The holy month, when television viewership in the region hits an all-time high, is a golden period for the producers and directors of "mosalsalat".
These are the Arab soap operas and programmes presented in a form of melodramatic, serialised fiction that dominate evening television. Ramadan is the one time during the year when Turkish television shows, dubbed in the Syrian dialect, are finally off the roster.
This year was no different. With dozens of intriguing TV shows to choose from, hailing from the Gulf, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon and created as 30-episode bundles screened in exact coordination with the start and end of Ramadan, audiences had plenty to choose from. The finales were all broadcast on Friday – the first day of Eid Al Fitr – because Ramadan this year was 29 days long, in accordance with moon sightings. If the Eid festivities led to you missing the wrap-up episodes of your favourite Ramadan programmes, fear not: we stayed glued to our televisions over the weekend to find out what happened at the end of the eight most talked-about shows of the month. We also tried to keep spoiler alerts to a minimum, should you plan on watching these shows over the course of the coming year.
Most Tedious Soap Drama That We Hope Doesn't Return Next Year: Bab Al Hara Season 7 on MBC
Following up from where the last season left off, the series continues its Levantine life stories in the 1920s and 1930s, reaching the 1936 treaty that paved the way to Syria's independence. It's just more of the same: plenty of weddings, divorces, cooking and polygamy, as well as endless petty fights between the women of the series. The show was once a pioneer in its genre, especially in providing rich details of that period of Syria's history. The props used alone had Syrians reminiscing about the past. However, plot lines have become repetitive and a little over the top. Even the show's biggest fans have taken to social media and said: "Enough." It's time to put this one to rest and hope that next year, we won't have to contend with Bab Al Hara Season 8.
Most Talked About: Haret El Yahud (The Jewish Quarter) on CBC
A drama sympathetic to Egypt's vanished Jewish community, The Jewish Quarter depicts Cairo in the 1950s, set in a neighbourhood where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived together harmoniously. The show begins in 1948, develops with the 1952 revolution, when Abdel Nasser first came to power after the monarchy dissolved, and ends with the 1956 Suez Crisis and the start of conflict between Israel and Egypt after the rise of Zionism. The drama depicts a love story between Ali, an Egyptian-Muslim army officer played by the Jordanian actor Iyad Nassar, and Laila, a young Egyptian-Jewish woman, played by Egyptian actress Menna Shalabi. As one might expect, the romance is marred by the rising wave of Egyptian nationalism and the social tensions brought about by the creation of Israel, and with the end of the show, what we had feared throughout came to pass: their love is doomed and cannot stand up to social pressure. Heart-wrenching stuff.
Most Indicative of the Political Landscape in Egypt: Ostaz w Ra'ees Qesm (Professor and Head of the Department) on MBC
The show stars the great Egyptian actor Adel Imam, so already, it’s off to a great start. Imam plays the character of Dr Fawzi Juma’a, a leftist college professor teaching at the faculty of agriculture, who is constantly angry about Egypt’s political situation before the 2011 uprising and the way the Muslim Brotherhood was taking advantage of the country’s youth. The biggest problem in his marriage is his and his wife’s inability to have children. He joins the January uprising in 2011 and eventually is granted a position in the new government. From then on, he starts a new chapter of his life, full of shocks and surprises and an illegitimate child from a past relationship. The finale was the climax of the tale, set against the upheaval of June 30, 2014, with one million Egyptian protesters – together with Imam’s character – taking to the street and calling for the immediate resignation of Mohammed Morsi as president. It was done well, with little exaggeration of the actual events.
Most Entertaining/Most Schizophrenic: Ya Ana Ya Enty (Either Me or You) on MBC
A comedy exploiting cultural and ideological contrasts between the two extremes of social hierarchy in Egypt through the escapades of best friends Doodoo and Soosoo, this show couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a dramatic thriller or a silly comedy, so fluctuated between the two extremes regularly. With Egyptian belly dancer and actress Fifi Abdou playing the role of Doodoo alongside celebrated Egyptian actress Sumaya Al Khashab as Soosoo, there were plenty of spontaneous belly-dancing bouts every three episodes or so, courtesy of the 62-year-old, indomitable Abdou. However, the show wrapped up without resolving Doodoo’s daughter’s dilemma: did she marry the Basha’s son against her mother’s wishes, or did she concede to her overbearing mum? It’s up to us to decide.
