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Just as some iconic Moroccan films have stolen Moroccans’ hearts, there are many shows that enjoyed success on national television and now hold a special nostalgic place in the hearts of Moroccans. The rise of modern technology has allowed people around the world to explore more film and television than their country has to offer. It also paved the way for binge-watching and the opportunity to enjoy your old favorite shows whenever and wherever you want.
Whether it is a sitcom, drama, or horror, Moroccan cinema was able to deliver entertainment to the country’s consumers. Despite the low budget of many of these shows, the producers, actors, and storylines have made a significant impact on Moroccans.
Another indicator of these shows’ success is how they still come up in conversation and how Moroccans of all ages and regions remember them. The shows are also a great resource for non-Moroccans who want to learn more of the Darija dialect and about Moroccan culture, etiquette, and norms.
Read also: Moroccan Cinema: The 9 Best Moroccan Movies of All Time
These are 10 Moroccan television series you can binge-watch that will take you on a nostalgic journey or help you learn more about Morocco while enjoying the trials and triumphs of loveable characters.
Lalla Fatima
First aired on the free Moroccan television network 2M in 2001, the 25-minute sitcom ran for three seasons. Despite the show being quite old, “Lalla Fatima” is without question Morocco’s favorite comedy show.
The series is a social and comedy drama that tells a story of a Moroccan family through all their troubles and happy moments. The Benzizi family shows their love and support for each other through sarcasm and fun moments created by the show’s personalities. Each character has a unique persona and different story every episode.
The story starts when the lead character Lalla Fatima starts a little business selling homemade Moroccan cookies that she and the housemaid Aisha bake. As her business grows and Fatima moves it to a store, the story arc develops alongside the characters, from her husband, parents, children, and their friends to the bakery keeper and the family’s neighbors.
Si Marbouh’s Family
Another family sitcom worth a nostalgic binge-watch is “Si Marbouh’s Family,” which first aired on the first Moroccan television channel Al Aoula in 2001. The 20-minute sitcom told the story of a modest Moroccan family with two grown children. The girl was responsible and a great student and the boy was always involved in trouble.
The family addressed realistic social issues in a comedic manner with funny Moroccan expressions and proverbs. This made Moroccan families relate to the show and feel closer to the characters and the plot, which was a key role in the success of the sitcom.
Unfortunately, the comedy only ran for two seasons. However, this Moroccan television show’s short duration can make this nostalgic show easy binge-watch this weekend for a journey down memory lane.
Romana and Bartal
Based on an Amazigh (Berber) movie called “lkenz ouritkemaln,” which means “the treasure that never ends,” the Moroccan television series aired on 2M and tells the story of a wise and witty girl living with her old and ill father as well as her stepmother, who was strict and harsh on her.
Romana is a unique and funny character who always finds herself in trouble, yet she manages to get out of it with her wit and wisdom. One day as she and Bartal, her vain cousin that accompanies her in all her adventures, shepherd two goats, they accidentally lose one.
Refusing to go home to her strict stepmother, Romana goes on searching for the goat only to find herself lost in a cave where a cursed man called “siht liil” and his two servants capture her. To convince the cursed man to let her go, Romana makes a deal to tell different stories every night that derive from Moroccan mythology and legends.
Moudawala
“Moudawala,” which is Arabic for “the court,” is one of the best and most nostalgic Moroccan television dramas still popular today, perfect for a binge-watch. First aired on the Al Aoula channel, the law drama tells stories inspired by real-life cases in Moroccan courts. The show raised public awareness on social issues, crimes, and problems of public justice.
The drama has two seasons with 40 to 60 minutes per episode. Each one focuses on a different case, with subjects portrayed by some of the most prominent Moroccan actors. Every case is different from the other, which keeps viewers on their toes, anticipating what will happen next.
Rhimou
Aired in 2006 on 2M, “Rhimou” is a funny and nostalgic Moroccan television show that witnessed notable popularity during its time, also a great binge-watch option. The show tells the story of a struggling Moroccan young woman, Rhimou, who inherits her Belgian father’s fortune. She has never seen him before, and can only claim her inheritance if she does not spend money quickly in a short period of time.
