Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims, began on Thursday, 18 June. Apart from fasting, prayers and charity, it is also considered the best time of the year to air new television shows in various parts of the Islamic world, including UAE, Syria, Turkey and Bahrain.
Popular broadcasting channels, including Icflix, OSN, MBC, CBC, OSN Ya Halla HD, Abu Dhabi TV, Sharjah TV, Al-Jadeed, Al-Manar and Al-Sumaria have released their line-ups for the holy month.
The Middle Eastern streaming platform, Icflix, will air seven new television shows "Hawary Bucharest", "Wesh Tany", "Yawmiyat Zoga Mafrusa Awy", "Al Ahd", "Alf Leila we Leila", "Al Sa'look" and "Khalil Allah" according to Broadcast Pro.
Egyptian script writers have prepared three unique dramas, "El-A'ahd" by Mohamed Amin Rady, "El-Kabous" by Hala El-Zendy and "Taht El-Saytara" by Mariam Naoum. While "El-A'ahd" revolves around various challenges faced by a village ruled by women, "El-Kabous" focuses on environment sustainability as seen through the life of a plastic recycling factory owner. "El-Saytara" is about drug addicts and their struggle for acceptance, according to Ahram Online.
Here is the list of five must-watch television shows for Ramadan 2015:
Pay It Forward: It is a game show that will be telecast on Channel 55. Contestants from across Bahrain will be picked at random for the programme and asked five questions on general topics. The winner will be rewarded with two envelopes of BD100 each. "Pay It Forward focuses on sharing and doing a good deed, which are the essence of the holy month," BTV adviser and Channel 2 head Ahdeya Ahmed told Gulf Daily News.
Bab al-Hara 7: The popular Syrian television series will be back on MBC and LBC with season 7 during the month of fasting. It will be directed by Azzam Fawq el-Adha and written by Othman Jiha and Sleiman Abdul Aziz. The cast will include Abbas al-Nouri, Maisoon Abu Asaad, Ayman Zeidan, Sabah al-Jazairi and Wafa Mousalli.
Tahet al-Saytara: The drama revolves around the life of a young lady played by Egyptian actress Nelly Karim and the various challenges faced by her while helping two addicted women. It also stars Lebanese actress Haifa Wehbe and Egyptian actor Khaled Muhammad El Nabawy. The show will be directed by Tamer Mohsen and telecast on CBC.
24 Kirat: OSN's new drama will focus on a love triangle between a businessman, his wife and the husband's affair. It stars Syrian actor Abed Fahed, Tunisian actor Dhaffer L'Abidine, Takla Chamoun, Talal al-Jurdi, Bassem Mughnieh, Majdi Mashmoushi, Lebanese actresses Maguy Bou Ghosn and Cyrine Abdelnour.
Ash'had: The docu-fiction will be another Ramadan special programme by Channel 55 and it is about 50 people who convert to Islam. "Our aim is to project what they found interesting in the religion and thus highlight the merits of Islam. We need to spread a message to the world that Islam is not a religion of slitting throats but of peace and tolerance," said Ahmed.
