We interrupt this commercial with programming
Cory Bergman April 2nd, 2007
Starting next week, Fox will begin testing a new way to try to retain viewers through commercial breaks. The network will run short animated clips of a taxi driver named Oleg in between ads. “It’s something that pops up that is unexpected and the viewer says, ‘What the hell is that?’ It may keep them around for a while longer,” says Jon Nesvig, Fox Broadcasting’s president of sales. In less than two months, Nielsen is rolling out its commercial ratings service. (WSJ sub. req.)
WSJ has a video report with a couple of the clips (runs after an ad.)
Adds Michael in comments: “Time and effort that could be funneled into creating better programming, which has a better chance of keeping me around. Or if I’m watching a show on TiVo, it’s just one more blur as I fast forward through the break.”


55 Comments Add your own
1. discreet_chaos | April 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Didn’t MTV do this with Donal Logue in ‘96?
(OK - So I cheated and snagged the year from his IMDB profile, but still?)
2. Michael Gorman | April 3rd, 2007 at 7:57 am
Time and effort that could be funneled into creating better programming, which has a better chance of keeping me around.
Or if I’m watching a show on TiVo, it’s just one more blur as I fast forward through the break.
3. The Tony | April 3rd, 2007 at 9:17 am
I don’t think it’s we non-DVR TV-watching folks they have to worry about, really.
I’m still sitting through things, enjoying the commercials breezing by. People used to skipping them will still be skipping them.
Oleg or whatever better be damn entertaining.
Expect him to have his own animated sitcom by the fall.
4. el zorro | April 3rd, 2007 at 9:52 am
Donal Logue as “Jimmy the cabdriver” was very 90’s MTV; out there, funny, compelling; Oleg looks slightly sinister, like a reject from FOX’s “The PJ’s”.
Good idea, execrable execution
5. glitchc | April 3rd, 2007 at 4:45 pm
fox.com/oleg? seems like myspace.com/oleg would have been more fitting no? give this guy some personality a little backstory some top friends and maybe fox can do something with it.
flash site and a borat clone aint gonna make me watch any more commercials
6. susana | April 8th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
I love the voice of Oleg….the accent and everything….it is pretty funny…..way to go FOX!!!!
7. Sue | April 10th, 2007 at 7:58 am
Oleg’s cute - and the voice is priceless. I’d like to know who’s doing the voice. Does he look like Oleg?
8. Jason | April 10th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
hmm..I gotta see some more of these shit. that’s what I am sure.
9. whatever | April 10th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
is this another “senjaya Effect” ?
10. nyctree | April 10th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
andy kaufmann would be proud…more please, much more….seen his wife? she’s a hottie c.i.a cutie!
11. james p. | April 10th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I have to say- after I accidentally caught the first of these spots… I was reeled in. It was just too weird to be all by itself. I ended up watching the rest of the commercials which is really not like me. Although I must admit I did enjoy the Victoria’s Secret ads…
12. Greg K. | April 10th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
I thought it was fucking hillarious! Especially since commercials in this country suck. Perhaps if companies made great commercials like in Europe i’d watch them. But since this won’t happen (american companies are afraid to do anything entertaining), i can’t wait to see more of Oleg!
13. Addy | April 10th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I thought they were great. In fact, i’d love to see a sitcom. Too bad commercials in this country are so bad that a network needs to do this, but hey, LONG LIVE OLEG!!!!
14. george | April 10th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I thought Oleg was fun, clever and extremely well executed. It’s a good idea that should work if we see more clips to better establish the character or if the clips were a bit longer and told a story. I would definately watch to see more of Oleg. Very inventive concept which would fare well if fleshed out even more.
15. Steven | April 10th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Hillarious. It’s about time commercials are finally entertaining. Now at least sitting through 20 car commercials will be rewarding. Great animation too.
16. Leila | April 10th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Really inventive. I just wish we could see more of Oleg and less of those stupid car commercials tauting 0% apr financing!
17. Karma | April 10th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
ok. we see everything similar to everything. what’s so new about this industry anyway?
