15 Facts You Need To Know About Ramadan TV Shows And What Exactly All The Hype Is About

If you are new to Ramadan shows or if you happen to be wondering why there is such a big hype around them every year, worry not. Here’s everything you need to know…

1. Ramadan is the most important month of the year for any actor or production company and the most lucrative one. 

2. They usually last for 30 episodes starting from the first day of Ramadan until the last day of Eid.

3. The biggest and most important productions are usually kept to air exclusively in Ramadan.

4. Every Ramadan season there are more than a 100 series to pick from between Egyptian, Syrian and Khaleeji.

5. The new wave of Ramadan shows have a pan Arab cast which was largely uncommon until recent years.

6. The commercial breaks in between an episode of a popular Ramadan show can last up to 10 minutes per break.

7. Many actors (especially Egyptians) appear on the screen only once a year in shows produced exclusively for Ramadan season.

8. The plot usually drags on and on for 29 episodes until the big climax happens on the 30th episode.

9. Almost every Ramadan season there are disagreements between the A list actors on whose name appears first in the opening credits.

10.  Egyptians are the most prolific in producing Ramadan shows with more than 70 shows being aired this Ramadan.  

11. Fawazeer (quiz shows) were a fixture on the Ramadan TV calendar in the 80s and 90s but they stopped because no one succeeded in stepping into the shoes of Sherihan and Nelly who were the pioneers of this genre.

12. Many Ramadan shows go unwatched or unnoticed despite their great quality due to the multitude of shows being produced every season.

13. The Syrian period drama Bab El Hara and the Saudi satirical Tash Ma Tash are two of the longest running Ramadan shows.

14. Prank shows started to become a fixture during Ramadan season with more elaborate and dangerous plots every year. 

These shows could contain anything from wild animals attacking seemingly unsuspecting celebrities to trapping those celebrities inside a burning room or a crashing plane.

15. The top tier of actors (like Egyptian actor Adel Imam) gets paid more than 4 million US dollars per show, an unprecedented number in the history of Arab TV.