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Watch The Show That Put Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy On The Map

Before becoming president IRL, he played one in satirical comedy Servants Of The People.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 'Servant Of The People'
Channel4

When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to stay and fight alongside his country to protect their freedom and sovereignty, even after being offered an evacuation flight by the U.S. The Ukrainian President’s strength and leadership during the ongoing war has been widely praised on the global stage as an incredible display of loyalty and determination. Technically, Zelensky has been the president of Ukraine since 2019. But if we were to count his previous acting career, the politician has actually been in office a lot longer. But is satirical comedy Servants Of The People based on a true story? And how can you watch it in the UK? Here’s what you need to know.

What’s Servant Of The People About?

Long before founding the new political party Servant of the People in March 2018, and later winning an election in a landslide vote, Zelensky was best known as a comedian and actor, and starred as the Ukrainian president in a satirical comedy series of the same name.

Helmed by Kvartal 95 – a production company co-founded by Zelensky – the political sitcom follows a thirty-something high school history teacher named Vasyl Petrovych Goloborodko (played by Zelensky) who ends up becoming the president of Ukraine after one of his impassioned classroom rants about government corruption goes viral. In secret, his students launch a full-blown election campaign, and against all odds, Goloborodko wins. The rest of the show, which ran for four years, follows his attempts to find his feet in office, despite being initially out of his depth.

When Did Servant Of The People Air?

The first series of Servant of the People aired in 2015, with both Ukrainian and Russian-language versions. The show’s third and final season went out on air in 2019, just one month before Zelensky followed in the footsteps of his lead character, and won the Ukrainian presidential election in real-life. Just like the character of Goloborodko, Zelensky’s Servant of the People party also vowed to stamp out corruption.

How To Watch Servant Of The People In The UK

In the UK, Channel 4’s catch-up service All4 will be airing the very first episode on Mar. 6, with the first two series of Servant of the People to follow at a later date. All three episodes are available on All4’s streaming service. As reported by Forbes, Netflix have apparently been eying up the sitcom for their streaming service too. Elsewhere, Eccho Rights (who distribute the show internationally) told Manchester Evening News that a renewed interest in the sitcom around the world has allowed them to donate 50,000 euros (around £41,500) to the Ukrainian Red Cross so far.