Lucy Wilska (Ilona Ostrowska), an American of Polish descent, comes from New York to Wilkowyje, a small town in eastern Poland, to deal with the matters of a house she inherited after her grandmother. Initially she intends to sell it, but after spending a night in the house she decides to stay in the town permanently.
Here she meets and befriends Kusy (Pawel Krolikowski), a drunk living in a cottage next to her house, whom she soon discovers to actually be an educated man and former famous painter, who went through a breakdown after the death of his wife. Lucy also fells in conflict with the corrupt town mayor Pawel Koziol (Cezary Zak) who intended to buy the house from her, but gets in friendly relations with his twin brother, a Catholic priest Piotr Koziol (also Cezary Zak), who is very respected in town and strongly conflicted with his brother. Lucy's worldview and progressive ways often clash with the simple and very conservative society of Wilkowyje, but in time she earns much. Pani Lucy a Pole who returns to the family lands from the USA, finds the politics and class warfare of pre communist Poland is going strong. She finds allies and enemies cleverly played in one case by the same actor who is both the parish priest and his twin brother the township mayor. Over the years this show has run Lucy marries, has children and is elected in her own right as mayor.
Surrounded by colourful characters and well written stories including a wonderful episode in which the town folk combat the mob, culminating in a pitched battle that has gone down in Ranczo history. Among the characters you'll meet are the drunk guys on the bench, each one a gem individually, Wojt's daughter who is insane and flighty but determined, the women of the town who have their own peculiar way of dealing with each other, the feisty but initially shy farm wife who makes pierogi and of course Lucy's main foils, her husband the artist, the priest, the politician, the policeman and the doctor. If you want to have a feel for what modern Poland is like, this is the best way short of moving there. If you know what you are doing you can watch the show from the start. Be prepared to be addicted, like marmite, you'll either love it or hate it.