Muscat: An animated series created by the Royal Oman Police has proven to be one of the most popular television shows in the sultanate this Ramadan.
Troop 9, the first Arab Police Cartoon series, has had high ratings so far and is believed to have surpassed the popularity of all other television shows.
The 15-episode Troop 9 (Al Firqa 9 in Arabic) series produced by the police began its run on the Majan TV Channel in mid-Ramadan.
Troop 9 is a special nine-member unit of the police, each of whom has his or her own skill and rank.
In the series, the unit crack a number of crimes that take place in Oman despite the difficult situations they face.
The show also aims to spread awareness among the public about the nature of crimes that take place in Oman.
Officials at the ROP said that Troop 9 used new technology in an effort to shed light on what goes on, mainly targeting young people.
Many Omani viewers responded positively to the serial, describing it as very innovative work that conveys its message in an easy way.
Ahmad Al Mashani, an Omani blogger, told Gulf News that Troop 9 is great work as it delivers its message in a smooth way.
“Am thrilled and I can’t wait to see the next episodes”, says Ahmad.
Another viewer, Qasim Al Muqbali, said that such work took the viewer from local repeated dramas to action and innovation.
Al Muqbali explained that the series spreads awareness that illustrates the efforts and sacrifices of the police.
“It also highlights the issues and seeks to address them through interesting stories in a high tech and professional performance”, says Al Muqbali.
Meanwhile, other shows being broadcasts this Ramadan in the country have not attracted many viewers, despite repeated demands to keep them contemporary and real.
The show also goes a long way to reflect the participation of women in the police force. Women, who make up a significant proportion of the force, are shown to play an active role in combating crime.
Many Omanis still prefer dramas that were produced in the early 1990s as they believe that those reflected the reality back then without the exaggeration in some modern Omani media in the past five years.
Drama experts believe hiring professional scriptwriters, actors and production crews from outside the country is a way to overcome the poor drama production in the country.
Kuwaiti drama series continue to be some of the most popular in Oman and the rest of the Gulf. The Gulf state has a history of production and a number of veteran celebrity actors that are highly regarded in the region.
