By Joseph Fahim
Next week marks the beginning of the month of Ramadan, the biggest and most lucrative TV season of the year.
For 30 days, Arab viewers will be treated to a large banquet of social drama, comedy, thrillers and historical epics. But like all other branches of the entertainment industry, TV production has been hit hard by the economic challenges emerging in the wake of the Jan. 25 uprising.
Twenty-two series will vie for viewers’ attention this Ramadan, a drop by more than 50 percent from last year. Distribution has proven to be a major predicament for producers: numbers of both local and regional channels acquiring Egyptian productions continued to dwindle, with reports that some Arab stations have decided to steer clear from controversial works for unannounced political reasons.
Advertising represents another major challenge for both producers and broadcasters. The current economic slump has forced advertisers to be more selective than previous years, directing their money to fresh works with mass appeal.
For example, three series acquired by the Egyptian television have been dropped this week for failing to attract advertisers: “El Daly: Part 3” starring Nour El-Sherif, “El Shaware’ El Khalfeya” (The Back Streets) starring Laila Elwi and Gamal Soliman and Khaled El-Haggar’s “Dawaran Shubra.”
The vast majority of this year’s crop was produced before Jan. 25 and apart from one or two low-budget series that recently went into production; none of these stories directly address the revolution. Thus a great number of the works on offer carry the staple themes of political corruption, social disintegration and the search for order— themes that have acquired an increasing dramatic intensity over the past few years.
Chief among this group is “Sharae’ Abdel Aziz” (Abdel Aziz Street), a drama centered on the residents of the titular trade mart directed by Ahmed Youssri and starring Amro Saad and Ola Ghanem.
Three others belong to the same group: “A’elet Karama” (Karama’s Family) starring Hassan Youssef and Afaf Shoeib, “Noor Mariam” directed by Ibrahim El-Shawady and starring Nicole Saba and Youssef El-Sherif and “Khatem Soliman” (Soliman’s Ring) directed by Ahmed Abdel-Hamid and starring Khaled El-Sawy and Rania Farid Shawky. The first tackles juvenile delinquency and class conflict, the second touches upon compensation fraud while the third explores the unknown side of the pharmaceutical industry in Egypt.
A number of decisive biopics, another staple genre that has especially prospered in the last decade, have caused a stir before they even started principal photography. The most contentious entry is Abdel-Bary Abu Kheir’s “Al-Hassan wal Hussein.” The big-budget production chronicles the thorny relationship of Prophet Mohamed’s grandchildren Al-Hassan and Al-Hussien with the Prophet’s Companions following the murder of Uthman ibn Affan, the fourth Caliph.
Depicting the Prophet’s Companions on screen is forbidden, according to Islamic doctrine. Although the series has been given the blessings of respected scholar Sheikh Youssef El-Qaradawi, the producers of “Al-Hassan” repeatedly clashed with Al Azhar who issued a fatwa prohibiting its broadcast.
In “El-Shahroura,” Lebanese pop singer Carol Samaha takes on the role of screen legend Sabah. The series attracted the ire of Sabah’s family who refused to cooperate with writer Fedaa’ El Shandaweely. Director Ahmed Shafiq later announced that the show will not delve into the 86-year-old star’s much-publicized love life which included nine marriages and several infidelities.
Banned last year for reasons that remain unexplained, political thriller “Abed Kerman” will finally make its long-awaited appearance this Ramadan. Set during Egypt’s War of Attrition, “King Farouk” star Taym Hassan plays the titular character, an Arab-Israeli spy working for the Egyptian intelligence who develops a friendship with former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. The series is written by Beshir El-Deek and directed by Nader Galal.
A new fad raiding Egyptian TV dramas this season is Muslim/Coptic relations, a subject heavily featured in three new series: “Dawaran Shubra,” “Wadi El-Melook” (Valley of the Kings) and “Adam.”
One of the most eagerly anticipated of the season, “Dawaran Shubra” is the first fruit of the collaboration between Youssef Chahine’s Misr International Films company and the BBC World Service and marks filmmaker El-Haggar’s first foray into Television. Featuring a large cast that includes Dalal Abdel Aziz, Affaf Shoeib, Haitham Ahmed Zaki, Hany Adel, Ahmed Azmi and Zaki Fateen Abdel Wahab, the series sheds light on the Muslim/Christian bonds through the various residents of the Shubra neighborhood, home of the largest Coptic community in Cairo.
