RIYADH, 8 October 2006 — Viewers wonder what makes Nasser Al-Qasabi more appealing than Abdullah Sedhan as a comedian in “Tash 14” currently being aired on MBC, according to Al-Jazirah daily yesterday.
Al-Qasabi is a versatile actor with boundless skill to step in to the boots of a wide range of characters whether he is an arrogant politician or a vile thief.
The comedian displays an inborn gift to evoke the sense of humor in the viewers of all ages and every disposition.
He can handle with ease the role of a ninety-year-old grandpa as naturally as he does that of a youth in his teens. Despite his apparent efforts Sedhan, who has been largely instrumental in building the popularity of the serial over the past decade, does not make the spectators roar with laugher as Al-Qasabi does. It could simply be that Sedhan is lacking in the essential ingredients of an actor’s charisma.
“Tash 14”, which translates as “Tash, Season 14” used to be called “Tash Ma Tash” (“Slipped Away, or Not”) until the shows creator broke with MBC and took his show to LBC. The original program, which is still more widely viewed, had to change its name to “Tash”.
The program has broken new ground in political satire this year by airing controversial parodies about touchy subjects, including terrorism, the justice system and the commission for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice.
In a recent episode, a Riyadh official proposes that the entire city be divided, with women living in the north and men in the south.
The show airs every Ramadan and is re-run throughout the year in the Middle East.