By now Ramadan has become the official time to be nostalgic. Why not when it’s so full of childhood memories? How about instead of reminiscing and not doing anything about it, you take a walk down memory lane and watch some old school series?
Al Maal Wal Banoun (1992)
It’s like Dynasty, only super Egyptian instead. Starring Youssef Shaaban, Ahmed Abdel Aziz, Sherif Mounir, Fadia Abdel Ghany, Hanan Turk and many more, this show is a timeless classic! Watch as the Faraweela’s and Daw’s battle through the generations. The show features Ahmed Abdel Aziz’s most epic of moustaches, also, which is always a great plus.
Layaly El Helmeya (1987)
Now that it’s getting a new season for the first time in decades, we couldn’t be more excited for this classic! The series starred Yahia El Fakharany, Salah El Saadany, Inaam Salousa, Safeya El Emary and many more brilliant actors who played some of the best characters to ever be featured on Egyptian television. Who can forget Suleiman El Ghanem’s epic banter with Nazek El Selehdar?
Hadith Al Sabah Wal Masaa’ (2001)
This series, based on a Naguib Mahfouz novel, had great potential to have lots of seasons, but unfortunately this was never realized. Still, we love that one series with all our heart. It features a great all-star cast including layla Elwi, Khaled El Nabawy, Amr Waked, Menna Shalaby and Abla Kamel; adding to that the amazing Naguib Mahfouz plot twists, and some flawless acting!
Opera Aida (2000)
This is another series that stars Yahia El Fakharany and Hanan Turk. Opera Aida mimicked the story of a nurse who euthanized a patient, only to face serious criminal charges for it. The series is full of beautiful anecdotes and tips of the hat to Alexandria’s cultural scene. It also features an epic intro song by Afaf Rady.
Meen May7ebesh Fatma (1993)
The wonderfully cheesy story of a man (Ahmed Abdel Aziz) who gives up on his first true love (Gihan Nasr) and marries another woman (Magda Zaki), only to travel to Austria and fall in love with an Austrian woman (Sherine Seif El Nasr) and marries her. Meanwhile his wife dies in the 1992 earthquake. He then returns to find out that his first love was taking care of his children. He marries his first love, and his Austrian wife tries to befriend her (because that’s what any European woman will do for Ahmed Abdel Aziz, right?). If you don’t watch it for the nostalgia, watch it for the laughs!
Hawanem Garden City (1997)
This diva-fest is not to be missed! Who wouldn’t want to watch Safeya El Emary, Madiha Yousri, Layla Fawzy and Sahar Ramy being aristocratic hawanem and plotting against one another? No one, that’s who!
‘A’elat El Hagg Metwally (2001)
This is the second entry in this list that comes from 2001, so by now we’re positive it was a good year for television. El Hagg Metwally is the perfect example of a timeless classic; almost everyone you know has probably seen it at least two or three times. It tells the story of Hagg Metwally, a self-made businessman, who somehow ended up marrying four women, each one for different reasons. What’s great about this series is that the main character isn’t supposed to be likable. The “Hagg” isn’t all that great, but you can’t help but root for him.
El Sira El Hilaleya (1997)
Nothing says old school television like unintentional racism. In this series, Ahmed Abdel Aziz depicts the epic Arabian folklore tale of Abou Zaid El Hilaly. We still don’t know why they had to cast a non-black actor to play a black character, but we won’t question the 90s. Watch Ahmed Abdel Aziz kick butt and be a hero in this series and you won’t regret that trip down memory lane!
