THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E./1964-68
*(David McCallum/costar) Illya Nickovetch Kuryakin, a blonde, introverted Russian super-agent working with the worldwide law enforcement organization known as U.N.C.L.E (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) who fought the international crime syndicate called T.H.R.U.S.H. During the first season Illya was often seen wearing a black turtleneck sweater which offset his blond hair. This casual look was in stark contrast to the tuxedo or business suit worn by his suave partner Napoleon Solo. Illya's quiet non-threatening character attracted many woman viewers. News reports from the Soviet Union thought THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E was capitalistic and imperialistic. Pravda, their national newspaper, denounced Illya, the Russian agent as "Bloodthirsty". In the 1983 Made-for-TV movie "The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E." David McCallum reprised his 1960s secret agent role. Illya had become an international fashion designer-Vanya's clothing line-before being recalled for service.

MY FRIEND IRMA/CBS/1952-54
**(Sig Arno) Professor Kropotkin, a violinist who lives at Mrs. O'Reilly's boarding house in Manhattan. He plays at the Paradise Burlesque Theater.

NIGHT COURT/NBC/1984-90
**(Yakov Smirnoff) Yakov Korolenko, a Russian immigrant who made a few appearances before the night court bench of Judge Harry Stone over the life of the series. The Yakov Lorolenko character appeared on episodes "Some Like It Hot" (1984); "World War III" (1985); "Dan's Escort" (1986); "Russkie Business" (1988); and "Glasnost Menagerie" (1990).

PHYL AND MIKHY/CBS/1980
*(Rick Lohman/costar) Mikhail "Mikhy" Orlov, a Russian track star who fell in love and married an American athlete and consequently defected to the United States. Mikhy's had two recurring problems: adjusting to American life and dodging the persistent efforts of Russian government official, Vladimir Gimenko (Michael Pataki) who constantly tried to convince Mikhy that he should return to Mother Russia. Ironically, the series was produced the same year that the United States withdrew its Olympic teams from competition in response to the Russians invading Afghanistan.

ST. ELSEWHERE/NBC/1982-88
**Natasha, a Russian immigrant who worked as a cleaning lady for Dr. Craig and family. She was a former music teacher who lost her job for dissenting against her government. She later applied and received a visa to emigrate to America.

SEVEN DAYS/UPN/1998-2001
*(Justina Vail/costar) Olga Vukavitch, beautiful and brainy Moscow-born Russian scientist working in America with a top secret time travel experiment called “Back Step” that opens a 7 day passageway through time. Olga’s sister is Svetlana, an adventurous, risk-taker who always stole Olga’s boyfriends. Olga excelled in the sciences as a child. Her mother is alive in Russia. Her husband, a Russian Chrononaut, died in a failed Russian time travel experiment. Olga later defected to America to work as Director of Medicine and Research on the American Back-Step project. Actress Justina Vail was born in Malaysia and lived there until she was nine, after which her family moved to Hong Kong and, later, England.

SIX FEET UNDER/HBO/2001-2005
**(Ed O'Ross) Nikolai, a Russian florist who owns Blossom d' Amour that supplies flowers to the Fisher & Sons Funeral Home in Los Angeles, California. After Ruth Fisher's husband death, Ruth takes a part-time job with Nikolai and discovers two things: she has a talent for flower arrangement and that she's attracted to the flower shop's hot-blooded proprietor, namely Nikolai.

SOPRANOS/HBO/1999-2007
**(Alla Kliouka Schaffer) Svetlana Kirilenko, Livia Soprano's one-legged Ukranian (Russian) nurse. Before Livia died, she bequeathed her record collection to Svetlana. At the funeral, Livia's daughter, Janice Soprano (called "a cow") insisted the records were hers. Svetlana disagreed, so in retribution, Janice stole Svetlana's prosthetic leg while she slept. Angry, Svetlana asked two friends in the Russian mob to smack Janice around to get the leg back. Svetlana also smoked too much.

STAR TREK/NBC/1966-69
**(Walter Koenig) Ensign Pavel Andreievich Chekov, a Russian navigator for the USS Enterprise, a futuristic Federation starship whose mission was “to explore strange new worlds...to seek out new life and civilizations to boldly go where no man has gone before.” His catchphrase was "Vee Russians invented it first." Walter Koenig was introduced during the second season because Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the series thought he could cash in on the "Monkee Mania" at the time. Note Koenig's likeness to heartthrob, Davy Jones.

TAXI/ABC/NBC/1978-83
**(Andy Kaufmann) Latka Gravas, an East European immigrant with a strange Slavic/Russian accent (He claimed to be from an Island in the Caspian Sea) who worked as an automobile mechanic at the Sunshine Cab Company in New York City. Latka often mumbled in his native tongue (Whatever that was?). His catchphrase was "Thank you very much." Carol Kane appeared as Simka, a young woman from Latkas' homeland who became his love interest and later his wife. The concept for the Latka character evolved from a street incident when Andy Kaufman was approached by people who insisted he give them his money. Instead of arguing or fighting with them, Andy put on a very sweet slavic-like accent and began to cry "I don't have any money. I don't know what to do. Leave me alone." His pathetic demeanor chased away his would be muggers. Andy later used his "Foreign Man" character for his comedy act.

TRUE BLUE/NBC/1989-90
**(Elya Baskin) Yuri, a Russian cab driver and filmmaker who raced the streets of New York covering news events with his video camera.

WHAT A COUNTRY/SYN/1986-87
*(Yakov Smirnoff) Nikolai Rostapovich, a Russian defector and talkative cab driver who attended a Los Angeles night school in order to study for his citizenship papers. His class was filled with a variety of ethnic groups including a grumpy old Hungarian and former dentist from Budapest, Mr. Lazlo Gable (George Murdock). Yakov Smirnoff was a Soviet comedian who in real-life left the USSR for the freedom of expression that America offered. In 1990 he hosted FUN FACTS, an ABC series of 20 second spots on Saturday morning designed to make learning fun.

THE X-FILES/FOX/1993-2002
**(Nicholas Lea) Alex Krycek, Soviet double agent working with the Cigarette Man, a mysterious operative under orders from a shadowy organization called The Syndicate. Krycek is responsible for terminating both William Mulder, the father of FBI agent Fox Mulder and Melissa Scully, the sister of FBI agent Dana Scully. On the episode “Terma” Krycek lost his left arm escaping villagers who tried to help him from being a test subject at the Russian chain gang excavating rock from Tunguska, Russia.