Egyptian broadcasters have been engaged in a ruthless competition for the attention of this year’s Ramadan audience, with 30 different new series on offer. They range from social dramas, historical series, and comedy shows, but most also tackle politics – either directly or indirectly.

Egyptian broadcasters have been engaged in a ruthless competition for the attention of this year’s Ramadan audience, with 30 different new series on offer. They range from social dramas, historical series, and comedy shows, but most also tackle politics – either directly or indirectly.

Although most people expected a huge increase in TV production this Ramadan, with reassured production companies capitalizing on the relative stability provided by the election of a new president, production is actually still down on previous Ramadans, when 45 series were made at a cost of L.E. 1.5 billion ($200 million).

“The estimated production costs of L.E. 1 billion (US $209 million) for this Ramadan sounds right to me, because the average series costs L.E. 25 million (US $3.5 million),” says producer Khalid Helmi, before adding that this year’s series are much better than last year’s.

New profits

TV companies certainly appear to be doing well. Producer Ahmad Sayed recently announced that the budget for his hit series ‘Seven Commandments’ was being raised to L.E. 30 million (US $4.2 million). “I do not think it is a huge cost considering that the series features over 15 stars, not to mention renting studios and the cost of travelling to more than one governorate,” he said. “Nevertheless, we have made good profits through marketing the series and showing it on several channels. I expect to make more profits on the second and third show.”

“The cost of my series is L.E. 16 million (US $2.2 million),” says actor Tamer Abdulmoneim, who tried his hand at production for the first time with ‘The Pleading’. “The series was shot in Egypt and Dubai and thus was very costly, but we have managed to market it well.”

” ‘Abdeen Palace’ was the most expensive,” said Medhat Hassan, spokesperson for production company MBC Group. “It cost as much as $20 million, the highest amount spent on an Arab series. It features 250 actors, which contributed to this huge budget, as well as the costs of costumes and décor.”

Have TV series replaced cinema?

Considering the high ratings of such series and the production companies’ huge profits, it seems as though TV in Egypt is posing a threat to cinema. Producer Hani Fawzi claims that a lot of producers have shifted to TV production and abandoned cinema for good, since movies have become so unprofitable.

“Some producers lost as much as L.E. 30 million (US $4.2 million) in one movie, which explains why they have chosen to produce TV series instead,” argued Fawzi. “Producers continue making profits even after Ramadan because channels keep buying series all year round. The crises that have recently afflicted cinema were not only caused by the political situation and digital piracy, but also by the fact that TV channels buy movies after they are shown at theatres at token prices that do not even cover their costs.”

But some are unhappy with the development. “The crises hitting cinema over the last few years do not give artists and producers the right to allow this mega industry to deteriorate while they go to TV just to make a profit,” said critic Tareq Shinnawi. “True artists, mindful directors, and smart producers know very well the value of Egyptian cinema. They should have fought for its survival rather than contributing to its destruction.”

Endless criticism

Yet this year’s dramas have successfully competed with cinema and attracted many viewers – and sparked major debates on social networks. Their quality is another matter though – many critics have noticed historical mistakes and an old-fashioned image of women.

‘Abdeen Palace,’ for instance, features Khedive Ismail celebrating his thirty-fifth birthday at Abdeen Palace in Cairo despite the fact that the palace was not finished at the time. Meanwhile, many have noted that ‘Lifelong Friends,’ which tackles Gamal Abd al-Nasser‘s friendship with Abdel Hakim Amer, also includes several historical mistakes in dates and details.

And when it came to the portrayal of women, critic Magda Moris had a few things to say. “I cannot say this year’s series defame the image of Arab women, but I would highlight the absence of positive role models,” she said. “All characters tend to be disrespectful of values. Also, many series only blame Mubarak’s regime for Egypt’s problems, as if Egyptian drama was trying to settle scores with the old regime.”

“This year’s series have many flaws, most importantly the failure of all comedy series,” concluded Shinnawi. “I have not seen any single decent comedy series; all of them are very weak and lack creativity. As for historical series, well! Tell me about it! They have many historical mistakes, which is evident in ‘Lifelong Friends’ and ‘Abdeen Palace.’ They lack credibility.”