Dvizhon Studios launches, alongside the premiere of series The First Time on leading streamer Ukrainian MEGOGO on September 1. Developed over two and a half years between London and Kyiv, the five-part series was led by filmmaker and showrunner Yuriy Dvizhon in collaboration with the Olena Pinchuk Foundation, which has been working for more than 20 years to develop a culture of sexual education and open, informed conversations around sexuality in Ukraine, with support from British luxury brand Aspinal of London.

Alongside its streaming premiere on MEGOGO, the series will have a regular linear run on MEGOGO MUSIC, with extended podcast editions of the celebrity conversations available across major audio platforms.

The series combines comedy, puppetry and evidence-based sex education. At its centre is Niko, a puppet created with puppet studio Talk to the Hand (Mongrels, Yonderland, That Puppet Gameshow), voiced by Anna Lev, the official Ukrainian voice of Bart Simpson.

Filmed inside the Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine, co-host and social-media star TUMAZAR leads candid conversations; Niko asks the direct or unexpected questions a conventional presenter often cannot, while the library itself becomes a voice providing facts and expert context. The episodes expand beyond the studio through street interviews, alongside Niko’s comedic internal monologue. Visual identity and graphic design by Seoul-based designer Will Lim.

This series covers topics including relationships, body image, sexuality and self-acceptance, through interactions with guests including Oleksandr Teren. Teren is a Ukrainian war veteran and amputee who became the lead of the 13th season of Ukraine’s version of The Bachelor. In The First Time, he speaks openly about intimacy and adapting to his body following a life-changing combat injury and the loss of both legs.

The First Time offers a truly global format and was conceived with international localization in mind. The series was developed across London and Kyiv, bringing together Ukrainian talent with global partners and collaborators. The First Time has also been selected for state co-financing towards a second season through Tysiachovesna, Ukraine’s national cultural support initiative.

The founder of Dvizhon Studios Yuriy Dvizhon is an award-winning Ukrainian filmmaker and showrunner based in London. Working across documentary entertainment and scripted development, his work explores identity, sexuality, class and politics. He is a Kyiv Post “Top 30 Under 30” laureate and an IDFA Academy alumnus. His projects have been presented at festivals including Series Mania, Berlinale Talents Sarajevo, Tallinn Black Nights, Stockholm International Film Festival and Serial Killer. Recent credits include Marriage (In)Equality in Ukraine (2023) and Pride Is Not Available In Your Region (2022).

With more than a decade of experience across television, documentaries, music videos and social-impact campaigns, Dvizhon is now developing a wider slate of entertainment, scripted and documentary projects through Dvizhon Studios.

Yuriy Dvizhon, creator and showrunner of The First Time, and Founder of Dvizhon Studios, said: “I was directing much of this show from London while our team in Kyiv kept production moving, through blackouts and repeated Russian missile and drone attacks. It was a strange contrast: we were making a show about how people connect, while Ukraine was living through a full-scale war. I’m proud that what started as a much smaller educational idea grew into a full-scale entertainment format with its own voice, visual world and characters.”

Maria Panchenko, Content Director at MEGOGO, added: “It is important for us to support initiatives that have a genuine social impact. The First Time offers a unique combination of entertainment and an important educational subject. We are pleased to give our audience the exclusive opportunity to be the first to watch a show that creates a safe space for open conversations about healthy relationships and self-acceptance.”