The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

We’re entering the second half of Ramadan and the spirit of the Holy Month is still strong with us. We’re also getting a better view on the many Ramadan series we watch. But today, let us focus on the comedy shows, which are about 8 in total, with a bit of a critical eye.

Perhaps comedy writing has changed a lot in past years, being highly inspired by the trends on social media. Unfortunately, this takes the story out of a comedy story, and makes it all about a dialogue consisting of punch lines and comedic looks.

A show that managed to break from that mould is that of the genius, Yehia El Fakharany, in Bel Hagm El 3a2ely. A comprehensive story full of situational comedy exactly how it should be. You’ll be watching an interesting story while getting lots of laughs.  

It’s a family friendly tail about an ambassador deciding to shift from his career to his passion of cooking. He opens a restaurant in a coastal city hoping to gather his sons and daughters after each of them strayed away with their own lives. Director Hala Khalil did not succeed in this show thanks to genius frames or difficulty in capturing certain scenes, but more due to creating a show that takes you deep inside the details of a family.

Next up, El-Wasia, starring Akram Hosny and Ahmed Amin. While Akram Hosny has been somewhat of a TV Celebrity for some time, Ahmed Amin has only recently made the change from Facebook to TV, and has now joined Akram Hosny in the shift from show presenter to actor. With two comedians of that stature, we expected something brilliant, but unfortunately, it fell into the same trap of Akram Hosny’s show last year, Rayyah El-Madam. Separate episodes that barely serve the same storyline, with a dialogue comprised of punch lines evenly distributed among the co-stars. While some of them are indeed hilarious, the series still lacks a lot of plot elements.

Third things third, we have Rob3 Roomy, starring Mostafa Khater, Mohamed Sallam, and Bayoumy Fouad. We think the real star here, however, is actor and director Moataz El-Tony, a director truly capable of capturing comedy and creating movies and shows that whole-heartedly make you laugh. What we like about this show is how there is a story to it, and how a lot of the comedy is based on what happens when the hero and his family decide to explore a Pharaonic tomb. We would put this as the second-best comedy series behind Bel Hagm El 3a2ely.

A very confusing fourth entry here is Kheffet Yad, starring, again, Mohamed Sallam and Bayoumi Fouad, and directed by, again, Moataz El Tony. The show also features Mohamed Tharwat and Ayten Amer, and manages to muster up quite a few laughs. There are two problems, however; the series boasts the exact same directing style as that of Rob3 Romy, and the inclusion of two very prominent actors from Rob3 Roomy.

Last, and probably least, Sok Ala Ekhwatak starring Ali Rabie. After rising to fame with a hilarious sense of humour, Rabie seemed to be destined for greatness, but somehow all his fame suddenly collapsed. It seems Ali Rabie was the victim of his own ambition, he so desperately wanted to be a leading star that he didn’t consider the effort he had to put into becoming one of the tools he needed to develop himself as an actor.

The final honourable mention goes to Masrah Masr, the theatrical episodes that started out with a lot of popularity but soon started to deteriorate and dwindle.