Cut! Coronavirus pegs back Ramadan soaps

Missing scenes, unfinished episodes and sets sanitised against coronavirus — much-loved Ramadan television soaps are struggling to keep the cameras rolling just weeks before the Islamic holy month.

Many countries in the Middle East have imposed tough restrictions to curb the spread of the pandemic, forcing studios to shut down temporarily and others to work under strict rules.

At the same time, residents have been asked to stay off the streets and work from home, unleashing a potentially huge captive television audience and pressuring networks to provide a constant supply of content.

“We have four unfinished Ramadan TV series we were shooting in Lebanon, and another one in Syria. All are on hold now,” the head of acquisitions at a Dubai-based network told AFP.

“The countdown has begun. We need as much content as possible before Ramadan. If we can’t have our shows ready, we’ll look at buying from outside production houses even if it means lower quality,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Up to 90 percent of people across the Middle East watch traditional television, according to US research firm Frost & Sullivan and the Pan Arab Research Center at Northwestern University in Qatar.

Viewing spikes and advertising prices skyrocket during Ramadan, set to start this year in the third week of April, as families settle down with soap operas after breaking their fast at sunset with the iftar meal, or with suhoor in the pre-dawn hours.

Gangster wars in rural villages, social taboos, historical sagas, love, cheating, mystery and comedy all form part of the daily diet on pan-Arab and local channels.

They are already locked in a fierce battle for viewers with online platforms such as Netflix and local competitor Starz Play.