Molavi says it's popular both because it is a dramatic slice of life and because it shows Iranians feel a kinship even to those trying to stop the demonstrations.

CNN: Iranian-Americans 'hungry' for updates amid tumult in Iran

Molavi is also the author of "The Soul of Iran, " a book about Iran's middle class struggling to free itself, under intense economic and cultural restraints, from the control of the state.

CNN: Moussavi: Improbable challenger for Iranian regime

"This anti-Ahmadinejad image is connecting with a lot of Iranians because many feel Ahmadinejad has gone too far, said too many outlandish things and is responsible for a serious financial crisis the country is in, " said Afshin Molavi, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute in Washington.

CNN: Moussavi: Improbable challenger for Iranian regime