Trivia / The Interns

• Banned in China: The Interns series is banned in Ukraine since December 9, 2014, due to series' main star, Ivan Okhlobystin, being declared Persona Non Grata for his anti-Ukrainian chauvinist actions and violation of the ban on entry to Ukraine (due to him visiting Crimea).
• Breakup Breakout: Kristina Asmus, who plays Varvara, moved on to movies after starring on the show. She is the only member of the cast to never come back (even for a cameo) after her departure.
• Cast the Runner-Up: Mariya Pirogova (who eventually played Alisa) was short-listed for Varya's part, but abstained from it (citing her will to concentrate on a theatre school course). Kristina Asmus was finally cast as Varya.
• Hostility on the Set: Odin Biron (Phil Richards) has been the target of a devoutly religious and fervently patriotic Ivan Okhlobystin (Doctor Bykov) ever since his arrival. It started with Okhlobystin frequently saying that America should be bombed, though he put a side-note about sparing Biron's home state, Minnesota. But the worst came after Biron came out as gay, which unleashed a new brand of hate from Okhlobystin, according to whom, "sodomites aren't human" and "gays should be burned in ovens", and who had already sent letters to President Putin demanding to outlaw homosexuality. This was reportedly so unbearable that Biron had strongly considered leaving the show during its final season.
• I Am Not Spock: Dmitriy Sharakois (Levin), despite all attempts to distance from The Interns and get known for the other roles (primely in comedies), is still almost exclusively remembered as Levin. When he was chosen to play Shurik in Kidnapping, Caucasian Style remake, reaction was overwhelmingly hostile (and movie ultimately failed miserably), with Sharakois himself receiving massive amount of bullying, like calling him "Levin" instead of his real name; his video response to the bullies only made the situation worse. The general hostility and inability to find anyone willing to cast him in serious role were major factors why he chose to emigrate to UK in 2018.
• Write What You Know: Series's creator, Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov, graduated from Chelyabinsk's medical academy, and used to be intern-therapist himself. He states this experience as the source for many of the funny situations he used in The Interns. Several of screenwriters also graduated from the same academy, contributing to the project from their experience.