Topline
Before Volodymyr Zelensky was elected Ukrainian president, he played one on TV, and in the wake of him being praised internationally for his gallant leadership in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Netflix has added the former comedian’s political satire, Servant of the People, back onto the streaming platform.
Key Facts
Between 2015 and 2019, Zelensky played the character of a schoolteacher who is elected president after his profanity-laced tirade about the country’s corruption—filmed clandestinely by a pupil—goes viral online.
The first season is now available for streaming on the U.S. version of Netflix, but the company did not immediately respond to Forbes’ questions about how long the show would remain on the platform.
Netflix previously streamed Servant of the People between 2017 and 2021, but the show did not garner much attention among U.S. viewers.
The show was a hit in Ukraine and ran for three seasons before spawning a 2016 movie, Servant of the People 2.
Key Background
Servant of the People helped kick off Zelensky’s political career. In December 2018—less than four months before the election—Zelensky announced his run for president, representing a new political party named after the show. Zelensky defeated incumbent Petro Poroshenko in a landslide the following year, winning 73% of the vote in the second of two rounds. Zelensky rose to worldwide prominence this year and has been lauded for remaining in Ukraine as the country fights off the Russian invasion.
Further Reading
Volodymyr Zelensky’s ‘Servant Of The People’ May Soon Return To American Television (Forbes)
