LEAN-M Producers Center was founded in 2000. The founders of LEAN-M are producers Timur Weinstein, Vyacheslav Murugov and Oleg Osipov, professionals in television, and television award winners (so as TEFI and International Interpol Award).

Nowadays LEAN-M is leading in production of television series, airing mostly at prime time. Projects for the biggest Russian networks — «Russia», NTV, CTC, TNT, REN TV, TV Center, «Sport», TV3 — build up the company’s production portfolio. Collaborating with both central and cable networks, LEAN-M has set a yet-to-be-beaten record: for the first time in the history of modern Russian television five projects produced by the same company went on air simultaneously at prime time.

Over the years LEAN-M has produced a large number of different projects: from commercials, talk shows and entertainment programs to series, documentaries, musical and feature films.

From 2000 to 2004 LEAN-M has pitched, developed and produced seasons of TV programs, documentaries and series for the First Channel, Culture Channel, TV Center, 7TV, REN TV and others.

In 2004 REN TV launched «Soldiers», a comedy series, that have largely contributed to LEAN-M’s gaining popularity. «Soldiers» have been running for five eyes already, outstripping all the other series on Russian television in the number of episodes. More then 600 actors have played in the series. The total number of people who have watched the series since its launch in 2004 sums up to 1 billion people.* Four independent series were shot based on the story of «Soldiers». Those spin-offs based on separate stories of the «Soldiers» series characters appeared to be a totally new experience in history of Russian television.

In 2005 REN TV started its fall season with three LEAN-M series:

— «Studenty / aka Students» (1st and 2nd seasons) gained its popularity thanks to the young audience; the number of fan clubs, forums and internet societies devoted to this series made it the most discussed series in Internet. «Students» were among the three most «watched» series in its time slot (10 p.m. — 11 p.m.).

— «Turisty / aka Tourists»: an original comedy about our fellow citizens resting at a resort.

— «Firmennaya Istoriya / aka Corporative Story»: the project was first invented as the sequel of «Tourists», but it ended up becoming an independent story.

Meanwhile the third, the fourth and the fifth seasons of «Soldiers» premiered, proving the cult status of the series.

LEAN-M Producers Center became one of the first Russian companies that learned the production technology of a sitcom, a new genre in our country. The year 2006 saw several premiers:

— «Schastlivy Vmeste / aka Happy Together» — a Russian adaptation of «Married... with Children», one of the most successful projects in history of American television, aired on TNT channel. Nowadays «Happy Together» sitcom is the most popular among the audience of 18—30 Russian series** and the most discussed project in Russian Internet.

«The Bukins have long become common nouns. A Russian sitcom „Happy Together“ is a sensation» — writes «The New York Times». Huge popularity of the series raised the need for shooting other hundred and fifty episodes and writing original Russian scripts.

— «Zolotaya Tyoscha aka Golden Mother-in-law» is one of the first original sitcoms in Russia, aired on TV Center channel.

— «Papa Na Vse Ruki aka The Dad of All Trades»: is a Russian version of a famous series called «Home Improvement», produced by Buena Vista International Television (Walt Disney) that was extremely popular among American audience. It premiered on СTС channel.

In the same year of 2006 CTC launched a lyrical comedy «Petya Velikolepniy aka Petya the Great», a Russian adaptation of a Columbian series «Pedro el escamoso», based on an original idea of «Caracol TV», a telenovela in genre of a romantic comedy, filled with humor, warmth and incredibly hearty atmosphere. REN TV aired 6, 7, 9 and 10th blocks of the traditional comedy series «Soldiers».

In early 2007, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI), division of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), entered into an agreement to acquire a stake of LEAN-M Producers Center, the first time that an international studio has acquired a production company in Russia. The agreement creates opportunities for LEAN-M to expand its already substantial experience base into new genres, in which partner SPTI has a proven track record. Additionally, SPTI’s worldwide connections and experience provides an opportunity for programming produced by LEAN-M to be sold outside Russia and CIS.

The following TV series aired in 2007:

— «Dochki-Materi aka Daughters and Mothers»: was based on an original story created and developed by Russian scripts writers. The first run of the show on TV has literally blown up internet communities, making it the most discussed show on web. Leading actors have reached top lines of popularity ratings of many film and TV dedicated web-sites, while the company’s office was getting crammed with sacks of letters from the viewers, demanding the continuation of the show and suggesting original ideas for new story lines development.

— «Praporshik aka Warrant Officer»: an original Russian series, a spin-off of the cult series «Soldiers» running about Shmatko, the famous warrant officer. The first run of the show turned out to be an unprecedented event for Russian television: all episodes were shown within two days, gathering the vast majority of male population of the country at their TV screens (the share of the male audience from 25 to 54 reached 17.4%).

— «Kolobkov. Nastoyashiy polkovnik! Aka Kolobkov. The Real Colonel!»: is a spin-off of the legendary «Soldiers», narrating the adventures of Colonel Kolobkov as a civilian. The show premiered on REN TV.

— «Beshenaya aka The Furious»: opened of the new 2007—2008 season on NTV channel at prime-time. The TV-series is based on novels written by Alexander Bushkov, «king of Russian action detective story». The share of the NTV male audience, aged 25 to 54 reached 30 %, 3 times the network’s average share**.

— «Platina aka Platinum»: the series was based on Alexander Bushkov’s trilogy about lieutenant Kartash. «Platina» set a real record: 39 % of the male population switched on NTV in order to watch this series.

— «Morskaya Dusha aka The Sea Soul»: is a story of men who belong to one of the most romantic professions — that of a sailor. The ship crew’s adventures never cease — they rescue the shipwreck survivors, they help out their compatriots stuck in a foreign country, then fight the pirates, and oppose the «black divers» and drug dealers. Premiered on REN TV.

— «Neveroyatnaya Kollektsia Mistera Ripley. Aka The Incredible Collection of Mr. Ripley»: is a Russian version of the world-famous TV show «Believe it or Not!» about the most extraordinary phenomena on our planet, gathered by the American journalist Robert Leroy Ripley when he was traveling all over the world. Premiered on DTV channel.

— And, of course, new episodes of «Soldiers» and «Happy Together».

In 2007 LEAN-M started active development in a new field — feature films production. The beginning of 2008 saw the premier of the first feature — «Posle Zhizni aka After Life» (director — Oleg Osipov). Production of two more feature films planned for this year is coming to an end: «Kaby aka If» (director — Oleg Osipov, 2008) and «Chelovek, kotoriy znal vsyo aka The man who Knew Everything» (director — Vladimir Mirzoev, 2008).

The television screens of 2008 were brightened up by «Studenty International aka Students International» (REN TV) and «Serdtseyedki aka Heartbreakers» (СTС) TV series, «Sobraniye Olimpiyskikh Sochineniy aka Collection of Olympic narratives», a series of TV programs (TV Channel «Sport»). The audience is awaiting the premiers of new series: «Provintsialka aka Provincial» (TV Channel «Russia»), «Pyostroye Kruzhevo aka Dyed Lace» (TV Channel «Russia»), «Dom Kuvirkom aka House Upside-Down» (series, СТС), «Borodin. Vozvrasheniye Generala. Aka Borodin. The Return of the General» and «Smalkov. Dvoynoy Shantazh. Smalkov. Double Blackmail.»(REN TV), «GIBDD I t.d. aka Traffic Police and so on» (REN TV), as well as new episodes of their favorite «Soldiers» and «Happy Together».

«Rusalka aka Little Mermaid», a TV series for TV Channel «Russia» is in active production, as well as «Platina-2 aka Platinum-2» (NTV), «Krem aka Cream» (TNT). Five new projects are ready to be launched and air in the 2008—2009 TV season.

* Based on TNS Gallup Media data.

** For comparison — the average NTV prime time share in the male 25 to 54 category was 18%.