Compiled by Reem Saleh, Digital Department, DFI

The holy month of Ramadan means more Mosalasalat, or TV series, as we previously reported in a post dedicated to this phenomenon. More than 40 shows with themes of political drama to comedy mean more competition. We asked you to step away from the soaps, and tell us about your most and least favourite TV series.

Assem Abu Al Toyour, DFI General Services Supervisor

Assem Abu Al Toyour

Likes…

1. Banet el Ayleh is a social drama tackling women’s issues. “I like it for its perfect narration and the fact that the characters meet real people from our daily lives.”
2. Znood al Sit is a comedy cooking show. “I just love how it merges between cooking, drama and comedy.”
3. Hareem al Sultan (The Sultan’s Harem) portrays the era of Sultan in Turkey during the Ottoman reign. “It’s one of the best historical Turkish dramas.”

Dislikes…

1. Al Bahth an Aroossa (Looking for a Bride) is a family comedy. “It has an uninteresting narrative with a monotonous story.”
2. Tarek wa Hayoona is a comedy series “It’s supposed to be funny, instead it’s meaningless.”
3. Ma Sabq al Esrar is a drama about a lawyer with enemies “I don’t like the language of the film. They use unnecessary swear words.”
   
   

Seventeen year old Qatari Ali Al Mslmani has seen four TV series so far. “I don’t have the time for all of them,” he says. “There are more than 50. I need another two years to complete them.”

Likes…

TV series: Saher el Leil

1. Saher al Leil is a drama set during the Iraq-Kuwait war in 1990. “I love the reality of it. It makes us feel that we’re living amidst the atrocious attacks on Kuwait. Some of my Kuwaiti friends mentioned that this TV series is 100 percent accurate to the invasion events. I am also totally taken by the directing and the music. I recommend it.”

Dislikes…

1. Kinnat al Sham w Kanayen al Shamiya is a social drama taking place during the seventies in the Gulf. “It’s written by Hiba Meshari Hamada and for two years I’ve been disappointed with her work. She mixed different events in a totally unrealistic way; characters always end up with a surprise or meeting by coincidence. The essay-like dialogue doesn’t represent our Khaleeji culture at all; that’s not how we talk in our homes. The series has exaggerated boldness that affects the overall acting. There are certain things that are culturally wrong and unacceptable.”
2. Khadimat al Kawm is a social drama portraying the hardships of rich families. “This series is written by Wadad al Kuwari. She is one of my favorite writers with previously wonderful dramas. In the last three years, she wasn’t able to keep up with her successes in my opinion. The dialogues are very similar from one character to the other, and we almost have the same story every day. After the sixth episode, I decided to just stop watching.”
3. Majmooat Insan is a social drama. “It’s poorly directed and unfortunately, I stopped watching it as well.”
   
   

Qatari-Egyptian aspiring filmmaker Hend Fakhro has been quite active in the TV series marathon. Here are her best and worst picks:

Hend Fakhro

Likes…

1. Khotot Hamra is a social drama about people’s interpretations of boundaries. “I love the parallel story lines between the two main characters; the good vs. evil. I’m also blown away by Mondher Ryahneh’s portrayal of the of Upper Egypt’s character from al Sai’id, knowing he’s Jordanian and not Egyptian.”
2. Seedna el Sayed is a social drama with one man and different characters. “I love anything with Jamal Suliman. This year his role is complex. The writers did a good job of making him evil but still managed to show his human side. I also like Ahmed el-Fishawy’s small yet significant role.”
3. Rakam maghool is a thriller about a renowned lawyer who receives threatening and anonymous phone calls every day. “I like the mystery behind the storyline that makes us wonder about this anonymous person that keeps calling the main character. There are also plenty of very interesting characters.”

Dislikes…

1. El Horoob is an action drama with Kareem Abdel Aziz. “I found myself wondering when it was going to be over. It reminds me too much of the old Egyptian regime and I’m not interested in reliving those times.”
2. Firqat Naji Attallah is a story of a retired police officer at Tel Aviv’s Egyptian Embassy. “Even though I’m a big fan of Adel Emam and his son Mohammed, I’m not interested in watching yet another anti-Israeli show. I like to keep away from politics during Ramadan.”
3. El Safa’a is a historical drama set between the fifties in the seventies in Egypt during Jewish diaspora. “I watched a few episodes because it’s a new angle on recent Egyptian history, but for the same reason I don’t watch Naji Attallah. I quickly lost interest.”
   
   

Are you glued to any of the Ramadan TV series? Do you agree with what our readers had to say about them? Share your opinion on Twitter (@Dohafilm) and vote for your favorite drama on Facebook.