Most Surprising in Revealing Unexpected Talent: Tareeqi (My Road) on CBC, OSN & Abu Dhabi TV
Who knew that Shireen Abdul Wahab had it in her? Though some critics tore her acting abilities to shreds, we disagreed vehemently and thought the talented 35-year-old Egyptian singer and former judge on The Voice Arabia was most impressive in her small-screen debut. Tareeqi is an Egyptian drama that follows the story of young Dalila and her passion for singing, considered a sin by her controlling mother. Dalila rebels and chases after her dream for years, facing numerous obstacles from people with their own secret agendas. The performance of young Syrian actor Basil Khayat as Dalila's mentor and later as an abusive husband also deserves an honourable mention. Prepare to be serenaded by Abdul Wahab's distinctive voice throughout the series.
Most Prone to Long, Nap-Inducing Sequences Devoid of Dialogue: Cello on MBC
A Lebanese drama loosely based on Indecent Proposal with Robert Redford and Demi Moore, Cello starred Syrian actor Taim Hasan and Lebanese actors Nadine Nassib Njeim and Youssef Al Khal. A cellist, Yasmine, and her pianist husband Adam, crazy in love and eager to create a business project they have dreamt of all their lives, begin to drift apart when their work is mysteriously burnt to the ground. It doesn't help that Taimur, an arrogant businessman played excellently and convincingly by Hasan, appears obsessed with Yasmine and offers to compensate the couple with an indecent proposal, one they are unable to resist. The final episode was eerie in its similarities to the ending of Indecent Proposal; like Demi Moore's character, Yasmine returns to Adam dressed in all-white, dropped off by Taimur's driver, proving that love conquers all and wealth cannot buy happiness. There is a strong lack of creativity in the development of the series and at least 65 per cent of the show consisted of monotonous scenes where the actors gaze into each other's eyes and dialogue is scarce. Watch the first three episodes and the last, and you have this one covered.
Please Never Again! Most Viewed & Most Hated: Ramez Wakel el-Gaw (Ramez in Control) on MBC
Egyptian actor and entertainer Edward, known for perfecting the role of the goofy sidekick, was the last of 30 guests who fell victim to Ramez Galal’s outrageous celebrity prank, and perhaps the most frightened of the lot – he wept, screamed and tried to beat Galal to a pulp once he realised it was a joke. Galal’s show, where he tricked celebrities into believing they were attending a grand hotel opening then took them on a terror-filled plane ride over Dubai, had the whole world talking when he broadcast an episode with the American socialite Paris Hilton. Hilton announced she intended to sue him, despite rumours that she was in on the prank and a willing, paid participant. Hilton was Galal’s only western celebrity; the Arab stars included George Wassouf, Assi El Helani, Hala Sarhan, Neshan and even a very pregnant Halema Boland. This is the third year in a row that Galal has taken celebrities on a near-death experience, reducing them to tears, and it has officially become old. We’d like to echo what many celebrities have already told him, time and again: “When are you going to learn that this is becoming too much? Enough, already.”
Most Impressive: Dubai London Dubai on Dubai TV
A group of ambitious young Arabs from Dubai travel abroad to pursue their dreams, craving new experiences and careers. However, cultural difficulties and unexpected challenges arise as their lives in London begin to clash with their upbringing in Dubai. That, coupled with the expectations of elders back in Dubai, makes for an interesting portrayal of the duality of life for those straddling East and West. The show boasts a star-studded cast of Emirati talent, including Abdelaziz Jassem, Ahmed Irag, Salma Salem and Saoud Al Kaabi, who shot to fame after starring in Ali F Mostafa's City of Life. Kuwaiti actress Zahra Al Kharji is also part of the cast. The shots of Dubai alone are reason enough to dive into the show, and the cinematography, moving soundtrack and superb editing are testament to how far ahead TV production in the UAE is to the rest of the Arab world. One worth watching.
• All the MBC shows can be viewed online in their entirety by visiting www.shahid.net. All the CBC shows can be viewed on www.cbcramadan.com
artslife@thenational.ae