Same faces, different country – how does returning Saudi comedy stand up?
The revival of the fan-favourite Saudi comedy series Tash Ma Tash is a good story fit for Ramadan. Since the show ended acrimoniously in 2011 – due to a contractual disagreement between stars Nasser Al Qasabi and Abdullah Al Sadhan that reached the Riyadh Commercial Court in 2012 – the pair have returned with the 19th season of the series. The latest one is titled Tash Al Awda (Tash: The Return) and is screening nightly on MBC throughout the holy month.
The news caps off the reported reconciliation efforts by Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who announced the reunion in a 2021 tweet. While the comeback is welcomed by generations of Arab viewers who grew up with the Ramadan television staple, is it ultimately a good idea?
The pedigree of Tash Ma Tash lies in its satirical and forward-thinking social commentary on life, with favourite targets being local bureaucracy and corrupt business practices.
With the show returning after a transformational decade for the kingdom, one wonders if Tash Al Awda has anything new to say. Judging by the first episodes that have aired the answer remains unclear.
What is immediately apparent, however, is the show has received a much-needed facelift. Even the most ardent supporters would admit Tash Ma Tash’s early episodes, particularly its first three seasons, had poor production values that rendered some of the dialogue unintelligible at times. The new season, on the other hand, is visually slick. The detailed set designs – particularly those episodes set either in the past or the rural villages – are impressive.
The plotlines of the first batch of episodes, however, are uneven. The best of the lot is the opener, titled The Lightning. Al Qasabi and Al Sadhan play old friends who, after being stuck overnight in their car due to a storm, wake up a decade later to a transformed Riyadh. The episode is hilarious at times, such as the pair driving into the city and being shocked to find women behind the wheel and the widespread use of mobile phones and electronic banking.
A winning scene showcasing the comedy’s satirical bite arrives when the pair attempt to bribe a local official for a piece of real estate – the reasoning being this was normal practice during their era.
Both are swiftly imprisoned and the episode ends with them almost amazed at Saudi Arabia’s transformation.
However, Tash Al Awda doesn’t reach such heights with the following episode. The Eye is On You, in which Al Qasabi’s business mogul character confronts his misdeeds ahead of an impending arrest, plods along to a predictable conclusion.
Black Mail frustrates due to not fulfilling the promise of its premise, in which a poor taxi driver is repeatedly blackmailed by an unsuspecting customer. However, with each episode having its own stories and characters, Al Qasabi and Al Sadhan play to their strengths with their undeniable chemistry.