Prisoners caught in twilight 'Zona'
Russian inmates protest skein's schedule shift
In Russia last week, 17 prison inmates deliberately cut themselves to protest the shift of NTV's "Zona" from primetime to Sunday latenight.
The series, it seems, resonates with inmates.
"Zona" -- best translated as "Prison Compound" -- is set in a prison, and features ex-cons in its cast.
Ratings for the drama had been more than respectable, raising suspicions that the official NTV line -- that the move was made following public pressure -- wasn't quite accurate.
"The decision ... looks like one taken from 'up above,' " wrote Kommersant's TV critic, Arina Borodina.
Human rights reps had to bring in an official letter from NTV to prove to prisoners that the decision wasn't just a move by prison officials to stop them from watching the series.
