The ladies of Wisteria Lane have returned to the Middle East, bringing with them a further advance of Rupert Murdoch's media empire into the region.
Beginning with daily weekday broadcasts of the third season of Desperate Housewives, Mr Murdoch's Fox International Channels, in partnership with Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Rotana Media Services, launched the Fox Series channel in the Middle East last week.
The channel will be the region's first 24-hour, free-to-air service dedicated exclusively to Hollywood series. It is one of nearly 100 Fox Series channels in operation internationally in 29 languages.
"In the last 10 years, the popularity of Hollywood TV series has gone up tremendously outside the United States," said Rohit D'Silva, the general manager of Fox International channels in the Middle East. "Fox Series channels are the top rated channels in prime time in places such as Italy, Spain, Latin America and Japan, apart from the local popular channels. So we have a lot of expectations from this channel."
It is the second of two English-language, free-to-air satellite television channels introduced this year by Fox and Rotana. The first, Fox Movies, was launched in May. The new channels are based in Dubai and owned by the Fox Network, which also provides most of the content. Rotana is responsible for regional sales.
"Fox Series adds one more important channel genre to our bouquet and enables RMS [Rotana Media Services] to provide an even more comprehensive solution to advertisers," said Nezar Nagro, the president of Rotana Media Services.
Rotana's regional sales team was likely to expand, Mr D'Silva said, since, in addition to launching a new series channel, the company recently took over ad sales duties for LBC, the Lebanese satellite broadcaster, which merged with Rotana in July.
"Effective in 2009, Rotana will also be selling the LBC channel as part of their portfolio," Mr D'Silva said.
LBC's ad sales had previously been handled by the Choueiri Group.
In addition to Desperate Housewives, the new channel will broadcast the science fiction series Kyle XY, which charts the struggle of Kyle to unravel the mystery of who he is after waking up in a Seattle forest with no memory of his life; Brothers and Sisters, a drama revolving around the lives of the Los Angeles Walker family; and Nip/Tuck, a medical drama following the lives of two plastic surgeons.
Those who have watched the occasionally racy latter programme in its home market of the US should be prepared for a version filtered according to the region's cultural sensitivities.
"We censor all the programmes," Mr D'Silva said.
khagey@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The%20Specs
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
More on Quran memorisation:
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
ACC%20T20%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Championship
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INDIA SQUAD
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6
Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms