Intermedial Strategies in “An Incident in the Land of Multi-Pulti”: From Soviet Radio Play to 2022 Television Adaptation

The 2022 television adaptation of the Soviet radio play An Incident in the Land of Multi-Pulti was met with significant criticism and a generally poor reception. This outcome raises questions about the challenges posed by intermedial translation and shifting cultural contexts, as well as about the loss of key elements that made the original radio play successful. The study investigates why the adaptation failed to resonate with contemporary audiences despite its nostalgic appeal. Specifically, it identifies the factors contributing to the adaptation’s failure, focusing on media-specific, cultural, and narrative discrepancies between the original radio play and its televised version. The analysis reveals that the adaptation struggled due to a mismatch with the conventions of New Year’s television programming, an inadequate visual reinterpretation of an audio-based narrative, and a disconnect between Soviet collectivist themes and contemporary individualistic media culture. Additionally, the shift from dynamic vocal performances to static visuals diminished the imaginative engagement fostered by the original. The study concludes that successful adaptations of Soviet-era children’s media require careful consideration of intermedial translation and cultural context. The 2022 version ultimately failed because it prioritized nostalgia over the original’s collective empathy and vocal artistry, highlighting the importance of preserving core imaginative elements in cross-media adaptations.