"Innocent Heart," a six-part drama featuring strong female characters and an election as a backdrop, comes as Afghanistan tries to move from war to democracy and foreign troops withdraw after more than a decade of fighting.
While the Taliban banned television during their rule, foreign-funded TV soap operas like "Innocent Heart" now entertain viewers with stories that reflect their own lives while promoting change in this conservative, religious and poverty-stricken country.
Independent television networks grew rapidly in Afghanistan after the 2001 US-led invasion that toppled the Taliban.
Most TV time, however, is taken up by cheaply produced game shows, talent quests and dubbed soap operas from India and Turkey, as few stations are interested in making expensive dramas that might not attract advertising.
So made-in-Afghanistan dramas rely on foreign aid funding, which comes with the condition that the shows carry positive messages. In the case of "Innocent Heart," the US Agency for International Development bankrolled its production.
Police action series "Eagle Four," a 2010 hit compared to the American thriller "24," sought to change public views of the police at a time when they were widely distrusted. The show also had women police officers who were tough and smart, challenging traditional attitudes that women should be confined to their homes.
"As the characters are learning along the course of the drama series, the audience is learning as well," said Tierney, who also worked on "Eagle Four."
Some 90 per cent of those living in the capital, Kabul, have access to a TV, while percentages drop in rural areas, according to a 2010 study.