When it comes to TV series productions here in the Gulf, Kuwaitis are considered pioneers as their television broadcasting started in 1961 for four hours a day. Older generation of Gulf citizens remember fondly songs and television series all in black and white.
As a child of the 80s, I still remember glimpses of the old productions that made my family happy, especially Awad Al Dokhi’s song Soat Al-Sahara — roughly translates to the sound of the sleepless — that was produced in 1961 where he’s hugging his oud tightly and singing with jerky movements.
The 80s was a rich production period for Kuwaitis, especially during Ramadhan where there were 2 major series made for the holy month that were broadcasted at different times on Oman TV: the children’s series round the afternoon — when concentration levels were the lowest due to fasting — and the family series that came right after Iftar time (these were the ones we enjoyed most as we watched them on full bellies!).
When satellite channels arrived in the 90s, television production increased and viewers were given many choices of movies and television series from different Arab countries, especially Egypt and Syria. Yet many of the people I know still preferred Kuwaiti productions. As for me nowadays, I find them distracting as Kuwaiti actresses’ facial features are barely recognizable from one Ramadhan to the next due to endless plastic surgeries that my brain insists on analysing instead of focusing on the showcased plot.
Lately, Netflix recommended me to watch a short Kuwaiti series of seven episodes called: Devil’s Advocate starring Haya Abdul-Salam and Ali Kakoli. Kakoli plays the role of a famous footballer called Bader Khalid who finds himself accused of murdering his wife, Dalal. The knife used to kill her is missing and the only thing that links him to the murder is his sport’s towel-tainted with Dalal’s blood-found in an outside bin. Badr insists on being innocent and Yusif the public prosecutor handling the case (Mohammed al Dousari) seems at loss trying to find the motive behind the murder with no tangible evidence and witnesses that agree on one thing: Badr and Dalal were school sweethearts with a fairy tale-like love story and average marital problems.
That’s when a lawyer called Lulwa (Haya Abdul-Salam) decides to defend Badr as a comeback after a long leave. She believes Badr’s innocence claims and decides to help him, though she holds a personal grudge against Yusif. The case proves to be difficult but Lulwa manages to prove Badr’s innocence though everyone around her doubts it and the question remains: who’s the real killer? (And that’s a surprise that made the series worth watching).
Having seven episodes meant that the writer avoided the trap that most of Ramadhan series falls into: a dragging plot. The link between the characters was smart and unexpected at times. The actors did a brilliant job delivering their respective roles, even those who appeared in a few scenes only. However, there were few faults and scenes that didn’t fit their culture such as Lulwa immersing herself in the tub while being fully clothed and using a relatively cheap perfume, when coming from a brand obsessed society.
Also, the choice of the actor who plays the teenage Badr was unsuccessful as there was no resemblance between the two. Yet all in all, I felt proud to see that Kuwaitis had succeeded in producing a plausible series that’s exciting and intriguing. It demonstrated that short series is the way forward as prolonged ones end up being a comical disaster with no plot to follow and poor improvisation. Devil’s Advocate is worth watching.
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