The month of Ramadan is a sacred month for Muslims and is marked by many rituals and traditions. It is also a month when all Muslims and therefore also Tunisians are invited to meet with family, to share moments of conviviality and to indulge in leisure activities. Among these activities, the Ramadanesque soap operas which are broadcast each evening on television channels.
Each year, a few days before the start of Ramadan, the question that a large number of viewers ask: what soap operas are we going to look at?
There was a time when all Tunisians looked at the Tunisian soap operas, but for a few years, more and more of them have looked at the Arabic serials, especially Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrians and even Turks, doubled in Arabic.
Indeed, for years, the Ramadanesque soap operas in Tunisia have often been very dark and have tended to show a very negative image of society, focusing on subjects such as drugs, crime and delinquency. Although these subjects are part of the reality of Tunisian society, they do not reflect the diversity of this society or represent the entire Tunisian population.
It is true that our reality is difficult. We have economic, social, political problems, and it is important to approach them and talk about them. But Ramadan is a month of peace, forgiveness, sharing, and the stories we watch on television should also reflect this. However, we are overwhelmed by stories of criminals, thugs, drug addicts, which are presented as the standard of our society.
Why this obsession with the negative? Why not show more positive, more optimistic, more comforting stories?
The majority of Tunisians are ordinary people who work hard, who take care of their family, who seek to live their lives in a positive way.
It is time to diversify the subjects covered in Ramadanesque soap operas and to show a more positive image of our society. We need to see stories of ordinary people who seek to defeat difficulties, to realize their dreams, to find their place in the world. We need to see stories of people who show courage and determination to overcome obstacles. We need to see stories of people who think in the future, their children and help build this future. We need to see stories of solidarity, generosity and compassion. We need to see stories that inspire us, that motivate us, that push us to move forward.
We need to see these stories on television, to remind us that we are not alone in our struggles, that we can count on others to support us.
Without forgetting that there are so many positive stories to tell in Tunisia. We have a rich and fascinating story, with incredible characters who have accomplished extraordinary things. We have artists, scientists, writers, musicians, activists, everyday heroes, who deserve to be celebrated and honored. Why not tell their stories on television?
For example, we could have a series on Tawhida Ben Cheikh (1909-2010), the first woman Tunisian doctor. Her story is fascinating, she probably had to overcome many obstacles to get her doctor’s diploma. She was also a pioneer in the education of women in Tunisia, and her mother was surely an exceptional woman for having sent her to study abroad in the 1930s at a time when girls’ education was limited to teaching them sewing and cooking!
And why not consider a series on Alia Babbou (1923-2006), better known as Sayda Alia? This pioneer led an incredibly rich life, as evidenced by his autobiography entitled “Route”. Imagine, for example, this woman who, in addition to her radio career, visited more than 100 countries with very limited and alone means. She often filled the trunk of her food and spare parts before going on an adventure in distant countries. In addition, she waged a fight for women’s rights from the 1950s, long before the adoption of the personal status code.
In addition to these two examples of remarkable women, there are so many other little -known heroes in Tunisia who have helped build the country. For example, I would quote my great-grandfather, Mohamed Elleuch (1857-1933), who, at the beginning of the 20th century, among all his works, built more than five schools and who, each year, took charge of the education of seventy disadvantaged children. He was also an art patron and a founding member of the first music promotion association in Sfax (videos here: Part 1,, Part 2 And Part 3). My grandfather Sadok Driss (1898-1985), on the other hand, passed smuggling weapons in tissue bundles to help fight the French occupier while he was a fabric merchant in Sfax.
And a soap opera on Gilles Jacob Lellouch (1959-2023), who recently left us? His life and fight for the Tunisian Jewish memory as well as his desire to preserve this part of our heritage could serve as an inspiring example for the young generations. The current success of the film I will come back there Directed by Yassine Redissi is proof of this. This magnificent film tells the story of Henri Tibi, a Jewish Tunisian forced to exile, who remained deeply attached to Tunisia, his native country. His songs and thousands of photos were a tribute to his country. The Tunisians loved this film because it offers a beautiful image of Tunisia and brings hope for a better future. A film about Gilles Jacob Lellouch could have the same impact. Like Henri Tibi, Jacob loved his country and did not support exile. However, he came back and tried to preserve Jewish memory through his association, Dar Edhekra, his books and all the events he organized to bring people closer, regardless of their religion.
Tunisia is full of these heroes, famous or not, who have done and who continue to advance the country, and who deserve to be put forward in television series. It is certain that each region of the country has its own history of these remarkable people and that it would be very interesting to make them known to all Tunisians, especially the youngest, so that they attach even more to their roots and are proud of their ancestors and their country.
In addition, why not highlight the magnificent regions of Tunisia and thus help promote the country? It may be possible to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism or the National Heritage Institute to highlight these regions and the various tourist and archaeological sites. We could take an example from the Egyptians, who often highlight their regions and tourist sites in their television series, such as the city of Assouan, which was highlighted in at least two series during this month of Ramadan 2023. Egyptian scenarios expressly include trips or excursions in these regions to enhance them. Tunisia also has just as beautiful regions and sites that deserve to be presented in television series to encourage people to discover them.
Instead, each Ramadan for several years, we are inflicting dark and depressed stories in Tunisians, with characters with shaggy hair and vicious eyes, who betray and deceive those around them. It is breathtaking to note that when it came to creating a soap -in -law inspired by the life of a real character, the producers have chosen to highlight a notorious thug, Ali Chouareb.
Of course, as said above, these stories reflect part of Tunisian reality, but is this the right time and the right month to show them? The month of Ramadan is practically the only month during which all families meet at the table at the same time and start their evenings together. It is practically the only month when all members of the same family look together the same programs and serials.
Without forgetting either that the month of Ramadan is also a time when Tunisians like to be entertained with fun soap operas and hilarious hidden cameras. They need to laugh and have fun to forget the hardness of everyday life a little. Soap operas like Khottab 3al Bab And Choufli hal have had great success precisely because they knew how to mix humor and realism.
It is time for soap operas producers to rethink their approach and focus on positive and inspiring stories. We Tunisians, really need to see characters who fight against adversity and who finally triumph over their trials and stories that give hope and encourage to believe in the future of the country.
The question is the following: if the producers decide to change their register and offer different soap operas, will advertisers and various funders follow? It must be recognized, currently, despite controversies and sometimes calls for censorship or boycott, these dark soap operas continue to bring together a significant audience and therefore generate significant income, especially when they are skillfully preceded by an advertising campaign often based on debates about manners, religion and/or violence.
In reality, do Tunisian viewers really have a choice? They are often offered either dark and violent soap operas but rarely of good quality and interesting like the soap of this Ramadan, Fallouja Directed by Saoussen Jemni, either supposedly comical soap operas, but which often lack subtle and intelligent humor. This situation probably explains why many Tunisians have migrated to foreign channels to watch more happy and more interesting soap operas, such as this Ramadan, the Egyptian soap operas Harshat Al Saabia (The seventh scratching) and Muzakirat Zug (Memoirs of a husband) in which our Aicha Ben Ahmed National plays the main female role, or theE Lebanese soap opera Lil Mout/Until deathwhose season 3 was partly shot in Tunisia and who has attracted many Tunisians thanks to the magnificent images showing their country. These soap operas, although foreign, are paradoxically close to Tunisians, because they have a universal scope which allows everyone to identify themselves there. It is time to bring the Tunisians back to the Tunisian chains by beautiful serials close to them!
Neïla Driss
