An average Joe becoming president? It's the stuff of fantasy! Unless you're Volodymyr Zelenskyy…

When Jewish comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy co-wrote and starred in Servant of the People, a comedy series about a history teacher (Zelenskyy) who finds himself elected president, little did he know that life was to imitate art. Flash forward seven years since the show first aired and Zelenskyy is not only Ukraine's heroic leader, but a household name internationally. It's no surprise then, that Channel 4 opted to interrupt its usual schedule of Sunday night reruns to screen the first three episodes.

I was transfixed from the get-go. Vasyl Petrovych Goloborodko, an unassuming schoolteacher, accidentally goes viral after a student secretly films (and posts online) his unabashedly expletive-filled rant against corrupt politicians. His class subsequently sets up a crowdfunding campaign to get him elected and the rest is, well, eerily prophetic. Heck, Zelensky has even named his party Servant of the People.

When the doorbell rings at Goloborodko's apartment, which he shares with his parents, they are nonplussed to open up to a government delegation. Even as our fictional hero demurs, he’s whisked away in a very posh limousine, in which a smooth-tongued, slightly sinister apparatchik whispers sweet somethings in our protagonist’s ear – while also communing with unseen masters via a hidden earpiece.

The rebranding of the fledgling premier means there are wild surprises in store for him – and for the viewers. A great recurring joke sees him introduced to endless lines of political staff in briefings, then household staff to pamper him in the magnificent country mansion that comes with the job and, best of all, an increasingly outlandish and exotic parade of beauticians to give him a top-to-toe makeover (including nail extensions). All the while his ‘mentor’ is at his side assuming the role of puppeteer, but if he thinks he’s pulling the strings, he’s got a surprise in store, as his protégé proves he has a mind of his own.

In less than a fortnight, the charismatic Ukrainian president's real-life trajectory has taken him way beyond any plot lines he and his co-writers have dreamt up in all three seasons (51 episodes) of Servant of the People, and he's proved himself to be an outstandingly brave and inspirational leader. Among Zelenskyy's appearances on the world stage he now counts addressing a packed House of Commons via video link, where members hung on his every word and gave him a standing ovation as he concluded an emotional and eloquent speech. “On day six, the Russian rockets fell on Babyn Yar,” he stated, listing the heinous Russian actions against his country day by day. In his plea for aid including a no-fly zone, he invoked Shakespeare – “The question for us now is ‘to be or not to be?' [The answer] is definitely ‘yes, to be’” – and Winston Churchill – "We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets."

As the world listens to Zelenskyy and responds to the plight of his country, viewers will not only be entertained by Servant of the People, but allso gain an insight into the man and the country he loves and stands for.

By Judi Herman

Episodes 1-3 of Servant of the People are available to stream now on All 4. channel4.com/programmes/servant-of-the-people