Writer Mohamed El-Hefinawy investigates a different angle of the Coptic/Muslim history in “Valley of The Kings,” an adaptation of Mohamed El-Mansy Kandil’s British occupation-set novel, “Youm Gha’em fel Bar El-Gharby” (A Cloudy Day on the Western Bank). Hussein Saleh directs an ensemble cast headed by Somaya El-Khashab, Sabreen and Magdy Kamel.
Also making his debut in TV this season is disgraced pop singer, and former Mubarak supporter, Tamer Hosny, with “Adam.” Co-starring Mai Ezz Eldin, Dorra and Ahmed Zaher, the series revolves around a friendship between a Muslim delivery boy (Hosny) and a devout Christian girl (Ezz Eldin).
For those seeking something less serious, comic relief is offered in abundance with both parody shows and comedy series.
Fresh off his success in cinema with “Samy Oxide El-Carbon,” Hany Ramzy makes a comeback to the small screen with “Arees Delivery” (A Delivery Groom) co-starring Hala Fakher, Emmy Samir Ghanem and Lotfy Labib. Ramzy plays a humble worker unable to make ends meet who finds a solution to his misery in marrying rich women.
Hanan Turk changes gears with “Touta El-Ma’zouna” about a female ma’zoun (marriage registrar) attempting to find clients. The series is directed by Manal El-Seify.
After suffering a grave injury that halted production last year, Ahmed Mekki returns for the second part of “El-Kebeer Awy,” one of the biggest hits of the 2010 season. Mekki revives his dual role of El-Kebeer, the hard-headed Upper Egyptian mayor, and his twin Johnny, an American surfer-dude, as they fight for the control of their village.
Somaya El-Khashab teams up with Fifi Abdo in “Keid El-Nessa” (The Wiles of Women) one of the juiciest series this year. Directed by Ahmed Sakr, El-Khashab and Abdo play the rival wives of Ahmed Bedeir, thinking up all kinds of tricks to win over their husband.
Banned for two years, impersonator Mahmoud Azzab’s “Hekouma Show” (The Government Show), a send-up of the Nazif cabinet, at last premieres this Ramadan on State TV.
Another comedy with a political edge is “Monsieur Ramadan Mabrouk Abou El-Almeen Hamouda,” starring Mohamed Heinidi and directed by Sameh Abdel Aziz. A subplot in the story recounts last year’s parliamentary election fraud through a chronicle of an unqualified and unpopular state-backed candidate who, against the people’s will, wins a seat in the People’s Assembly.
The impact of Egypt’s biggest popular uprising has certainly influenced a number of projects, the majority of which wouldn’t have seen the light of day (in their current form) before Jan. 25. These works could indicate to the new-found political freedom whose breadth might expand further in the near future.
“El-Rayan” is the first TV series to feature former president Hosni Mubarak who appears primarily through documentary footage. Khaled Saleh plays the eponymous business titan who made headlines in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s for the grand investment scams he orchestrated with the aid of several politicians and key government figures at the time. Co-starring Bassem El-Samra, Dorra and Riham Abdel Ghaffour, “El-Rayan” is directed by Shereen Adel.
Police torture is the main subject of “Al Mowaten X” (Citizen X), a murder mystery reportedly inspired by the story of torture victim Khaled Said. The multi-character drama centers on three friends reuniting to unveil the identity of their friend’s killer. Directed by Osman Abu Laban, the star-studded cast features Eyad Nassar, Mahmoud Abdel-Moghny, Youssef El-Sherif and Arwa Gouda.
The most contentious entry of this canon is “El-Daly.” Beginning in the mid-‘80s and concluding at the end of the ‘90s, the third installment of the popular drama focuses, albeit covertly, on Alaa Mubarak, the elder son of the former president, and his shady role in Egypt’s business world. The series is directed by Youssef Sharf El-Din.
“Safahat Men Daftar El-Amal” (Pages from the Book of Hope) is the sole series to tackle Jan. 25 head-on. Multiple directors, including Mahmoud Kamel and Ezz El-Din Saeed, lead a cast of young performers in this docu-drama that chronicles the factors that led to the revolution and its various repercussions.
Despite the great plunge in number from last year, Ramadan 2011 is not scant in interesting offerings. With the nation still grappling with countless protests, sit-ins, cabinet reshuffles and an endless stream of scandalous revelations, the real-life drama of the present, nevertheless, may prove to be more engaging than fiction. Whether Egyptians will switch their attention to narrative dramas, as has been the case for the past 50 years, is the million pound question.
Syrian star Taym Hassan in a scene from “Abed Kerman”.
Somaya El-Khashab and Sabreen in “Valley of the Kings”.
