Even before the days of top-rated global shows, Ukrainian television had no money for international formats. To retain viewers, TV workers created original programs. As a result, cult TV shows appeared and gave Ukraine stars who became symbols of the era. Ihor Pelykh sends strangers on a romantic journey, Kuzma Skryabin makes the contestants spend money quickly, and Ihor Kondratyuk makes stars in one day. This is a story about the diverse and sincere Ukrainian television of the noughties, the legacy it left and why everything changed.

Follow Zelensky’s journey from a young actor and entertainer to one of the most recognisable leaders on the planet, presiding over a nation at war with Putin’s Russia.