Egyptian Drama Back With A Vengeance

Egyptian cinema has been around for over 100 years now, thousands of movies where released during those years. Some are one of the best movies you will ever watch. But Egypt is also known as the first Middle Eastern country to begin with TV serials and soap operas. Year after year in Ramadan, Egyptian shows where the most watched. These days competitions have risen, countries such as Syria have been trying very hard to come to Egypt's production level. Last year, over 30 Egyptian show's were aired. Show's like Al Andaleeb, Seket el Helaly, Hadrat el Mothamham Abby, and last Ramadan's most watched show Hadayek El Shaytan were all aired and saw great success.

As for this year, Egypt is seeing a great amount of dramas making it one of the best years of Egypt in the TV business in a long time. Shows like these and many more will be available for all arab viewers this Ramadan:

King Farouq : The Last King of Egypt

The story of the last King of Egypt, King Farouq, has always been full of rumors, fabricated details & lies! This Ramadan, Syrian director Hatem Ali, comes to the rescue & tries his best to show the world the real story of Farouq ... a son, a brother, a husband, a King!
It's the story of a young man, 16 years of age, who finds himself a King of one of the biggest countries in the region, at a time of war & turmoil!
Ali says that his choice to bring back King Farouq to life, is not to brighten up his image or make it shine, but it's to give it justice & show the human side of him ... a man, like all men.

Bashar Kaissi on Jaras TV

Bashar Kaissi, a very talented Iraqi guy that was a student in Star Academy 2.. Other than the album he is working on, Bashar has signed a contract with Jaras TV and will be presenting a TV show during the holy month of Ramadan. The name of the program is "Labayk ya Iraq" it will mainly be phone calls, msgs, emails, and faxes from you and people in the middle east to join Bashar on Air and help Iraqi people from all around the world...

Bab El Hara 2

Last Ramadan, we were on our tip toes awaiting each episode of the Syrian series Bab El Hara on MBC ... what was going to happen next? Will the nobles of the Hara find out who the thief and killer is? Will Abu Issam divorce his wife? ... Some questions were answered, while others weren't!
This Ramadan, with the second season of Bab El Hara, we will see a few secrets unveil and we'll get a few shocking surprises!

MBC Cancels Ramadan Series!

You know that long advert containing all the MBC series? Well it will be losing one series which is ‘Lel Khataya Thaman’. For the first time, a series has contained material outrageous enough for the decision of its airing to reach high up in the government. The story of ‘Lel Khataya Thaman’ is of a girl called Kawthar who enjoys what is known as marriage of pleasure which is wrong.

Hind Sabri, A Real Estate Agent?!

Another addition to your TV schedules in Ramadan is a new show presented by Hind Sabri that goes by the name of ‘El Shaka’ (The flat). On this show Hind acts as a real estate agent leading celebrities from one room to the other in a flat only to discover several surprises. Hind who claims that she came up with the idea for this show says that the purpose of the show is to give celebrities a chance to talk about their lives without restrictions.

'Khail', A New TV Channel Devoted to Horses

One of the most practised and historical sports in the Arab and Islamic world is horse riding and now those horse riding enthusiasts have a new channel named ‘Khail’ devoted to horses. The channel is owned by Bandar Al Abd El Salam and is the first Saudi Arabian channel that presents information about all kinds and breeds of horses. The point behind this station is to publicise this sport further and increase its popularity especially that many of the Arab worlds greatest leaders were very passionate about horse riding.

‘Assaah’ Airs With A Blast

A large celebration took place recently in the Four Season Hotel to mark the airing of the new TV channel ‘Assaah’ recenty. This channel brings together some of the biggest names in the media industry such as Mustafa Bakry and Amr El Laythy! At this celebration Lebanese star Nancy Ajram sang for the star studded audience who seemed to enjoy her music very much especially her patriotic song ‘El Masry’.

An Exciting Ramadan on MBC

Every Ramadan there are so many different TV programs that arrive to help us celebrate this holy month and this year is no different! The MBC group has promised viewers a wide array of programs some of which are new while others are continuations of programs we all loved last year. For those of you who love food, Afnan El Zayani will be bringing you a new 30 minute healthy but delicious dish every day on her new show ‘Ramadan Atyab’.

Album: Razan is the Winner!

The final result of MBC Album music competition was just announced a few minutes ago ... and at the last moment MBC decided to make an album for each team! So the only real winner who enjoyed tens of new haircuts, dresses and makeup in addition to a big figure of money is the one and only: Razan Al Moghrabi!

Congratulation to Razan and hard luck to the audience who wasted their money voting for their favourite team only to find out that the prize will go to each of the teams!

Ahlam Ends the First Season of Taratata

Taratata presented 13 shows which hosted about 60 singers who performed more than 130 songs on Dubai TV Channel. On July 8th, the season will end with the presence of Ahlam. A lot of other singers were excited to be as guests with Ahlam in the show like Hany El Emary, Ayman El Attar and Ridha. They sang Om Kolthoum, Fayrouz, Mohamed Abdo songs.

Wanasah channel Airs Today!

We have all seen the endless repeating advertisement for this channel, Wanasah TV, and today it airs. Wanasah TV will be run by the MBC Group but is actually owned by the extremely famous and popular musician Rashed Al Majid! As is usual with Al Majid and the MBC Group the music channel will come to the public with a bang today at 17:30 GMT with a concert that brings together a great number of Arab musicians! The question on many peoples mind is what the channel will bring to us!

MBC Album - Prime 22 June 2007

The latest Prime of Album was opened with a theme taken from ancient Egypt with Razan dressed as an Egyptian queen surrounded by the three competing teams, and together they performed the "Land Of The Pyramids".

Jeeran : The Show Must Go On!

The Arab public, especially Star Academy lovers, are waiting impatiently for the first episode of the new comedy 'Jeeran'.
Why is this comedy taking so long to start? ... When will Tina, Ahmad, Ali, Joseph, Sally & Marwa show their pretty faces on the small screen and capture the hearts of their fans all over again?

Photos of Album Prime 10

These are some photos of the 10th prime of MBC Album:

Click here to see the photos

MBC Album - Prime 15 June 2007

Weddings were the theme of last Friday's 10th Album prime.
The guest was singer Ahlam, she sang some of her newest songs with the participation of the Album teams.
Ahlam sang 'Akthar min alawal' as a start, then sang 'Batalna N7eb' with the Eastern team, 'Nawilak ala niya' with the Gulf team & 'Tewsalna akhbarak' with the North African team.
Ahlam ended the show with another one of her popular songs 'leh ya donia'.
As for the 'weakest team member' results, Miriam from Morocco got most of the votes & thus joined the North African team. While Faisal from the Gulf team got the most votes & thus returns to his team.

Rotana XFator 2

Do you watch XFator 2 which is currently aired each wednesday on Rotana TV?

- Yes
- No
- Sometimes

Click here to vote
View results

Album - Prime 9 Results

The MBC Album results were in yesterday, the team to get the 'immunity' this week are the Eastern team ... As for the weakest team members, they are:
Sarah from Tunisia is the weakest for the third time and she will be competiting against Mariam from Morocco.

The weakest from the Gulf team is Faysal from Kuwait and he will be competiting against his country-man Solaiman.
Good luck to all

By guest writer Shaza

MBC Album - Prime 8 June 2007

The prime began with a mystical 'sea' tableau, in which Razan was a mermaid.
Then it was time to reveal, which of the nominees got the highest audience voting ... from the Eastern team, Ghazi got the most votes, as for the North African team, Sarah got the most votes.
The guest of the prime was the famous Tunisian singer Saber Al Rebai, who sang a bunch of his popular songs with the teams.

MBC Album - Prime 1 June 2007

This week's Album prime was very interesting. It started with Razan and Abdel Kader Hadhoud from the Gulf team in a Sinbad and Yasmina tableau, which was adorable. This week's prime guest was Lebanese singer Nawal al Zoughby, who performed some of her most popular songs with all the three teams. The new hits were all nice but I liked the North African and the Eastern team were better that the Gulf team.

Grey’s Anatomy Spin Off Sparks Jealousy!

It seems that Grey’s Anatomy has been such a huge success that Shonda Rhimes has decided a pin off is in order! The pilot of the spin off has already aired and been a huge success but who is the lucky character whose getting there own show?? … Kate Walsh! Her new show will go by the name of Private Practice and although I’m not that up to date with the latest Grey’s episode, I’m assuming that means she leaves Seattle Grace!
As lovers of Grey’s Anatomy, we hated Dr Addison Montgomery for a while but then we learned to love her and sometimes even pity her.

MBC Album 18/5 Results

Last Saturday the results of the MBC Album prime were announced, the best team this week is The Gulf team.
The managers of both The North African team and The Eastern team had to chose the weakest team member.
The weakest person the The North African team is Khaled from Sudan, thus he will be competing with newcomer Ahmad from Tunisia.

MBC Album - Prime 18 May 2007

Yesterday's Album prime was amazing. It started with an Indian tableau revolving around Razan as she introduces the 3 teams.
Razan also gave the results of the TV audience voting for the weakest/replacement team members; from the East team, Mohammad from Jordan was saved & from the Gulf team, Mohammad from Bahrain was saved.
The prime's guests were Darine Hadshiti from Lebanon & Ihab Tawfiq from Egypt.
This was Ihab's first appearance after he got married.
It seems North Africa's team was the best this time ... Their tableau's were great & their 'New Hit' was also impressive.

