Netflix announced Wednesday that the popular political satire TV series, “Servant of the People,” starring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has returned to its streaming platform.
"You asked and it’s back!" the company tweeted on Wednesday. “Servant of the People is once again available on Netflix in The US. The 2015 satirical comedy series stars Volodymyr Zelenskyy playing a teacher who unexpectedly becomes President after a video of him complaining about corruption suddenly goes viral.”
Videos of Zelenskyy’s days in the entertainment industry went viral last month as people around the world continue to praise him for leading the country amid Russia’s invasion.
Before he was elected president, Zelenskyy had a prolific career as an entertainer, starring in several Ukrainian films and TV series, including “Servant of the People,” which ended in 2019 — the year Zelenskyy launched and won his presidential campaign.
Netflix licensed the show from the Swedish television company Eccho Rights.
Fredrik af Malmborg, the managing director of Eccho Rights, said in a phone interview that “international interest in the show has been huge” since the Russian invasion began.
“He’s an incredible hero,” af Malmborg said, referring to Zelenskyy, “so this is one of the things the media industry can do to show support.”
He also won the Ukrainian version of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2006 and voiced the bear in Ukraine’s version of the “Paddington” film.
Zelenskyy pleaded with Congress on Wednesday for more Western support for his country’s resistance to Russia’s invasion, as Kyiv and other key cities face intense bombardment but both sides signal optimism about peace talks.
