More SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE

 My favorite new sitcoms are GHOSTS on CBS and ABBOTT ELEMENTARY on ABC. Could it be that my next favorite sitcom will be a subtitled foreign one on Netflix from 2015? One about a working class history teacher who loves liberty and becomes the next president of Ukraine? And the lead actor really became president of Ukraine?  A little over a week ago, I blogged a piece called SITCOM ACTOR ZELENSKY. When we were introduced to him because Russia's evil Putin waged war on innocent Ukraine, we learned that Zelensky -- the President of Ukraine -- had been an actor and a dancer. Netflix has the sitcom that became a stunning case of life imitating art.  SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE stars Volodymyr Zelensky before defending his country made him a well-known figure of our network news. His David vs Goliath strength and perseverance won American hearts. 

I watched the first two episodes in Season 1 of SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE. I loved them! Zelensky is a very good sitcom actor in a brisk, hip and funny sitcom.

I went back and watched Episodes 3 and 4. I loved those too. I reviewed the first two episodes in my SITCOM ACTOR ZELENSKY post earlier this month. By the way, in addition to playing the lead character in this sitcom, Zelensky also created the sitcom. There's a feeling of the spirit in classic 1930s movies directed by Frank Capra is this series.

In the third episode, Vasyl undergoes some rather overwhelming rehearsals for his presidential image -- how to speak when addressing the public, how to wave and such.  He has to give an inaugural speech that begins "A quarter of a century ago, we started building a new nation..."  Vasyl wants to be a champion of liberty and equal rights but he's having trouble making his real voice come through that speech -- especially when he has to practice its delivery with walnuts in his mouth. He's rehearsed on how to greet other politicians. Lookalikes resembling President Obama, Angela Merkel and Putin are brought in to help. With all this hectic grooming in the presidential quarters, Vasyl still keeps his promise to spend some time that afternoon with his little boy. Vasyl is a divorced dad.

That father and son scene in a shopping mall is sweet. It also broke my heart. Most footage of Ukraine I've seen has been in the war coverage on the network news. When Vasyl leaves the presidential surroundings and goes to the shopping mall, when he's at his parents' apartment, those locations look like they could be in a suburb right outside of Chicago. Ukraine's world in SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE resembles our everyday world here in the U.S. It breaks your heart to wonder how much of it is still standing.

The 30-something, unmarried history teacher who is now making history gets help from a former American president very dear to his heart. His real voice comes through in his inaugural speech. By the way, he takes a cab to the event.

In the fourth episode, we see how Vasyl pushes back on all the luxury and free stuff that come his way just because he's president. Instead of riding in an almost laughably long limousine, he prefers to take a bus. In his parents' place, however, his dad is tired of the wallpaper and furniture he and the wife have been looking at for over ten years. The presidential parents get visited by a flamboyant interior designer.

Getting oriented to his new job and his new workplace, there's a problem. The previous president has locked himself in a room, refusing to come out, demanding vodka and cigarettes and ranting that he wants a recount of votes. He's a hot mess who shouts "The country was stolen from me!"

Keep in mind this aired in 2015 -- not in early 2022.

I'm going back to watch more episodes. If you get Netflix, give SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE starring Volodymyr Zelensky, a look.