Fox did it anyway. It’s so Fox and they are like that and it will become popular again. we should admit it.
oleg oleg oleg. whatever.
18. keiZo | April 10th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I was like WTF and I was like waiting for the next one.
so what! It’s Fox!
19. Brad Delgreco | April 10th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I agree with Steven. With all the consumer garbage we’re force-fed every night, it’s nice to actually be entertained. I think Oleg is really funny and am hoping Fox lengthens the skits.
20. PooKie1 | April 10th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I can’t wait to see more!
21. Troobadoor | April 10th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
[Though not what Fox intended], my wife and i found ourselves skipping over the comercials to watch Oleg! He’s hysterical. Not since the Simpsons and Family Guy has Fox done anything this clever.
22. PooKie1 | April 10th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Karma’s comment was pretty cryptic. What do you mean?
23. tracy | April 10th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Oleg is so real- he has been my cabdriver many times but I could never understand him before- he’s great - I want to see more-
24. The Jimmynator | April 10th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
I think Oleg is really inventive; especially since comercials are rarely entertaining. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
25. InterVet | April 10th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I thought the cab driver was funny as hell. The only missing was the smell of a cab!
26. lulu | April 10th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Last night I was torn between Rick Shroder and Oleg. Will Hugh Laurie have to share my affections tonight?
27. Reverb268 | April 10th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Until the day that advertisers realize that in order to get my attention they have to make good commercials, i’ll look forward to seeing more of Oleg. Besides, he’s really funny.
28. Jeff23 | April 10th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
It’s nice to see something that looks really stunning on TV, so I’m enjoying it for that.
I think his voice is cool, but I want to hear him talk more.
29. Bea | April 11th, 2007 at 8:36 am
I’m definitely hooked! When are they airing Oleg the tv show?
30. Rusty | April 11th, 2007 at 8:56 am
I must admit that when I saw those eyes in the rear view mirror I was sort of hooked…even when zipping thru the DVR. Those that live in or have visited NYC have all had an Oleg experience. Luckily these are humorous. I think these bits are skillfully done and very creative
31. jade | April 11th, 2007 at 9:38 am
IT was too short to see what’s going on. Donald Trump one was the best I think.
32. david85B | April 11th, 2007 at 9:54 am
was that a sneak preview for the future show? what was that?
33. jodan | April 11th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
are you kidding? this was not brilliance. it was plain old offensive crap.
34. andrew Spata | April 11th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Sounds like a ripoff of “borat”.
10 thumbs down.
35. kellyRIa | April 11th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
yes. it totally sounded like PG 13 ver. of “Borat”
I didn’t like borat “at all” anyway when it came out.
Oleg is kinna cute though.
I think they should show more stuff like little skit or something to get audience’s love.
otherwise Oleg wil get only Bad reviews.
36. Patty | April 12th, 2007 at 9:41 am
These ads made me uncomfortable, especially when the character is learning how to say take me to the detention center - they seemed quite racist. The drawing it self - looks to much like the ones we are so familiar with from natzi depictions of jews I had to change the channel.
37. Reverb268 | April 12th, 2007 at 10:01 am
The detention center line is clearly a rip on Bush’s Patriot Act. Meaning that because of Bush, a LEGAL immigrant has to learn how to deal in our culture — at least that’s what i got from it.
38. tara | April 12th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
I think Oleg needs to get fleshed out a bit more, but it’s a rather good idea. And geez Patty, ever heard of a caricature?
39. Reverb268 | April 13th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Good call Tara. Patty is exactly the reason why we rarely have good advertising in our country.
40. rukiddingme | April 15th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Hey FOX,
How ’bout you STOP paying people to give props to Oleg. Thanks for the eight seconds of propaganda! But you can keep that racism to yourself the next time I’m watching the Simpsons.
41. Reverb268 | April 16th, 2007 at 7:03 am
Hey rukiddingme — seriously, are you kidding me? I wish i was being paid! And you thought they were racist? No wonder how Bush got voted into a 2nd term.
