Inventing an Alternative: Populist Imaginations of Political Leaders in TV Series

How is doing politics (re-)imagined in popular audiovisual culture during a perceived leadership crisis? This paper examines how European TV series like Servant of the People (Ukraine, 2015–2019; Poland, 2023) and En Place (France, 2023) portray "good" political leadership in the form of valence populism as an alternative to both entrenched elites and right-wing nationalist populism. These and other series feature leaders driven by idealism yet tested by the realities of governance. Focusing on their affective dynamics, this paper identifies a recurring dramaturgy of "democratic just anger," where protagonists rise to power through a mediatized outburst of anger that resonates with the public. Despite their ironic and satirical tones, the named series believe in the classical figure of the "educator of the people" and adapt it for 21st-century democracies. They envision political transformation as a reflexive process, where affective impulses are situated within a broader ecology of moral emotions. While resonating with common populist demands for sincerity and simplicity, these series emphasize the ongoing emotional labor required to hold a diverse society together as a cohesive political community without homogenizing it forcefully. We thus argue that these popular European series can be regarded as a laboratory for emotional labor and care in democratic societies under pressure.