''The Interception'' (russian: Перехват, translit=Perehvat}; sometimes translated ''The Intercept'') is a Russian

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...

which aired between 1997 and 1998. The concept was for the contestant to "steal" (actually, be given the keys to) a car and avoid the police for 35 minutes, who were tracking the car's location via a radio transmitter. If the contestant avoided the police, they won the car. The car chase was done in real

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

streets, and had to obey traffic laws. At its peak, the show had 60 million viewers per episode. The show was created with the cooperation of the

Main Directorate for Traffic Safety The Main Directorate for Traffic Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (, IBDD or GUOBDD, popularly known under its historical abbreviation GAI (ГАИ), is a federal law enforcement agency of Russia specializing in traffic poli ...

(GAI); the officers chasing the "thief" were not actors. With the odds being heavily tilted against the "thieves" winning the car, the show had the aim of discouraging

carjacking Carjacking is a robbery in which the item taken over is a motor vehicle.Michael Cherbonneau, "Carjacking," in ''Encyclopedia of Social Problems'', Vol. 1 (SAGE, 2008: ed. Vincent N. Parrillo), pp. 110-11. In contrast to car theft, carjacking is ...

, which had become rampant. As the show failed to lower carjacking rates, it was cancelled due to police disinterest. Although its ratings during its run had made it the number one show on

NTV NTV may refer to: Television * NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh * NTV (India), Telugu regional channel * NTV (Kenya) * NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia * NTV (Newport Television) ...

, the GAI felt producers made them look like "clowns".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Intercept, The 1997 Russian television series debuts 1998 Russian television series endings 1990s Russian television series Television franchises Russian game shows Motor vehicle theft Works about law enforcement Crime in Russia