Amr Diab Hosts ‘Al Awal’

There have been several rumors regarding a ‘Star Academy Egypt’ and it seems we were nearly right in our speculations! It has been assured that Amr Diab will be hosting a new show that aims to discover new talent in the fields of writing lyrics, composing and singing and that this TV show will go by the name of ‘Al Awal’! The finalization of the decision was prompted by a meeting between Amr Diab and the Minister of Information in Egypt where the Minister proposed to Amr the idea of actually hosting ‘Al Awal’!

Grey’s Anatomy, The Number 1 show in America!!

I recently got hooked to an amazing TV series and I just had to tell you all about it: Grey’s Anatomy. At first glimpse this show may seem like a cheap imitation of ER but really it's nothing like ER! Grey’s Anatomy tells the story of 5 surgical interns who all end up at Seattle Grace Hospital and although most of the story is set in the hospital, it’s a mere backdrop for everything else that happens. The interns are: George, Meredith, Issy, Christina and Alex and you get to know each of these characters along with others extremely closely. The show has an amazing combination of romance, action and sheer drama and some have described it as ‘the only show where every episode makes you want to cry.’

Hala Sarhan to Be Replaced!

We are all aware of the recent Hala Sarhan scandal with her being accused of promoting prostitution etc well now it seems that Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal the owner of Rotana plans to replace her with Dina Ramez! Many have supported this choice as all Rotana Channel viewers will agree that Dina has a beautiful presence on camera and enters people homes with ease. In addition rumors have started circulating that Dina will be hosting a show that will be bigger than Hala Sarhans and will not repeat the mistakes Hala made as the choice of the issues her show will address will be relevant but sensitive towards Arab tradition.

“Ta Ra Ta Ta” Ups the Ante

Though the name maybe subject to teasing, do not dismiss this Dubai TV show as another wannabe. Presented by veteran Lebanese TV presenter Nichan, “Ta Ra Ta Ta” is quickly gaining momentum on the Arabic TV scene. After a successful episode, which gathered Cheb Khaled, Asalah Nasri, Fella El Jazairia, Ramy Sabry, and Rayan for a series of solos, duets, and trios, the show is coming back with another strong guest list. Last week, we saw Asalah dominate the stage, she sang in nine of the eleven performances, making sure she got two solos and at least one song with each of the other guests. Who will dominate next time?

Album: A Showcase of Arab Hostility!

On last nights Album prime I was extremely distressed at the image the show was giving Arabs, it made us look like were all hostile towards people from other countries and that we couldn’t get along! Firstly the contestants from the group named ‘El Mashrek El Araby’ were all hostile towards each other and started talking about how the Lebanese contestant is bossy and uncooperative and how the new entrant to their group, Wafa, will not be allowed to be part of the group etc! And they turned their whole fight into an entire reportage as if they were proud of the indecent behaviors of the contestants!

Huge Competition - Who Will Survive?

Arabic music channels have taken their place in the audience's sacred list ... no house will go through a day without zapping to one or more music channel to listen & more importantly watch the video clips of Nancy Ajram, Haifa Wehbe & others.
The competition has become fierce among these channels, Rotana is the biggest in the domain, after which comes Melody, Mazzika & Nujoom. Soon, another will pop up ... MTV Arabiya! Will they be able to compete?

MBC Album - Saturday Prime 1

What happened during the Saturday Prime of the new show MBC Album?
The prime was sort of a results show, that revealed the voting of the audience ... Which team got the most votes & thus the immunity from losing a team member? This time Team North Africa got the immunity & thus it was Team Gulf & Team East the ones to have 1 team-mate each in the danger zone.
Their managers chose Hamad & Ammar as the weakest team members & thus they will compete against two new contestants, which are Ahmad Mihdar from Saudi Arabia & Wafa Nader from Syria. These two contestants are betting on taking the place of the two weakest members by next week.

Photos of the 1st Prime of MBC Album

MBC Album - Prime 1

The 1st prime of the new show Album on MBC has left a very good impression on me!
It turns out, that it isn't an imitation of the show 'Making The Band'! But an interesting new concept. The presenter is Razan Mughrabi. The guest of honor tonight was AbdulMajeed Abdullah.
Through-out 3 months, 3 groups 'teams' will compete. Each team is made up of 5 members & they have a manager & a coach.
They also have composers that are responsible for composing a song, a 'New Hit' each week for each team.
There are two primes each week, one on Friday & the second on Saturday, which is sort of a results show. The results come after audiences from around the world vote for their favorite team, giving them immunity.
Casting for the program will stay open during the 3 months & new team members will join the team as needed.

