Ramadan is just around the corner, and while many associate it with yummy food and good behavior, we all secretly know that it's all about the entertainment line-up for the month - namely the good, the bad and the beautiful TV shows it has to offer. Once our tummies are filled-up and our brains slowly begin to function again, we like to kick off our shoes and dive into soap heaven.
Click. With hundreds of TV channels airing tens of Syrian, Egyptian, Lebanese and Turkish dramas, each with their own unique soap opera storylines, we're truly spoilt for choice! Every year, a volcano of emotions erupts inside us, as the Syrians make us laugh, the Egyptians make us cry, and the Lebanese make us gasp, with scene after scene of gritty life, fantasy fiction, classic commedy and murky melodrama and never without (and the Arabs can't resist) politics.
For the Arab audiences, it’s a tough act to swing-- tuning out of the politics, the wars, the ugly realities engulfing the region and diving into the bliss of escapism courtesy of the telly. And the pressure falls on the makers of Arab TV soap to deliver the goods. In Ramadan, it’s no easy feat either. There are extra rules to consider that Muslims can let fly eleven months of the year round. It’s all about best behavior on and off the set.
But can the creators get carried away or bend the draconian rules of the Holy Month a little? Some seem to think so! Many of this year's dramas have had their fair share of ups and downs, what with the political instability in the region and because of (what we like to call) the TV hooligans.
Yes, hooligans. They like to stir things up and criticize any show that comes their way, regardless of whether it is crappy or captivating! Please, somebody keep that remote control away from their interfering hands! And, as if criticizing wasn't drama-queeny enough, some have gone as far as filing lawsuits against those scrip writers! Ummm, that's going a tad too far, isn't it?
If Turkish dramas, with their romantic story lines and touchy-feely scenes, manage to survive the censor's cut, then why shouldn't a traditional bellydancer in a feisty Egyptian drama be granted the green light?
Luckily for you, we have rounded up 8 of the most controversial TV shows this Ramadan, unadulterated and uncensored, that have made the Karim month’s short-list. We bring you Ramadan TV bloopers!
Read up and tell us whether you think a casino dancer ruins the spirit of the Holy Month, or if it's OK to air a show with a stolen script!
