Catch up on these trending shows you can stream for Ramadan 2018

Al Assouf. Photo courtesy of MBC.

At the beginning of every Ramadan, we’re hit with a barrage of TV listings, with each channel promoting its content and series as the best of the season. And it’s hard to tell what the hottest shows are going to be until at least a week into their run. After that, it becomes clear just what is doing really, really, well.

Whether it’s trending on Twitter, racking up views on YouTube or just spreading via word of mouth, we’re bringing you the best series of Ramadan 2018 so far. All of these shows can easily be found on YouTube (most production companies officially release series for free there) or the MBC video-on-demand portal Shahid.net, meaning you can catch up anytime.

1. RAHIM

Fresh from last year’s success in Del El Ra’ees (The President’s Shadow), Egyptian actor Yasser Galal returns in Rahim, another politically charged drama, alongside Lebanese actress Nour. Here, the title character has spent time in prison for money laundering, and he is released in an Egypt that has changed greatly. His wealth seized and his family nowhere to be found, Rahim sets out on a journey of revenge against those who wronged him.

2. KALABSH 2

Amir Karara is back for Season 2 of this thrilling action series, in which he portrays a special forces agent, Major Salim Al-Ansari, who fights terrorists but finds himself in conflict with senior officials instead. When his family is murdered, Al-Ansari sets out to find the people responsible. However, his chances of catching the killer are hindered when he is sent to prison.

3. NESR EL SAEED

Trending in Egypt and Saudi Arabia is the drama-, romance- and action-filled Nesr El Saeed, which translates as “the eagle of Upper Egypt”. Mohamed Ramadan plays a policeman named Zain who falls in love with an artist, played by Dorra Zarouk, who hails from class and wealth. After marrying against their families’ wishes, they settle in Qena. But will the marriage survive?

4. AL WASIYA

In this comedy trending in the UAE, Akram Hosny plays Ibrahim, a man who doesn’t have the greatest relationship with his father, one of Egypt’s best-known chocolatiers.

Akram, whose face adorns the wrapper of one of the most popular sweets in the country, soon finds himself in a position to take charge of the company when his father passes away. However, he soon finds out that he has been given a series of tasks to complete before he can lay a single finger on his inheritance.

5. AL ASSOUF

Set in 1970s Saudi Arabia (but filmed in Abu Dhabi), Al Assouf features the beloved Saudi comedian Nasser Al Qasabi in a series that focuses on the social, economic and political history of the Kingdom at that time.

Al-Qasabi told Arab News, “We tried to simplify human relations, and we were keen to be realistic with the events, without ignoring the political movement that goes on in the background, to give an impression of the time period we’re talking about.”

6. RAMEZ TAHT AL-SEFR

Let’s be honest; most people have no idea how or why Ramez Galal gets away with his antics on his annual prank show during Ramadan. Since 2011, the Egyptian actor (and Ashton Kutcher wannabe?) has been on the receiving end of massive criticism due to the nature of the pranks, yet the show also goes viral every year, and there’s certainly something unique about watching celebs on the receiving end lose their cool (remember Shah Rukh Khan last year?)

This year’s show, called “Ramez Taht Al-Sefr”, will feature Galal impersonating Egypt’s national team coach Hector Cooper and pranking unsuspecting actors and footballers by pretending that they’re stuck in Russia. Not only are they stranded, but they also face a series of traumatic experiences. Watch what happens above in this clip featuring Egyptian footballer Shikabala, which has racked up nearly 3 million views at time of publishing.

(Writing by Karim Mansour; Editing by Seban Scaria seban.scaria@thomsonreuters.com)

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