Another Imitation of a Western Show: Album

Many of you may not know of the hit American TV show ‘Making the Band’ which aired on MBC4 for a while. The show was created and run by P. Diddy, he brought several girls and trained them to dance and sing, then eventually he eliminated a few every week until at then end of a few seasons he created a band. Now when I saw the commercials for MBC 1’s new show ‘Album’ which airs tonight I couldn’t help but wonder: is it another imitation of a western show?

Album on MBC 1

MBC 1 has been working on a huge program that, according to them, will be the biggest music talent show in the Arab world! The show is entitled Album & will start on Friday 13th.
The competition will be among 3 main groups, one from the Gulf, one from North Africa & one from Jordan, Syria & Lebanon. Each of these main groups contains 5 talents, each will compete with it's equal in the other groups.
The show will go on for 13 weeks & Razan Al Moghrabi will be the presenter.

Showtime Showseries 1 Suspiciously Similar to MBC Action

Has anyone else noticed how similar showtime's new layout is to MBC's, especially their Showseries. Well Showseries 1 is practically an exact copy of MBC Action which launched about a month ago. It shows the same programs for goodness sake, I'm just surprised they haven’t called it Showtime Action!

I understand how Showtime might be in desperate need for ideas, especially with so much competition in the market, but who would be (stupid) enough to actually PAY for exactly the same shows on Showtime when they can watch it on the 'original' channel MBC- free to air!

Arabic Version of Pimp My Ride on MBC 1

You must have already heard of MTV's Pimp My Ride ... Well, now there's an Arabic version of the show! It's called 'Dali3 Sayartak' & it's on the channel MBC 1.
The presenter of the show is the star of LBC Star Academy 2 Hisham Abdul Rahman.
The show is very much like the original Pimp My Ride & is very well done actually!
When I first heard of it, I thought that it would be a very bad imitation of the show, but when I watched the first episode last Monday, I was surprised to find that it's actually good!

MBC Action : Newest Family Member

A few days ago, Monday, the newest MBC channel was launched ... MBC Action.
I am amazed at the brilliance of those guys at MBC, they are really good!
A few years ago, when they launched MBC 2, I went crazy! During the first few weeks I was glued to my chair, my eyes bulging out and I was about to turn into a couch-potato! But I got a grip and told myself that I have to start doing something else!
No really! MBC 2 is the first movie channel that's totally free ... that's gotta' spike other movie specialists like Showtime!

Changes & Eliminations in TV Drama Series 'Khaled Bin Walid - Part 2'

Another elimination goes to Syrian actor Bassem Yakhor; role actor in series 'Khaled Bin Walid (Part 1)'. The production company surprised Yakhor by this news and they mentioned that several changes will take place in the second part of the series that has been preparing recently in Syria.

King Farook awakens Next Ramadan

We are several months away from the Holy Month of Ramadan 2007 but it seems that the media is making a huge fuss about the series 'AL Malek Farook'-King Farook considering it one of the most important drama aspects.

At the beginning the fuss was about the King himself since the last king of Egypt Farook the first was non Egyptian so the possibility of a non-Egyptian actor to take the Kings role in the series would be a larger probability factor. And according to this, the whole cast of the series plus the producers are Syrians and this has caused a Media fright in Egypt and nobody in this Syrian cast seemed to like talking to the press about it!

Lahazat Harija ‘Critical Moments’

You must have heard about "Lahazat Harija", the new Arabic TV series. It is a high budget series that has been directed by many famous directors such as Sherif Arafa.
A huge number of actors & actresses star in this series like; Amr Waked, Boushra, Amir Karara, Ahmed Rateb & Randa El Beheiry.
In addition to the big number of special appearances by famous faces like Yousra, Mona Zaki, Hend Sabry & the Tunisian singer Latifa.
This series is very similar to the famous American one "ER".

OTV, A New Egyptian TV Channel

OTV is a new satellite channel owned and funded by Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris primarily targeting teenagers from age 15 & above. The channel will include the usual dose of American entertainment dramas like "24” & "Alias", reality shows like "Simple Life" & "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", music concerts & a selection of popular American movies.

Egyptian programs appeared to be a mixed bag. A heavily featured talk show called "One Hour with Samir Ghanem" presented by the comedian, while another teen program called "Shagghal" (It's Working).

Happy 5000 for The Bold & The Beautiful!

Don't these people look familiar?! Yup! We've been seeing them for a looong time now on TV screens across the world! They are the stars of The Bold & The Beautiful.
I remember that I first watched an episode of this famous soap-opera around 5 years ago! & believe it or not, they are still going strong!
Just the other day, the cast & CBS celebrated the recording of episode ... Brace yourselves ... 5000!

