Egyptian critics, viewers assess this year's host of Ramadan TV serials

More than 70 Ramadan television serials aired this year, yet only a handful have managed to capture wide audiences

As the month of Ramadan comes to a close, more than 70 Ramadan television serials – aired on a host of different channels – will wrap up this weekend.
Critics differ on the implications of such a large number of Ramadan serials. While critic Kamal Ramzy believes that they offer viewers a wide variety to choose from, Rafik El-Sabban sees the phenomenon as a distraction and a "cheapening" of the art form.
"The large number of serials rids them of competition since it is very difficult to have an overview of the series, besides, excessive commercials also distract viewers from the storyline," El-Sabban told Ahram Online.
Ramzy, however, said that this year's Ramadan serials had shown a degree of maturity in terms of content and theme, as a consequence of the political events of the past year and a half since Egypt's 2011 Tahrir Square uprising.
"The revolution has had an indirect effect on television serials, as different topics are tackled with greater depth," he said.
This year, it is the historical dramas that have caught critics' attention.Napoleon Wel Mahrousa('Napoleon and Egypt'), for instance, has been highly regarded by film critics.
The series, set during the French conquest of Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte, is described by reviewers as highly artistic and has been commended for its meticulous attention to historical detail.
"The casting of the series was great," said film critic Tarek El-Shinnawy. "The actresses, like Farah Youssef, Sawsan Badr and Arwa Gouda, all gave great performances."
Critics also note that Napoleon Wel Mahrousatackles a very important era in Egyptian history.
"The seriesputs one eye on the French conquest and another on current political events," said Ramzy. "It tackles current issues in-depth; the viewer can see that the problems in Egypt now are the same as those back then: namely, poverty, disease and illiteracy."
Another Ramadan series highly regarded by critics is the controversial'Omar,' which tells the story of Prophet Mohamed's companion, the Caliph Omar Ibn El Khattab.
The series, aired on private Saudi channel MBC, has stirred considerable controversy, since some religious scholars say it is haram – or religiously proscribed – to depict the prophet or the caliphs that followed him.
Nevertheless, 'Omar' boasts the highest number of viewers among Muslims around the world, according to MBC. By its third episode, the programme's viewership had increased to 317,432, in addition to over 140,000 online viewers.
According to an Al-Ahram poll, 'Omar,'El-Khawaga Abdel Qadder('Abdel Qadder the Foreigner') andTarf Talet('Third Party') have proven the most popular, with 18 per cent of viewers' votes each.
El-Khawaga Abdel Qaddertells the story of an Englishman, played by prominent actor Yehia El-Fakharany, who coverts to Islam after visiting Sudan. In the series, Abdel Qadder lives in Upper Egypt.
El-Sabban noted that El-Fakharany plays a very different role than those he is usually cast in, while El-Shinnawy was drawn to the serial's screenplay.
"The series defends Islam without fanaticism," he said, "while the Sufi chants that permeate the series give it an enhanced melody."
Meanwhile, a street survey conducted by Ahram Online has confirmed the wide popularity ofFerqet Nagy Attalah('Nagy Attalah's Team'), starring famous Egyptian actor Adel Imam. The survey, conducted among dozens of Egyptians of varying socio-economic backgrounds, indicated different preferences than those of the critics.
Critics opine that Ferqet Nagy Attalahis poorly made in terms of direction, script and storyline, asserting that Adel Imam's longstanding popularity was the prime factor behind the series' success.
Meanwhile, Al-Okht Teresa('Sister Teresa'), which depicts Muslim-Christian relations, has met with disappointment from some Coptic-Christian viewers, who have criticised the serial for what they describe as its inaccurate portrayal of the Christian religion and its traditions.
"It's better not to depict Christians at all than to make a film filled with mistakes," one Christian viewer told Ahram Online.
Several lighter and more humorous serials have also proven popular with the masses.Shorbat Loz('Almond Sorbet'), starring Youssra and comedy actor Samir Ghanem, humorously portrays the relationship between an aristocratic man and a woman from a lower social class.
"Youssra and Samir Ghanem both gave splendid performances," said Ramzy, who also enjoyed El-Zoga El-Rabaa('The Fourth Wife'), a series about the travails of a man with four wives.
Vertigo, meanwhile, based on the novel of the same name by Mourad Hesham, was somewhat overlooked in Egypt, yet it was the most watched series in Dubai, according to daily newspaper Al-Bayan.
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