Every year Ramadan rolls around with its family gatherings, Mango-Cream-Kunafas, and ever-evolving desserts. We huddle up with our loved ones after breaking the fast with Iftar, make rows of tea for everyone, and binge-watch our favorite TV shows. It has become an almost fundamental ritual in Egyptian society during Ramadan.
As the Holy Month approaches, we take a look at our favorite Egyptian TV shows from last year.
TAHT EL WESAYA
Mona Zaki’s hit series Taht El Wesaya took our hearts by storm. The show follows a mother of two, Hanan, trying to steer through her life after her husband’s death. We live her struggles as she works her way through a system that favors male guardianship.
We watch the children’s paternal grandfather control and micro-manage the finances, which then leads Hanan to ‘steal’ her late husband’s boat from the dock and escape with the kids.
The show explores themes of female oppression and systemic injustice, bringing the topics into light of Egyptian society and resulted in Parliament re-discussing the laws surrounding guardianship.
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EL HARSHA EL SABAA
The show sees Egyptian TV stars Amina Khalil and Mohamed Shahin, who play Nadine and Adam, a married couple, inching towards their seventh year of marriage. The recent arrival of their twin babies places a heavy load on their relationship. We watch them navigate their way through jealousy, infidelity, and an impending divorce.
Characterized by its enticing subplots, El Harsha El Sabaa also follows their best friends Salma and Sherif, who have a more unconventional relationship. At first, Sherif doesn’t want to get married, and expresses to his partner he would rather stay boyfriend-girlfriend.
A fan favorite for sure, the show sparked many online debates and was a hot topic throughout its 15 days of airing.
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KAMEL EL ADAD
Dina El Sherbiny and Sherif Salama’s family-friendly TV show Kamel El Adab left audiences clutching their hearts. The series follows Laila, an entrepreneur, as she falls in love with Ahmed, a plastic surgeon. The couple decide to get married, but with seven children among them, it proves to be harder than they thought.
One of the lighter shows, Kamel El Adad was a hit with young and old audiences.
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GAT SALEEMA
Donia Samir Ghanem’s much anticipated return to the screen, Gat Saleema is yet another heartwarming series from the beloved TV star. The show follows Saleema in a Cinderella-inspired plotline, where her father’s passing leaves her and her little brother in the custody of her evil step-mother and stepsisters. Saleema, still intent on running her father’s library, falls into a magical book which transports her and her brother into a story-world. While she finds her arrival had been forespoken, she faces many twists and turns, among which is her brother’s kidnapping. The character has to then rise to the occasion in order to save her little brother and find her way back to the real world.
Elevated with Ghanem’s well-loved musical numbers, the fantasy series played in every house this last Ramadan.
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1000 HAMDELLA AL SALAMA
Of course, we cannot look back at Ramadan 2023 without highlighting Egyptian superstar Youssra’s 1000 Hamdella Al Salama. The series follows Dr. Samiha who decides to come home to Egypt after her husband’s death. Having lived abroad for over 25 years, Samiha and her children are foreigners in their own country. We see them struggle to fit in.
The series sees rising stars Mayan El Sayed and Adam El Sharkawy in more comedic roles, which is a big shift from their respective roles in the blockbuster series Laebet Newton (2022).
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We can’t wait to see what the industry has to offer for Ramadan 2024.
