DISPATCH
Ramadan TV soap operas heat up

CAIROLIVE.COM'S EXCLUSIVE PLOT SUMMARIES AND UPDATES ON THE GOINGS-ON OF YOUR FAVORITE SHOWS...

Soap Operas (programs below)

Al Attar Wal Saba' Banat
(The spice dealer and the seven girls)
8.20pm on Channel 2

Nour El-Sherif (Haj Saleh) stars as a very religious spice dealer who has no children. Many people are envious of his position in society -- as he is highly trusted by people and they constantly seek his advice. His wife (played by Somaya El-Alfi) believes that Haj Sabri is unable to conceive, although Sabri believes it is his wife who is infertile. To convince him that their childless situation is not her fault, she sets him up with Hania (Magda Zaki) -- who is an orphan and lives in their house, serving as a maid. Will they ever have children, or is it really El-Haj Saleh's fault? This is what we will find out in the next few days.

previous update : 
After the success of last year's Al Haj Metwalli, everyone is speculating that this too will be a hit. El-Sherif is Al-Haj Sabri, the spice dealer married to actress Somaya El-Alfi. Amongst his friends and family, Sabri is known to be a very religious person, who people go to seeking advice and help. Magda Zaki (who co-starred in last year's hit) is a poor woman who is friends with Sabri's wife and occasionally visits her. Rania Farid Shawki -- who was advised by the producer to take belly dancing classes before the production was pictured-- is the belly dancer whom Sabri's (Emad Rashad) son will fall in love with. 

Ayna Qalby
(Where is my heart?)
At 10.15pm on Channel 2, at 11.20 on the Egyptian Satellite Channel and at 7.00pm on Nile Drama, 8.20 on Dream TV

The story of a working woman with minimum resources, trying to provide the best lifestyle for her two children. Faten's (Youssra) husband has died, leaving her to raise a son and a daughter. At work as an engineer, she refuses to accept bribes in order to allow a corrupt contractor to build shoddy housing.
However, her attempts to live a decent life mean she is unable to fulfill all her children's needs (her daughter wants a mobile phone and private lessons). 
Meanwhile, her late husband's cousin, Morshidy (Hassan Hosni), obviously has a thing for Faten and offers her gifts that probably have a hidden meaning that she does not understand. To make matters even more complicated, Morshidy's son (played by Ibrahim El-Shakankiri) is in love with Faten's daughter and constantly tries to go out with her, but fails.
Faten's best friend, Wessal (Abla Kamel), is kind, loving and un-married -- meaning she is constantly being pressured into meeting eligible men by her mother. When she refuses to get married, her mother slaps her, prompting Wessal leaves the house and goes to live with Faten.

previous update: 
Youssra stars as a working  woman with two children and a dead husband. Faten (Youssra) works as an engineer, alongside her best-friend Wesam (Abla Kamel). They discover that the construction of certain buildings do not meet the regulations and so they try to uncover these crimes. Amongst the cast is Mahmoud Kabil.

Amira min Abdeen
(Amira from Abdein)
11.05pm on Channel 1, 7.10 on the Egyptian Satellite Channel 1 and 3.00pm on Nile Drama. 10.00pm on Dream TV

This soap opera is about Egyptian businessmen who steal money and flee the country. Amira (Samira Ahmed) was charged with conspiring with her husband Abdel-Monsef (Youssef Shaaban) who had feld the country before being charged with robbery. After extensive investigations she is found not guilty. Apparently, it turns out that her husband and her son Gamal (Mohamed Riad) were both set up by her daughter's husband, Tarek (Ahmed Shaker). Tarek steals the money they had fled with, along with the combinations of the secret bank accounts and leaves Athens (where the three had initially fled). Back in Egypt, Amira and her daughter Ghada (Hanan Turk) find that they cannot afford t o live in the massive villa they currently reside in and so they leave for Amira's old house in Abdein.

previous update:
Starring Samira Ahmed and written by the famous Egyptian writer Osama Anwar Okasha. Amira (Samira Ahmed) personalizes the character of a woman whose husband dies in the war, leaving her to raise two kids -- Ghada (Hannan Turk) and Gamal. She remarries Abdel-Monsef (Youssef Shaaban) and lives with him for 27 years peacefully before she is shocked by him fleeing the country with her daughter's husband Tarek (Mohamed Riad). Soon she finds out that her husband had stolen money from banks and had escaped before being charged with robbery.