Jack Bauer is Back in Season 6 of 24

Get ready people ... The clock is going to start ticking tomorrow for the 6th season of 24! -it will start airing on Fox-
This time around, don't expect the action to be as usual ... Lots of suspense, shooting, surprise terrorist plots & life threatening injuries ... Well, that's all in but there's even more!
I'm not going to spoil the first hour of the season for you ... But I can tell you, Jack Bauer will do something that is so gruesome ... You won't believe your eyes!
But that's not all, the 1st hour of the season is going to make your hair stand up, your toes curl & your heart pound so hard you think it's going to jump out of your chest! Yes ... Only in the 1st hour!

Arabic Version of MTV

The most popular music channel in the whole world decided to enter the Arab world with an Arabic version of MTV in 2007. MTV will launch its new channel as an international channel broadcasting Arabic entertainment shows. Since more than half of the Arabic population is under 25 years old, MTV is intending to target this age by presenting a variety of programs and shows, carefully chosen for this age. It will be a 24 hours open channel...

A New Network for Cinema and Music

In a ceremony with many bright stars attending such as presenter Razan and singer Shatha, the new network "Kanal TV" celebrated the preparation to broadcast their channels on an experimental basis on Nile sat during the first few weeks after the new year. The bunch will have 3 channels to begin with, one for sports, one for music and another for cinema.

Muna Wasif Goes Fortune Teller

Famous Syrian Actress Muna Wasif has just finished shooting her role in the new Syrian TV series "Bab Al Hara 2" which is a sequel from the hit TV series which aired last Ramadan.
This time she will play a fortune teller for which said she was very happy to have done.
She said she was happy to work with director Bassam Al Mulla, whom she admired for his ability to extract the inner soul of an actress.

Fadi & Radi, A Social Comedy

Fadi & Radi, is a new social comedy on LBC. Guess who Fadi is? Remember Fadi Andraos from Star Academy 3? Yes! It’s non other than him!

The story of the comedy is about two cousins, Fadi & Radi. Fadi is quite the Casanova! While Radi is the opposite, calm & shy!
Fadi is a star, an attractive & lovable star who lives a life of spotlights, adventures & fans! He also doesn’t care about the consequences of any of his actions!

Mohammed Attiya Speaks to Hala Sarhan

In a few days, Mohammed Attiya will be the guest of Hala Sarhan in Hala Show on Rotana Cinema Satellite TV Channel. The recorded interview will show Attiya speaking about his love problems before and after receiving the award of Star Academy.

Deer in a Forest of Wolves

The Syrian TV series "Ghizlan fe Ghabet Al Zia'b" or "Deer in a Forest of Wolves" gained the highest view rates during Ramadan according to a survey by the Syrian newspaper "Al Thawra".

Some say the huge success of the show was due to its boldness in addressing certain issues such as bribes and corruption.
The story of the show is about corrupted officials, trade mafia groups, sons of high-ranking officials which all occur behind the scenes of everyday life in the country. It also shows the tragic end of poor man who tries to escape his plight through illegal ways.

Poor Ending of Bab Al Hara

After 33 episodes of the Arabic Syrian TV Series Bab Al Hara which was full of surprises and unexpected events, it seems that the director wasn’t able to make a strong ending for such a strong TV series … :(!

Viewers of this series were on their toes waiting to see what will happen in the end but unfortunately, the end was really sort of a disappointment because the revelation of the character ‘Stef’ and the last minutes divorce of ‘Souad’, the wife of ‘Abu Issam’ was unexpected and shocking but was also poor…

Did you watch Bab Al Hara? If yes, what do you think of its ending?

New Syrian TV Series to Counter Prophet Mohammed Insults

Syrian director Najdat Anzour declared that he will produce a new TV series called "Saqf Al Alam" or "Top of the World" in order to counter anti Islamic sentiments which appeared during the Danish cartoon controversy.

Anzour, who directed such shows as "Al Jawarih" and "Salah Al Deen" says the new production is intended to remind Arabs of their heritage and identity.
He intends to shoot the new series in Syria and Scandanavian countries.

Mr. T’s TV Show

Growing up as a kid in the 80’s, I was addicted to the macho tough-guy show of the A-Team. And like many of my friends, Mr. T was my favorite character. But now in 2006, long gone are the days of Hannibal’s planes, Murdock’s madness and Face’s sly talk. But we do have something…Mr. T is back in a cool new show called “I Pity the Fool.”
TV Land's newest unscripted series will feature the tough guy motivating even the laziest people and offering "kick-ass" advice to families and businesses alike.

