Intertextuality and precedent texts in Russian and Greek versions of The nanny TV series

Precedent texts are considered one of the most difficult linguistic phenomena both for learning in a foreign language and for translating into another language due to their metaphorical nature, social and cultural significance, as well as pragmatic features. Such difficulties increase when these texts are created in a multimodal environment, especially if their meaning depends on visual components for its correct interpretation. The study compares the precedent texts in the first four episodes of The Nanny television series in Russian (My Fair Nanny, 2004-2006) and Greek (Nravra, 2003-2005) versions. The results showed that the dialogues in both versions of the sitcom mainly use precedent names, quotations, and phraseological units, which contribute to the creation of a humorous effect. The study provides insight into the modern Russian and Greek languages, improves understanding of the ways of expressing humor in a modern television series, and demonstrates the function of intertextuality in colloquial speech based on the dialogues of the series adapted to the cultural needs of a foreign audience.