Arab TV audiences are in for a ride
The Middle Easts biggest production companies have come together for the ultimate team-up. Twofour54 Abu Dhabi, MBC Studios and Image Nation Abu Dhabi are working together on the production of the world’s first Arabic-language soap opera, Inheritance.
This will be a new venture, taking regional drama series to another level. There are several long-running Arabic series like Syria’s Bab El Hara, but Inheritance claims to be the first that will run with an open-ended soap opera narrative – there will be no season breaks. There are several hit soap operas like the American day-time series Days of Our Lives and the UK’s Coronation Street, which is the world’s longest running soap opera, celebrating its 60th birthday next year.
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British writer and show-runner Tony Jordan, who formerly worked on Eastenders will serve as the show’s creator. “One of my long-held ambitions has been to create and help develop major drama projects outside the UK, this project is truly ground-breaking and I think we’ve created something really special,” said Jordan. Not only that, but a dedicated studio will be built for the show in Abu Dhabi and it will serve as the main location for filming.
This will be the first time that Abu-Dhabi based, Twofour54 has invested directly in a production, and MBC is set to benefit from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30 per cent rebate on production spending in the Emirate. Both media companies will work closely with Image Nation Abu Dhabi on talent and script development for the project. The series is set for more than 250 days of filming, generating over 200 jobs in the first year alone.
“Partnering with MBC Studios and Image Nation to produce the world’s first Arab soap opera is truly a landmark moment in Arab entertainment industry and cultural history,” said Maryam Eid Al Mheiri, Vice Chair of twofour54. “The creation of ‘Inheritance’ is an indication of our region’s rapidly growing media and entertainment industry and will serve as a catalyst to inspire the next generation of storytellers to create more original Arabic content,” she added.
The plot of of the series hasn’t been announced yet. But what we do know is the principal photography on Inheritance will begin in December, with the first episode expected to air in the first quarter of 2020.
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