too). And the fact is that when everything comes out in the final product, they can edit you in such a way that you will look like a f… what kind of (synonymous with the word cool) psychic. I remember going through some sort of test: then I saw this episode and my eyes popped out of my head. Wow, is it me? Although all magic is the magic of editing…”, Pokhabov explained in another recent interview: in the “battle” there were a lot of tips, leading questions during the tests, and in the air there were only correct answers; a final test was “leaked”, etc.
Meanwhile, today on TNT from early in the morning until late in the afternoon “Psychics” airs. Battle of the Strongest” and “New Battle of Psychics”. And castings are already underway for the new season of “Battle of Psychics” and for the “Psychics” project. Revenge”. Apparently, this magical story on our television will never end.
