New season of Freej sees new characters

Dubai's golden girls are back this Ramadan with their unique brand of local humour. The third season of Freej will see the return of the cranky but lovable grannies Um Saeed, Um Saloom, Um Allawi and Um Khammas who will pay homage to the city's rich culture, says the toon creator Mohammad Saeed Harib.

“In this season, the characters will rarely step out of the house. All the action unfolds within the walls of their neighbourhood. At the most, they will go to the grocery store and the thrust will be on the rich cultural heritage of our region," says Harib. The second season of UAE's first home-grown toon series came under fire after one of the characters voiced her disillusionment with Islam only to return to her faith in a later episode.

“After the controversy, my viewers were split into two camps: The ones who liked the show and the ones who hated it. The third season will surely bridge the divide," says Harib.

The new instalment also marks the arrival of some new characters such as Jameela, the face of today's UAE youth. It will also feature several popular Arab celebrities in guest roles. In January, the much-loved characters will come alive in a theatrical extravaganza at Madinat Jumeirah. “The idea to hit the big stage stemmed last year when we staged a theatrical presentation of the TV show at the announcement of Freej theme park in Dubailand. It was a big hit. Watch out for the big one now," says Harib.
Handsets, that translate the dialogues into English, will also be handed over to expatriates to ensure maximum reach.

Struggle on the sands

If you want to learn more about nomadic Bedouin life and are an avid lover of the poems of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, then tune into Dubai TV every night this Ramadan. Based on Shaikh Mohammad's poetry, a new show, Struggle On The Sands weaves stories of star-crossed lovers, wars and upheaval in the early 18th century. Directed by Hatem Ali, the epic also touches upon revenge, betrayal and warring factions.

The hour-long episodes are shown at midnight and repeated the next day on Sama TV at 5pm.