Events escalate quickly when her Belgian stepbrother and his wife come to Morocco. Angry about the inheritance plans, the brother and his wife try their best to get her to spend that sum of money quickly, to prevent her from inheriting her dad’s fortune.
The other characters, including her grandmother, her aunt, the shop owner next door, her friend, and the financial advisor that the stepbrother and his wife hire to help squander Rhimou’s fortune, all add to the series’ humor and fun moments.
Al Bu’d al Akhar (The other dimension)
Different from the sitcoms and dramas, “Al Bu’d al Akhar,” which means “the other dimension,” is a horror science fiction series that was and still is one of the best horror shows in Morocco. The television series based its unique fantasy and scary stories on Moroccan mythology and folktales and will definitely draw you in for a binge-watch.
Aired beginning in 2016 on 2M, with four seasons, the horror show was one of the first Moroccan series to use cinematic special effects. It starred several renowned Moroccan actors, to bring to life thrilling, diverse fantasy stories that are both terrifying and intriguing. You can’t help but continue watching “Al Bu’d al Akhar” despite the horror.
Al Awni
“Al Awni” is a comedy television show aired during Ramadan of 2005 on 2M, nostalgic for so many Moroccans. Just like many other Moroccan sitcoms, the show revolves around a Moroccan family and the funny incidents and problems the characters face.
Read also: Ramadan: Moroccan TV shows invoke more compassion than laughter
Al Awni is the owner of a coffee shop located next to his house, where he spends most of his time with Bahloul. The employee seems to always bring trouble to the coffee shop with his clumsy and vain character leaving Al Awni to fix his mistakes.
Adding to the main character’s struggle, his wife and mother-in-law’s love for luxury lead them to become more demanding and ask for more expensive items. They like to show off to others, which gets him in a lot of debt.
Sa’aa fi Aljahim (An Hour in Hell)
Aired from 2008 until 2015 on Al Aoula with 6 seasons, “Sa’aa fi Aljahim,” which means “an hour in hell” in Arabic, is a fun Moroccan television show enjoyed and remembered by many. “Sa’aa fi Aljahim” tells several stories from all Moroccan social backgrounds—the traditional and the bourgeois.
Each 45-minute episode has different characters with a different storyline. Throughout the episode, the main characters go through the worst hour of their life, filled with many unexpected and unfortunate events that test the characters’ patience and temper.
The series offers drama, action, and humor through great acting performances. An accumulation of odd incidents keeps viewers intrigued and curious from the start of the episode until the last minute.
Men Dar Ldar
“Men Dar Ldar,” which is Arabic for “from one house to another,” is a Moroccan social television series that first aired on Al Ouala from 1996 to 2002, perfect for a meaningful binge-watch. Two seasons of standalone episodes address the struggles of housemaids and their problems with their employers.
The series aimed to reveal a hidden or taboo social problem, that of housemaids who do not have any other option but to move from one house to another in order to support themselves and their families.
Not pursuing what Moroccans looked at as an honorable career, housemaids had to struggle socially and professionally inside their employee’s house and outside, facing society. This can lead to serious consequences including severe illnesses, poor mental health, depression, and even suicide, and the show is an honest look at the problem.
Wjaa’ Trab
Inspired by the French novel “Earth” by Emile Zola, “Wjaa’ Trab” is a drama series that aired on 2M in 2004. Moroccan grandparents and youth alike enjoyed the series for its drama and intriguing story arc.
The series tells the story of Ahmad who wants his three children to inherit his lands. However, one of the children, Al Mhidi, wants to move away from his family’s house and marry his relative Asaadia, who also had a large inheritance.
His father does not allow him to marry Asaadia. Nonetheless, the tireless Mhidi hopes to marry his other relative, Taika, who rejected him for another worker from the neighboring village. The series also addresses the challenging lifestyle of people in rural regions and the hardships of agricultural workers. From comedy and drama to horror and science fiction, Moroccan television has provided audiences throughout the years with so many memorable moments. These 10 are some of the best and most nostalgic Moroccan television series that you can binge-watch today.
