The slogan for the television series Servant of the People, currently available to stream on SBS On Demand, is: Based on a future true story.
But Paul D'Anieri, professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside, wants audiences to keep in mind that it's just a TV show.
"It's not a documentary," he said.
"It's not real. But of course, like most television shows that are popular, they're popular because they get at something."
Professor D'Anieri has watched the first season of the comedy series, in which a humble high school history teacher, Vasiliy Holoborodko is filmed railing about the political situation in Ukraine.
The video becomes a viral hit after a student posts it on YouTube. Vasiliy becomes a star, and ultimately president of the country.
The series has come into vogue because Vasiliy is played by now real-life Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"Long before this show Servant of the People came out, Zelenskyy was on a variety of basically what we would think of as sketch comedy programs that were seen all over the former Soviet Union," Professor D'Anieri said.
"And actually, the production company that he worked with was in Russia. And Zelenskyy did his comedy largely in Russian. His native language is Russian. So, he's very popular in Russia."
Professor D'Anieri said Servant of the People was made for Ukrainian television, but it had an audience in Russia as well. That is, until it was banned there because of a joke centred on some fancy wrist watches, but aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The result of that particular bit of humour was that it got the show kicked off of Russian television, because Putin doesn't have a very good sense of humour," Professor D'Anieri said.
He said Mr Zelenskyy's career trajectory was a "weird case" of life imitating art.
"So, you have a guy who's just a comedian. He's a comedian who ends up in this show in which an average person accidentally becomes president of Ukraine.
"And it leads within a couple of years to this comedian, not exactly accidentally, but nonetheless someone who's got no prior experience in politics whatsoever, becoming president of Ukraine."
Mr Zelenskyy was elected in a landslide victory in 2019. The country was already at war with Russia, and had been since 2014.
Karin von Strokirch is an adjunct senior lecturer in international relations at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW.
Dr von Strokirch said Mr Zelenskyy leveraged his popularity during his election campaign, even naming his political party after the TV program he starred in.
"His popularity as a result of the TV program meant that he ran a very unusual election campaign for president," Dr von Strokirch said.
"Usually candidates would use the mainstream media and other traditional forms of reaching the public. But he eschewed that.
"And he focused pretty much solely on direct social media communication to the public.
"And he also rested on his laurels a bit because he already knew that he was hugely popular as a result of the TV program, because in people's mind, his persona was merging between his on-screen character and his political role in real life."
She said he had a vague commitment to ending corruption and promoting more transparency and honesty in politics, but won without a detailed election policy platform.
But Professor D'Anieri said Mr Zelenskyy's initial popularity had fallen dramatically by early this year.
"People were frustrated," he said
"The economy has not improved. They may have made some dents in corruption, but the oligarchs were still the oligarchs.
"So, to some Ukrainians, he was acting like his TV character, but what he really was was just another Ukrainian president."
Of course, Mr Zelenskyy's popularity skyrocketed again following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February this year.
Professor D'Anieri said Servant of the People was a success because it highlighted Ukrainian frustration at the political situation but also because of the optimism shown by Mr Zelenskyy's character.
He said as a political figure, Mr Zelenskyy's youth, vigour, energy and sense of humour was in direct contrast to Mr Putin's image – and the Russian President would see him as a threat.
"Putin has been in power for 20-plus years," Professor D'Anieri said.
"He's just about to turn 70. He's stodgy, he has no sense of humour.
"He's grumpy. He's aggressive. And he says all these bad things about Ukraine: they're fascists, they're anti-Russian, and so on.
"Now, this guy becomes president of Ukraine.
"He's 41 years old. He's fresh. He's energetic. He's somebody who many Russians know because they've been watching him on TV for years.
"And he's a Russian speaker. And in contrast to this idea of Ukrainian Nazis, he's a Jew who several of his relatives died in the Holocaust.
"So, he totally undermines everything Putin wants Russians to think about Ukraine.
"Zelenskyy's very election and existence is a threat to Putin, because he shows what Russia could have, right? Russia could have a president like this, and instead they've got Putin."
Professor D'Anieri said people should watch Servant of the People in part because it's funny — a glimpse into someone else's country and government — but it will also give viewers a look at the natural beauty of the country.
"You get to see some of the beauty of Kyiv and of Ukraine, you get to see something of Ukrainian culture… and I think it's worth just a glimpse at what is being destroyed as we talk."
Seasons 1-3 of Servant of the People are available on SBS On Demand.