Fares Bela Gawad
(Horseman without a Horse)
11.50pm on Channel 2 and 5.30 on Nile Drama. 6.45pm on Dream TV

The controversial soap opera that has been accused of being anti-Semitic has begun to heat up. Mohamed Sobhi is Hafez, the narrator who begins his story by telling of Egypt under Turkish dominance. His father Naguib was a young peasant who was kidnapped by a Turkish Pasha and forced to live with the  Pasha's family. He was raised in their mansion alongside their daughter Malak (Reham Abdel Ghafour) with whom he falls in love with and aspires to marry.
The Pasha agrees but his wife Anoreen Hanem (Hanaa' El-Shorbagy) only agrees on the condition that Naguib will have to abide by all her rules. After six months of marriage Naguib looses his temper when he is not allowed to take Malak and go to his brother's wedding.
Anoreen Hanem refuses to let them go because his maternal parent's house is in the poor area of the village. The argument results in Naguib's exile to Sudan and an already pregnant Malak is sent to live with the servants because she refuses to have an abortion. She gives birth to Hafez and is not allowed to see him, until she dies of hunger and thirst in her servant's bedroom. After her death, her mother feels guilty and starts to treat Hafez as one of the family.

previous update:
The controversial series starring Mohamed Sobhi as Hafez, a man who lives during the period between 1850 to 1917, trying to survive the British occupation. He uses masks to disguise himself and throughout his struggle against the British he does not kill a single person.

To read more about the Horseman controversy click here

Goha Al-Masry
(The Egyptian Goha)
Channel 1 at 6.35pm and at 5.50pm on the Egyptian Satellite Channel 1. 

Yehia El-Fakharani plays Goha, who lives in the Mamluk era. When Goha is chosen to be Sultan by the people of his village, he starts to issue orders with which the people comply with. When the Wali finds out, he orders the public killing of Goha, but Goha fakes his death to escape this verdict.
When he "comes back to life", he has a lot of followers, as people start to believe that he is one of "God's descendants." Goha decides to dedicate his life to help his followers and defeat the unfair Wali.
Mona Zaki costars as Kamar, the concubine who Goha's son falls in love with. Amongst the cast are Soad Nasr and Rania Farid Shawki.

The life story of Sheikh Mohamed Metwaly El-Sha'rawi is the basis for "Emam El Do'aa" (The Sheikh of Sheikhs) starring Hassan Youssef in his biggest role in 30 years.

Programs (Soap Operas above):
At 5.30pm the program "3x3" will be aired on Channel 1. Not much info on this one yet -- just that it is hosted by three young women.

"E'lany 'Ala Wara'" (On paper) a program that will be featuring many well known stars, will be aired at 5.50pm on Channel 2. 

"Gobashi El Nokrashi," is the title of the new Candid Camera character that Ibrahim Nasr will be personifying this year. It will be showing at 6.00 pm on Channel 2.

"Qala Eih" (What did he say?), a program hosted by famous actor Hussein El-Imam, will be showing at 6.30pm on Channel 2. In this program El-Imam hosts certain famous actors and actresses and plays a practical joke on them. 

"Mozee' Le Awel Mara" (Host for the first time) is also a program that will include many stars. It will be showing at 6.50pm on Channel 2.

At 7.20pm on Channel 2, the famous "Hewar Sareeh Gedan" (An Honest interview) will be aired.

"Edeeny 'Aqlak" (Give me your brain), the funny candid camera imitation is back at 3.15am on Channel 2.

NOTE: As usual, the Ramadan schedule for Arabic soap operas has been designed in a way which allows viewers to switch between channels and catch every single one. This, however, is just the preliminary schedule, and start times are always being adjusted in the first few days to better coordinate with viewers' and advertisers' schedules.

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