Tash ma Tash

Tash Ma Tash (1993–2011) (Arabic: طاش ما طاش) ("No Big Deal" in English[1]) was a popular Saudi Arabian satirical comedy that ran for 18 seasons and is considered one of the most successful television works in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. The show followed a sketch comedy format. It aired on the Saudi State-owned television channel Saudi 1 for 13 seasons but in 2005 it was bought by MBC. New episodes ran exclusively during Ramadan right after sunset. The United States Library of Congress requested some parts of the work to be placed in the library’s archive.[2] The idea of the series started through the artists Abdullah Al Sadhan and Nasser Al Qasabi, and directed by Amer Al Hamoud. After the first two seasons, the trio separated to be the duo Abdullah Al Sadhan and Nasser Al-Qasabi, in cooperation with the director Abdul Khaleq AlGhanem.

Tash ma Tash
Also known asTMT

Tash (Season 6 - Season 18)

Tash the Reunion (Season 19)
Directed byAmer Al-Hammood (season 1, 2)
Abdul Khaleq Alghanem (season 3 to 15)
Hisham Sharbatji (season 16)
Mohammad Ayesh (season 17, 18)
Mohammad Al-Qaffas (season 19)
StarringNasir Al-Gasabi
Abdullah Al-Sadhan
Country of originSaudi Arabia
Original languageArabic
No. of seasons19
No. of episodes560
Production
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time21 minutes (without commercials)
Release
Original networkSaudi 1 (1993–2005)
MBC 1 (2006–2011, 2023–present)
Original release1993 (1993) –
2011 (2011)

Synopsis

The show consists of episodic comedy sketches that present social commentary on the Saudi society. Every episode has a new story and characters, though popular characters tend to re-appear in new storylines. Most episodes poke fun at the flaws of Saudi society while others show a tendency for dark comedy and melodrama. The show was one of the pioneers of self-criticism in the Saudi media, with the episodes often dealing with sensitive topics such as social aspects, culture, terrorism, marital relations, and religion.

The show satirizes regional social, cultural, and legal state found within Saudi Arabia.[1]

Cast

Set Locations

Reception

John R. Bradley, author of Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis, said that the show continues to run and receive high ratings because, in Saudi Arabia, people perceive comedy to be a good valve for frustrations for social, regional, and other issues.[1]

The show has been a target for religious clergy after an episode aired which criticized the judges of the local courts (who are clergymen) of skipping work or leaving early, leaving paperwork and cases delayed.

One episode portrayed the difficulty for women to do basic things without a mahram (a legal male guardian). The two heroines of the episode were alone because the husband of one and brother of the other were in Paris for a few weeks. The women were harassed and flirted with in parks by young men, escorted out of shops and turned away from banks. They tried to regain freedom of movement by borrowing a senile grand father (a cure worse than the disease) and finally disguised the daughter of one and niece of the other as a little boy. Ultra-conservatives deemed this episode offensive to Islamic traditions. Many people considered this episode to be somewhat exaggerated but true.[3]

The two stars of the show even received death threats from terrorists after the show aired an episode which attacked terrorism.[4] Actors constantly receive death threats.[1]

2011, the show got discontinued but it was announced that near late 2022, that a new season would be released for Ramadan.

Badria Al-Bishir details what she calls battles between the extremist (mutawa) and the liberals in Saudi Arabia. The show is considered a milestone in the critique of extremist thought in Saudi Arabia, which has been used to shape the public opinion.[5] It rose in times when the Newspapers and TV production were dominated by the liberal party, while the educational systems were dominated by the religious party.[6] The nature of the clash has often been explored in the Tash Ma Tash program.

References
  1. Bradley, John R. Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan. 19 May 2005. 7.
  2. ""طاش ماطاش" العمل السعودي الأول في مكتبة الكونغرس الأميركية,". archive.aawsat.com. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  3. Qusti, Raid. "Tash Ma Tash: A Barometer of Self-Criticism." Arab News. 3 November 2004 (20 Ramadan 1425). Retrieved on 10 January 2009.
  4. Ahmad, Mahmoud. "Tash Ma Tash Actors Receive Death Threats." Arab News. 27 October 2004 (13 Ramadan 1425). Retrieved on 10 January 2009.
  5. Al-Bishir, Badria (2011). The Tash Ma Tashbattles: A reading of the prohibition mentality in Saudi society.
  6. "السعودية سيرة دولة ومجتمع".
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