The Return of the Muhajabt Actresses

What do you think about Arabic actresses who quit acting, become "muhajaba" (wearing the head scarf) then returning back to acting taking more 'conservative' roles?
This Ramadan has witnessed this phenomena.
For example, the well-known actress Suhair Al Babily asked the writers of "Qalb Habiba" to rewrite the scrip more than 3 times to replace phrases like, "I love you" to "I care for you" in addition to her refusal to wear certain types of clothing.

Watch Warda During Ramadan on Sama Dubai

Lots of people have asked about what Warda Al Jazairia is presenting this Ramadan.
Well, famous singer Warda Al Jazairia makes a special appearance this Ramadan on Sama Dubai.
Warda joins actors Hassan Husni, Nashwa Mustafa & singer Khaled selim in the series An Al Awan.
The story revolves around a famous singer who retires after a long & successful career, & opens a music conservatory that aims to teach singing & discover new talents.
Enjoy!

Ramadan 2006 TV Series

This Ramadan is unlike any other! It will be more crowded than ever with TV series from around the Arab world! Satellite TV channels will compete for the best series & the majority of the audiences.
Egyptian series are many & it will be very difficult to follow more than two –in my opinion- ! What is noticeable is that there will be a very ferocious competition between very famous faces that have decided to make a come-back this year, like Laila Ilwi in Nour Al Sabah, Samira Ahmad in Daawat Farah, Mirvat Amin in Ahzan Mariam, Nadia Al Jundi in Man Atlak Al Rasas Ala Hind Allam?, Fifi Abdo in Souk Al Khudar & Tayseer Fahmi in Qalb Al Donia.

Change the Channel

Ever thought of making your own TV station?

Since 9/11 5 years ago, most people have become aware of the clear media bias towards Arabs and Muslims from such channels as CNN and Fox. Oh yes, Arabs complain here and there but no one actually ever did anything about it. Sure, some stations did pop up like Al Jazeera and Abu Dhabi, Al Arabiya and so on but these were all broadcasting in Arabic.

Why would I need to tell Arabs about Arab problems?

Ahmed Al Sherif on 'Ya Leil Ya Ein'

After Nancy Ajram and Amel Hijazi, Tunisian Singer and Star Academy 1 contestant Ahmed Al Sherif was the guest of the 3rd episode of the Lebanese TV Show ‘'Ya Leil Ya Ein'. Ahmed sang 3 of his popular songs: ‘Ben Ennas’, ‘Todana’ and ‘Sidi Saleh’.

The contestants were some of the students of LBC Star Academy 2. The girls’ team contestants were: Salma Algazali from Algeria, Katia Haraka from Lebanon, Amani Al Swissi from Tunisia and Zizi Abdel Al Rahem from Egypt. As for the boy’s team, the contestants were: Bashar Al Ghazawi from Jordan, Ahmed Saleh Al Din from Bahrain, Ahmed Hussein from Kuwait and Samer Thomat from Lebanon.

Some Photos of the 3rd Episode

Hisham in Cash Taxi on MBC 1

Star Academy 2 Winner Hisham Abdul Rahman from Saudi Arabia will be presenting a new TV Show called ‘Cash Taxi’ on MBC 1 channel during Ramadan. In the show, Hisham will be a Taxi driver but not an ordinary Taxi driver… Each person that took his taxi will be asked a question during the way to the desired destination and if that person knows the correct answer, he/she will win a prize of up to $500!

X-Factor 2006 Winner

Last Sunday was the final prime of the new successful TV hit on Rotana music channel the X-Factor. The prime was full of grace and beauty with special guest star Hussien Al Gamasy from United Arab Emirates who sang some of his newest songs and the nine competitors of the show reunited again to perform and represent their talents for the last time...

The X Factor - 6th prime

Last night was the 6th prime of The X Factor, it was interesting and the guests were Fadil Shakir and Yara who sang a new song together which it was exclusive for the first time on Rotana. The next time the guest will be Lebanese singer Najwa Karam.

As for the contestants each one had to sing two songs this time and the best in my opinion were Guitarista and Rajaa.
At the end of the show we had to say good bye to Dura from Tunisia … Good luck for her.
So now the remaining contestants are three:

- Guitarista from Iraq and Lebanon
- Rajaa from Morocco
- Ahmed from Egypt

By guest writer Mustafa

Al-Andaleeb Man Yakoon?

Yesterday was the final prime of Al-Andaleeb Man Yakoon on MBC.
Nancy Ajram was the guest of Honor, and she got a huge surprise from the program on the occasion of her Birthday which was also yesterday.
The three finalists Egyptians Shadi Shamel, Sheriff Abdul Menem & Jordanian Yousef Kiwan were tense, yet they knew that no matter who took the title, they have all succeeded.
As for the winner, who has gained the title of the new Andaleeb & who will be performing in the upcoming biography of the Egyptian legend Abdul Haleem Hafeth next Ramadan on MBC, he was chosen both by the judges & the audience. He is Egypian contestant Shadi Shamel.

