Considering the state of the world today, we could all use some light relief. And, while the pandemic is no laughing matter, it does provide the opportunity to make plenty of wry observations about this "new normal".
That's precisely what a pair of Gulf sitcoms, Saudi Arabia's Mamnou' Al Tajawol and the UAE's Shaabiat Al Cartoon, are doing this Ramadan.
Featuring an experienced cast and writers, not only do these shows turn current anxieties into a nightly stream of knowing chuckles, but they also manage to shed light on some of the social absurdities and quirks born amid the crisis.
The biting satire of ‘Mamnou’ Al Tajawol’
Mamnou' Al Tajawol, airing on MBC 1 nightly at 8.25pm UAE time, is the latest vehicle for Saudi master satirist Nasser Al Qasabi.
He's had a four-decade career including seminal comedies Tash Ma Tash, Selfie and Makhraj 7 that have tackled provocative issues facing the kingdom, so it was expected that Covid-19 would feature in his new show this year.
A dozen of its 30 episodes have run so far, and Al Qasabi's latest venture is already on its way to becoming another success.
It fulfils what good satire does in its deft use of observations and artful exaggeration to make pertinent points on society today.
Presented in an anthology format, each episode has Al Qasabi playing different characters with stories set in urban and rural Riyadh.
The beauty of the work is how it lays bare the domestic discord caused by the pandemic.
Al Qasabi’s characters struggle to reconcile the changes triggered by the pandemic with some of the traditional values they hold dear.
In one episode, he is the father of the bride and is at a loss when putting together a severely limited guest list.
Another tale has him as the grieving son, who upon discovering his father dead in his sleep, is fretting on how to grant him a public burial.
The lighter moments lie in those negotiations between Covid-19 restrictions and community expectations.
The wedding, for example, is a hilarious shamble, with the bride and groom leaving in the back of a delivery truck to make it home before the citywide curfew.
Not every episode dials up the zany factor, though. Sometimes the puns strike close to the bone, such as in a provocative episode that explores the rise in xenophobia against Asian communities amid the pandemic.
‘Shaabiat Al Cartoon’ keeps it light and timely
Sama Dubai's Shaabiat Al Cartoon, airing nightly at 7.15pm UAE time, is not that concerned with scoring provocation points.
The animated series, created by Emirati Haider Mohammed, follows cantankerous Dubai resident Shambee as he tries make sense of life during Covid-19.
In one episode, he discovers the pandemic could be the financial gold mine he has been searching for.
Will he invest in masks or hand wipes, as friends suggest? No, he will run a business renting out board games.
"The people are at home, isolating and they will be bored," he reasons. "We can give them Snakes and Ladders to hire for a daily price."
Another plot line has Shambee joining a growing horde of sad husbands wandering the streets after being kicked out of home by spouses fed up of their dull company during a curfew.
Despite the light-hearted nature of the series, Shaabiat Al Cartoon often also uses storylines to spread national public safety messages, such as the dangers of social media and reckless driving.
Covid-19 literally plays a starring role, too, as, in a bid to illustrate the carelessness of handling material while unprotected (for example, without a mask or gloves), the camera zooms into the infected object to reveal snarling green microbes dancing in a mosh-pit.
It’s more than jokes
While some may find these approaches too outrageous, both Mamnou' Al Tajawol and Shabiat Al Cartoon could be playing a role more impactful than the lavish dramas airing this Ramadan.
By taking some of the struggles caused by the pandemic and using insightful humour to transform them into something else, these shows offer a temporary reprieve from the anxieties of the day.
That feat is no laughing matter.
