Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticIn a scene in the first season of the Ukrainian sitcom “Servant of the People,” the newly-elected president of Ukraine is attempting to get the attention of his parliament, which has devolved from bickering into a physical brawl.
Gently clearing his throat and murmuring for some peace and quiet won’t do, and this head of state is too green to command much respect from those serving alongside him in government.
Finally, he gets a bright idea. “Putin has been deposed!” he shouts. Everything stops. “I was kidding,” he admits — but he got their attention.
Then he unpacks his leather messenger bag, finding a thermos and a sack lunch, before finding the speech he wants to give — one about how his spoiled, greedy lawmakers have forgotten that democracy means “rule of the people,” not “rule over the people.” “Servant of the People,” the sitcom that ran from 2015 to 2019 in Ukraine, has become a striking document — so much so that no less an entertainment force than Netflix has placed episodes back on its service, tweeting “You asked and it’s back!” by way of announcement.
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