By Guest Writer Riham.

Photos of Final Prime of Al-Andaleeb Man Yakoon

The X Factor

The day before yesterday was the 4th prime of the X Factor, it was really interesting even more interesting than the prime before and with lots of surprises. At the end of the prime we had to say goodbye to ‘play’ from Egypt who got the lowest votes.

Now the remaining contestants are five, with khalid Alshiekh: Dura from Tunisia and Ahmad from Egypt, with Nelly: Rajaa from Morocco and Mahir from Saudi Arabia and with Michel Guitarista from Iraq and Lebanon.

What do you think of the remaining five contestants? Who are your favorites?

By guest writer Mustafa

• The X Factor - XSeer Al Najah
• X-Factor or Star Academy?

Jordanian Contestant is Back

Everyone who was watching the last episode of ‘Alandaleb Man Yakoun’ which is being aired on MBC 1, was wondering if the Jordanian contestant Youssef Kiwan will be continue his journey with the remaining other 3 contestants after he passed out during the last moments of the program waiting for the nomination results along with Moroccan Abed Alli.

Youssef Kiwan is back, he said he will be competing till the end and if he didn’t win, he will quit with a smile on his face.

The four remaining contestants are: Sharif Abdel Menaem, Shadi Shamel, Osama Kasmi and Youssef Kiwan.
The winner will have the role of the Egyptian legend Abdel Al Halim Hafedth in a giant production by Adel group.

Are you watching 'Alandaleb man Yakoun'?

- Yes
- No
- Sometimes

Click here to vote

The X Factor - XSeer Al Najah

The X Factor, another program for talent search in the Middle East, will premier today on the music channel Rotana TV.
XSeer Al Najah is only an Arab version of the original British program The X Factor, that has already gotten success in UK, Belgium, Colombia, Australia and Russia.

Television Causes Depression !

Sometimes we watch TV continuously for hours and are not aware of that. The thing is it isn't only bad for the eyes, it also negatively affects emotional health!

If you feel down, or your mood isn't the right color, then turn off the TV !
Watching too much television is associated with higher rates of depression in both men & women in a recent study. Regardless of your gender, spending less time engaging in TV viewing and more time engaging in physical activity is a great prescription for boosting your mood.

So, don't watch as much TV, and talk a walk or play basketball, or even read a book and sip some lemonade!

• TV Watching

MBC 4 .. It's For You

With the end of Ramadan, and the beginning of the new tv cycle, MBC 4 has had a serious face lift! New series, new colors, a new slogan and a very attractive new presentation ... the active girls!
Three or four presentation that make you want to watch more; girls with head scarves, beautiful, modern, fun, and very appealing.
With each presentation, they do a certain fun activity; yoga, shopping, hanging out drinking cocktails, and lazying around reading magazines and sending sms messages.
The idea is so cool and so meaningful, what about you, what do you think? Did you like it?

MBC 4 New Presentation Photos

Take 24 Off the Air

Take 24 off the air. It's offensive to Arabs and Muslims. As a westerner I can't believe you allow a show like 24 to air. I think people get enough of this on CNN without having to look like the bad guy on this show. Remember the Cowboy and Indian shows of the past?

TV Series During Ramadan 2005

Ramadan is over, and we have all chosen a series or two, or even more, to watch while being with friends and family around the living room after Iftar. We at waleg watched Muluk Al Tawaef and Raya Wa Skina, and we think they were really good, and this is why:

Muluk Al Tawaef is a terrific vision of the last powerful days of the Arabs in Andalusia by Dr. Walid Saif and Hatem Ali. The actors, especially Syrian actor Tayem Hassan, were so natural that we thought we were watching the real characters and not actors!
And the timing is perfect; a time were ‘we’ the Arabs need to see how we were in the past, and what we have become in the present, to try to take a hint of how ‘not to be’ and what to do to make our way of life better.

What are you watching in Ramadan ?

During Ramadan the Arabic TV Channels compete in the number and diversity of the programs they present to the viewers.

The series range from historical to comedy to serious drama to soap opera like themes.
This Ramadan, there are a few historical series like ‘Al Murabitun Wa Al Andalus’ and ‘Muluk Al Tawaef’, as for the comedies there are many, like ‘Gargean’ and ‘Tash Ma Tash’ and ‘Ana Wa Arba’ Banat’.
As for the serious dramas, the one that is most important, and tells a true story, is ‘Al Hur Al Ein’, which is about the terrorist bombing in Riyadh.

