Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s turn as a chipper young bear in Paddington—yep, he voiced the adorable bear in his country’s version of the 2014 film—wasn’t the politician’s first dip into screen acting. Zelensky recently starred in and created the Netflix satirical series Servant to the People, which ended (no shock here) when he decided to run for president in 2019 under a new political party also titled Servant of the People. Coincidence? Maybe not.
Netflix has finally added this gem back to its service in the United States, meaning Americans curious about the Ukrainian figurehead’s unusual pre-presidential acting career can check out the series as they continue to marvel at his work against the Russian invasion. The show aired three seasons from 2017-2021, debuting a total of 51 episodes to the streamer. Right now, you can stream the entire first season of the satire on Netflix anywhere in the U.S.
Servant to the People follows a similar course that Zelensky himself has in the past month—kind of. Absent-minded high school history teacher Vasyl Petrovych Goloborodko becomes a viral sensation overnight after one of his students posts a video clip of him online. The clip features Vasyl ranting about corruption in Ukraine, leading a passionate group of students to crowdfund for his very own presidential campaign.
Their passion eventually leads the working class guy into political victory. The fish-out-of-water concept sees Vasyl confused, easing himself into the duties as a man of the people. Alongside Zelensky, the series also stars Ukrainian actors like Olena Kravets, Nataliya Sumska, and Stanislav Boklan. Zelensky even created and executive produced the series for Netflix and Kvartal 95.
The streaming news follows the surge in popularity Zelensky has seen after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. Globally, folks have latched onto Zelensky’s Everyman persona, celebrating the world leader for his efforts in Ukraine. Now, with this comedy series, those supporters will get a taste of his comedy chops, too.
“The series is a comedy but also an important document of where Zelensky comes from,” said Eccho managing partner Nicola Söderlund in a statement about the re-release news. “His fictional president is a normal man, who grows into his role as a heroic and adored leader. While the real-world scenario facing Zelensky and the Ukrainian people is far more grim and appalling than the comedy of the series, there are obvious parallels with the real-world situation, and Servant of the People is a fascinating, important and historic piece of television.”
All 23 episodes of Servant of the People Season 1 are now streaming on Netflix.
