BBC Two Slates The Zelensky Story Premiere

The Zelensky Story, charting Volodymyr Zelensky’s journey from young actor and entertainer to President of Ukraine, is slated to premiere on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on September 4.

The series, filmed over several trips to Ukraine, features rare access to Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, who speak in unguarded terms about their lives. It also features interviews with their family, their inner circle, former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former U.K. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the president of Ukraine.

It combines exclusive interviews with archive footage that has never been broadcast in the U.K. before to shed new light on the origins of the war in Ukraine and the two men at its center—Vladimir Putin and Zelensky.

The three-part docuseries was produced by 72 Films in partnership with the OU and was directed by Michael Waldman.

“Zelensky is now arguably the most significant figure on the world stage,” Waldman said. “He is at the epicenter of the 21st century’s most important political and military storm—a war which inevitably affects us all. On top of that, his personal story is quite simply extraordinary. Who could be a more fascinating person to get to know?

“I hope viewers will get a real insight into the fascinating personalities of both the President and the First Lady. They both seemed to open up in ways that they never have before. And personality is important. Zelensky is the subject of unimaginable pressures—and no little criticism. Who really is he? It’s a question that matters to us all.”