Al Bernameg
Al Bernameg is a popular Egyptian satirical program. The series is hosted by satirical comedian Bassem Youssef on the satellite channel CBC. The press has compared it to The Daily Show hosted by Jon Stewart, which was the inspiration for this show. Youssef visited The Daily Show as a guest in April 2013, while Stewart, on hiatus from his own hosting duties, returned the favor on El Bernameg in June 2013.
Details
First Aired: 8/1/2011
Languages: Arabic
Created by: Bassem Youssef, Tarek ElKazzaz
Type: Talk Show
Production
MBC MASRCompanies: Qsoft Ltd.
Countries: Egypt
Seasons
Season 1
The show’s move to Egyptian channel ONTV made it one of the first internet to TV conversion in the Middle East. The show premiered in Ramadan 2011, and became the platform for many writers, artists, and politicians to speak freely about the social and political scene. Season one of Al-Bernameg aired a total of 104; 30-min episodes and was produced by Qsoft Ltd
Season 2
The second season of Al Bernameg was the first to have a live audience in the Middle East and recorded one of the highest viewership ratings on both TV and Internet. The show’s format evolved to include three segments, starting with Youssef's usual witty and humorous observations on current events, sketches performed by the team, and ending with guests from the entire political spectrum, bands and artists. Soon after the show started airing, complaints were filed against it and its host, with accusations of insulting Islam, President Morsi and disrupting public order and peace. However, Al Bernameg’s team sustained its critical tone, risking the future of the show and holding on to the right of freedom of expression.
Season 3
Al Bernameg returned with its third and final season, on MBC Masr satellite channel. The show achieved unprecedented viewership ratings every week. In June 2014 Youssef announced the termination of Al-Bernameg where he said that the pressure on him, his family, and MBC had become too great.
