# Difficult Teens (2019)

> A disgraced former national football captain, fresh out of prison, takes on a group of difficult teenagers at a youth center and finds his own redemption in the process.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/80239

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 45
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Rustam Ilyasov
- Network: more.tv, Wink
- Cast: Nikita Volkov, Vitaliy Andreev, Anastasia Krylova, Timofey Eletskiy, Vladimir Gartsunov, Svyatoslav Rogozhan, Alyona Shvidenkova, Mila Ershova
- TMDB rating: 6.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11859946/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: gritty, earnest, tense, bittersweet

## What critics say

Audience reception is mixed, with strong early-season ratings and a sharp dip in season three.

## Synopsis

Difficult Teens (2019-2024) is a Russian scripted drama series created by Rustam Ilyasov for more.tv and Wink. Popular football player Anton Kovalev (Nikita Volkov), once the captain of the Russian national team, is released from two years in prison after a drunken cafe brawl, and finds that his disgraced reputation closes off his career. He is offered a position by Herman, the director of a center for difficult teenagers who once raised him, to prepare the center's troubled boys for a local Olympics. Kovalev takes the job out of desperation, expecting an easy fix, and quickly discovers how hard it is to reach kids who distrust every adult. Principal characters include Phil Belov (Vitaliy Andreev), Lena Fokina (Anastasia Krylova) and Egor Platonov (Vladimir Gartsunov), whose personal struggles intertwine with the training regime. The series runs five seasons of episodic, character-driven stories built around sport, rivalry and gradual trust. Its tone is gritty and emotionally direct, mixing rough humor with bruising confrontations and quiet moments of connection. Set in contemporary Russia, it leans into the textures of a provincial youth facility. Fans of Friday Night Lights, Skins and Coach Carter will find resonance in its blend of sports, rehabilitation and coming of age.

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