Life imitates art: Broadcasters clamour to air Ukrainian comedian-turned-war-hero President’s TV show, World News

It began with one bid, then two, then twenty: a small Stockholm firm has lately been swamped with inquiries for the rights to air the comedy sequence that includes Ukraine’s former actor-turned-war hero Volodymyr Zelensky.

“It has been very, very busy. All around the globe, individuals have requested for the rights as a result of they wish to broadcast it,” says Eccho Rights co-founder Nicola Soderlund.

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For the reason that starting of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, broadcasters together with Channel 4 within the UK, ANT1 in Greece, and PRO TV in Romania, have rushed to amass the rights to “Servant of the Folks”, which first aired in Ukraine in 2015.

“I feel final week we made perhaps 15 offers and we’re in negotiations with one other 20 nations,” says Soderlund, a poster promoting the sequence hanging above his desk. 

“The newest we heard of is Latin America, we’re discussing with the US, Netflix, we’re discussing with many.”

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There are at the moment three or 4 broadcasters in Italy vying for the rights, whereas in Greece, the present airs nightly throughout primetime.

“In a means, it is an act of solidarity with the Ukrainians, and on the similar time, of curiosity — you wish to see who he’s,” Soderlund says of Zelensky.

President Zelensky has risen to prominence on the worldwide stage because the begin of the invasion, impressing the world along with his fearless willpower in opposition to the Russian invasion.

Looking back, it was unimaginable that this “very humorous comic, highly regarded and liked by audiences” would finally develop into Vladimir Putin’s predominant goal and “this world chief who embodies and speaks for the entire nation”.

“We would have liked a hero like him, after Trump and all that,” Eccho Rights managing director Fredrik af Malmborg interjects.

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With “Servant of the Folks”, life imitated artwork. The sequence, which lasted three seasons, featured Zelensky as a highschool instructor who was elected president after a viral video of him ranting about corruption in Ukraine went viral.

Zelensky turned president in actual life after the success of the present.

Whereas Eccho has not had direct contact with Zelensky, it has been in contact with a few of his representatives.

The main points of the rights contracts are confidential, however the rights will price “round one million euros”.