42. paul | April 16th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
reminds me of borat, and i believe it was a derivation only from the movie.
43. Sunidesus | April 17th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
I agree with Patty, Oleg squicks me out.
Now GE’s “One-Second Theater” commercials… THOSE are entertaining, innovative, and keep me interested. I’ve been known to spend ages so I can read every frame of them. Oleg just makes me want to skip the commercials more than I already do.
44. aubrie | April 17th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Honestly, it’s no surprise Fox viewers find ethnicity funny!
45. Human | April 18th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
He looks like the president of Iran.
46. Chris | April 19th, 2007 at 11:14 am
Very cool and excellent caricature! If they started putting them on more channels and showing more celebs, that would be good too. Expand this idea even further!
47. Benjamin | April 19th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I too love these spots because I have a deep-seeded fear of outsiders, and I am glad to see a national broadcasting company share my xenophobia.
48. aubrie | April 19th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
I’m scared of them when they chase white women on the streets.
49. Linda Harris | April 19th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
We watch FOX often, and we are not happy about the little clips of the taxi driver who sounds like he is from an arabic nation. Not too clever in this day and age, some people seem to get a kick out of absolute nonsense, it’s like WOW that was neat, but I think they have ingested too many happy pills or powder. This is a very dangerous time in history, and the more we can do to make things more secure and not joke about them, the sooner we can get back to normal, IF EVER AGAIN!!!
50. Benjamin | April 20th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Good point about the white women.
It just bothers me that we as a country are giving valuable air time to an illegal. At least he is learning English. As my parent’s used to say, ‘If your going too come to america, youve got to learn english.”
51. skitzoAlfred | April 21st, 2007 at 10:49 pm
I saw those commercials between trying to hear the shittiness of sunjaya, and i must admit, fox was right when they wanted people to go “what the hell is that?”
but no. NO!!!! It is a rip off of borat! Now from those short clips i don’t know if there’s something else going on, but they are making his first impression just like borat. The LAST thing i want to see is a rip off of something I love. Now if Borat had never been made, then yes, i would think it was a funny idea and would want to watch it. BUT - i cant stand godddamn rippoffs. I will watch the first episodes of the show to actually see what it is though, and then decide if i like it or not. Is Oleg russian? This one time I had a cab triver named Osama. but he was such a nice guy.
52. dingo | April 24th, 2007 at 10:29 am
I think the cartoon is spot-on. Go easy, Alfred. I’d guess Oleg is like Borat ’cause both of them are somewhat like so many actual Central Aisian blokes. The world is only so big, mate. I’ve had a hundred Olegs drive me through American cities. They’re good natured mostly. Seems like Oleg is a rip off of real life, then. Funny ol’ thing, that!
I like the cartoon. I read where they’ve got other characters. So, bring ‘em on! I’d like to see downloads for the whole episodes. Maybe they can give Jib-Jab a run for their money. Cheers, big-ears!
53. C. | April 24th, 2007 at 10:31 am
I agree with #49-Linda Harris…these commercials seem to have no point other than to make fun of someone who…after all…is doing what many Americans bitch about…he is trying to learn our language. While I am SICK TO DEATHof being bombarded with advertisements EVERY where I turn…an animated clip making fun of someone tryint to better themselves to
54. C. | April 24th, 2007 at 10:38 am
I agree with #49-Linda Harris…these commercials seem to have no point other than to make fun of someone who…after all…is doing what many Americans bitch about…he is trying to learn our language. While I am SICK TO DEATH of being bombarded with advertisements in every area of my entertainment life…T.V…radio…internet…mail…ENOUGH ALREADY!….an animated clip making fun of someone trying to better themselves to get along in our county is many steps in the wrong direction to keeping me interested in anything other than the T.V program I am watching. All I can say is THANK GOD I can skip through them since the standards of what is acceptable keeps getting lower and lower.
55. Charles W. | April 25th, 2007 at 8:40 am
I think it’s well-done…funny. Much more entertaining than the normal interstitial bits I see.
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