Netflix’s "1670" satirises the absurd ruling class of 17th century Poland-Lithuania – with lessons for today

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 14:56:34 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/netflixs-1670-satirises-the-absurd-ruling-class-of-17th-century-poland-lithuania-with-lessons-for-today-266056>

"Netflix’s 1670 is one of the sharpest period comedies of recent years.

Shot in a mockumentary style, it follows Jan Paweł Adamczewski (Bartlomiej
Topa), a vain provincial nobleman, and his family, in the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth of the late 17th century.

Season two, released this month, builds on the absurd humour of the first –
mixing slapstick with political parody and playful anachronisms.

But while the series is not meant as a history lesson, it works best when
viewed against the real story of Poland-Lithuania, a vast but fragile state
that once dominated East-Central Europe. Understanding this background explains
why the jokes land, and why the series resonates beyond Poland."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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