MBC During Ramadan 2005

The popular TV Channel MBC will be the channel to watch during the holy month of Ramadan this year.
Until now, there have publicities of three interesting series that are various in genres; ‘Al Hur Al Ein’ a serious drama about fighting terrorism is one of the series that are worth watching.

As for the fun loving people, there are two choices, ‘Al Shamshoun’ better known to many as ‘The Simpsons’! It will be airing on the MBC during Ramadan in Arabic, translated into the Egyptian dialect.
The second is the ever funny, very popular ‘Tash Ma Tash’.

There will also be many more things for all people of all age groups to enjoy on the MBC.

• MBC 4, a Great Free to Air Channel
• MBC4, MBC2 or One TV?
• Free Movies & Series Arabic Channel

Ayman Zaidan and Jamal Sulaiman in the same TV series

After many series and may works, Syrian actors Ayman Zaidan and Jamal Sulaiman will be acting together in the same series. There will also be some very famous female faces like Susan Najm El din, and Sulaf Fawakherji, making this a 'Star' series.
The series is entitles 'Mulouk Al Tawaef', a drama series about the Andalusia period. This work is written by Walid Saif, and directed by Hatem Ali.
This work completes the past series 'Saqr Quraish' and 'Rabi Qurtuba' which are all about Andalusia.

TV SMS Messages

Several satellite TV channels like Rotana, Melody Hits, LBC and others added TV SMS messages on music video clips, reality TV programs and other programs where viewers send text messages to the station's SMS number and in few seconds the sms messages appear on the TV screen...

The owners of these channels are making lots of money through TV SMS messages that are being sent by thousands of viewers everyday which are expensive, annoying and useless…

Why spent 3 times the money to see the message on TV while you can easy send it directly to the other person’s mobile number!? What do think of TV SMS messages?

Sama Dubai, The Newest Sat. Channel

Sama Dubai will start broadcasting tonight at 5.00 pm GMT.
It is the newest of the satellite channels of the Dubai Media Company, and it will be available on Arabsat, Nilesat and Hotbird satellites.
The first program to be broadcasted will be “Multaka Dubai” or Dubai Meeting, which is about all the recent activities in Dubai, and sheds light on all economic, social and cultural aspects of life in Dubai, through reportages and in-studio interviews with guests.
It will also transmit shows about the Internet, music, movies and local or international events.
The channel will also produce family oriented programs and women oriented programs, in addition to children’s programs etc.

TV Watching

'By the time most people are 18 years old, they have spent more time in front of the television set than they have spent in school, and far more than they have spent talking with their teachers, their friends or even their parents.'

Watching TV will also take away from your exercise time, reading time and relationship time.

How much TV do you watch per day?

Click here to vote

MBC 4, a Great Free to Air Channel

What channel has non-stop, great western TV series and comedies and is free to air? It is MBC’s Channel 4. Since its launching a few months ago, it has been blooming and getting more viewers each day.
Throughout the day, there are series and comedies and soap operas around the clock, in addition to live broadcasting from two of the most famous American news channels; CBS and ABC with programs like Good Morning America, Night Line and Sixty Minutes.

Hannibal TV , Will It Be Able To Compete?

I wonder if the newly announced Tunisian private channel 'Hannibal TV' will be able to compete and bring new value to the viewers and get their attention and interest with the existing competition that already taking place between big names in the industry such as MBC, Future TV, LBC, Dubai TV and Rotana ...

I really don't see any future for Hannibal TV with a 7/24h diffusing time, an everyday message that says: "Hannibal TV, the channel of all Tunisians", and a 'coming soon' message while Tunisian second language is French!

New Arabic Language Satellite Channels

Recently on Nilesat Satellite, several new Arabic language channels started their transmission, some of these new channels are:

Al-Ra'i TV: Kuwait's first private channel, operated by the Boodai Corporation, and offering political, social and religious programming.

Al-Mishkat: a Kuwaiti venture which describes itself as the first Arab channel to focus on real estate, history and tourism, reflecting Kuwait and the Gulf.

Nourmina TV: a channel offering tourism and cultural programmes promoting Jordan.

Al-Farah: a general entertainment station based in Jordan, which describes itself as "the Arab family channel".

Al-Anwar: a channel from Lebanon focusing on religious, educational and cultural programming.

Al-Fajr (The Dawn): a religious and educational channel from Saudi Arabia whose stated goal is to spread the message of the Holy Koran.

American movie, Indian movie, French movie or Arabic Movie ...

When you open the TV, there are Movies in different languages, it could be an American movie, a French movie, a Spanish movie, an Indian 'Hindi' movie or an Arabic movie...

What do you prefer?