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Taking a stand: political series to stream

servant of the people

In a world that edges closer to insanity every day, it’s no wonder that political dramas, political documentaries and movies with a more political theme have flooded streaming platforms. If you are looking for some way to turn your streaming into a small – but meaningful nevertheless – act of defiance you could stream The Servant of the People currently on Netflix, as the president of Ukraine and star of the show said that all money from rights will go to aid the people of Ukraine. And if you are getting started with that, we thought it would be nice to suggest some more series that tackle political issues for you to binge.

 

Occupied

The most expensive Norwegian production to date, Occupied tells the terrifying story of the country succumbing to Russian control. Taking into consideration what’s happening to Ukraine now, this series looks eerily prescient.

In the very near future, due to catastrophic climate change events, Norway becomes the biggest exporter of oil in the world and the sole supporter of Russia and the EU. But the country’s new prime minister has different plans: a new scientific discovery will pave the way for a greener future, so he decides to shut the country’s oil producing factories down. The decision isn’t welcomed by the Russians though who kidnap the PM, put him under their control and execute a soft coup in Norway, taking the country over.

Based on an idea by famed writer Jo Nesbo, Occupied is full of intrigue and a series where every characters is steeped in moral ambiguity: idealist politicians turn into cynical monsters while Russian operatives try to balance the situation before it gets out of hand. With all three seasons wrapped up, Occupied is great way to spend your weekend.

 

The Last Czars

A documentary dramatisation, The Last Czars follows the life of Czar Nikolas II of Russia and his family, the Romanovs. From ascending to power amidst a horrible tragedy, to leading Russia into a series of international blunders on whim, the series gives the audience a front row seat to the life led by the Russian elite. From the rise of the Bolsheviks to his affairs with Rasputin and the family’s tragic end, The Last Czars is an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the recent past of modern Russia.

 

Designated Survivor

Tom Kirkman was a minister in the US government with not many aspirations of climbing the political ladder. Everything changes though when an explosion kills every single member in the line of succession for the government, leaving him, the designated survivor, as the head of the country. Kirkman tries to cope with his new duties, leading a country that is thrown into chaos and uncovering the truth of what happened. Kiefer Sutherland stars in this fast-paced political thriller that run for two seasons on broadcast TV before Netflix picked it up for a third and final season.

 

The Servant of the People

Honestly, the story behind these series is much more interesting and will be at some point a movie in itself. Then up and coming comedian Volodymyr Zelensky writes and stars in this Ukrainian political comedy about a middle-aged teacher who becomes famous after being caught on video ranting against the country’s corrupt politicians. The men behind the scenes decide that the teacher would be the ideal puppet as president so the next day he wakes up to find himself president of Ukraine.

Zelensky of course capitalised on the success of his show and founded a party under the same name, ending up winning the presidency and going from fictional to actual president. So, if you want to see the show that launched the career of a man who is now the most wanted man in Russia, you can catch his show on Netflix.

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