TV Iraqi Style
Thurs 12 Jan 2006; rpt Sat 14 Jan 7.05pm
Documentary about Iraqi soap operas, game shows and reality TV.
For 20 years Saddam Hussein was omnipresent in Iraq not least on television, which was dominated by his image. Output was strictly controlled, programmes heavily censored and satellite TV banned.
Under these conditions, viewers were force-fed a strict, bland diet of programmes. But with Saddam out of the picture, TV audiences in Iraq are being treated to a veritable feast of viewing choices. There has been an explosion in satellite TV ownership and homegrown Iraqi stations are flourishing. Viewing figures are booming, thanks to night curfews and a population too afraid to leave their homes: a captive audience hungry for entertainment.
Gone are the propaganda broadcasts of old, replaced with Iraqi soap operas, game shows and reality TV. This film follows the new celebrities such as Majed Yassin, a popular comic actor whose common touch has allowed him to connect with the Iraqi public in a massive way and Presenter Shaima Zubeir whose maternal approach has led to her being dubbed the 'Oprah of Iraq'.
Filming behind the scenes of the country's most popular show, Iraqi Star: Iraq's own version of Pop Idol.
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