‘Servant of the People,’ Starring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Returns to Netflix
Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelenskyy was a comedian before rising to his country’s top political office. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine.
The political comedy series Servant of the People — which stars Ukraine’s current president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and helped kick-start his political career — is back on Netflix.
The series originally ran in Ukraine from 2015 to 2019 and helped catapult Zelenskyy from comedy into politics. The show starred Zelenskyy as a high school history teacher who rises from his parents’ basement to the highest political office in Ukraine after a cell phone video of him ranting against political corruption goes viral.
The political satire ended after three seasons when Zelenskyy launched a real bid for the presidency. Cashing in on the show’s success, Zelenskyy created a new political party and named it after the hit series. In 2019, Zelenskyy — like the fictional character he played — was elected president.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there has been an increased demand to bring Servant of the People back to streaming services. The series ran on Netflix from 2017 to 2021, but according to an announcement posted to Twitter on Wednesday, March 16, Netflix has now brought the show back to its platform.
Zelenskyy’s jump from fictional politician to president may once have seemed as odd and unlikely as if actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus were to use HBO’s Veep to run for the White House, but he’s received worldwide praise for his leadership amid the Russian invasion.
Despite offers from the United States to help him evacuate following Russia’s invasion, Zelenskyy opted to remain in Ukraine.
“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” the unlikely president said in a line so brazen it could have been taken directly from the show.
Read Next: ‘Come and Fight’: Ukraine President Zelenskyy Asks for Foreign Volunteers
Mac Caltrider is a senior staff writer for Coffee or Die Magazine. He served in the US Marine Corps and is a former police officer. Caltrider earned his bachelor’s degree in history and now reads anything he can get his hands on. He is also the creator of Pipes & Pages, a site intended to increase readership among enlisted troops. Caltrider spends most of his time reading, writing, and waging a one-man war against premature hair loss.
BRCC and Bad Moon Print Press team up for an exclusive, limited-edition T-shirt design!
BRCC partners with Team Room Design for an exclusive T-shirt release!
Thirty Seconds Out has partnered with BRCC for an exclusive shirt design invoking the God of Winter.
Lucas O'Hara of Grizzly Forge has teamed up with BRCC for a badass, exclusive Shirt Club T-shirt design featuring his most popular knife and tiomahawk.
Coffee or Die sits down with one of the graphic designers behind Black Rifle Coffee's signature look and vibe.
Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.
Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.
A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.
