Ensemble cast of big name actors replaces one-man lead

Rising popularity of ensemble show al-Mowaten X (Citizen X) changing industry TV series featuring an ensemble of big name actors have become incredibly popular in recent years, especially Egyptian dramas such as al-Mowaten X (Citizen X) and Taraf talet (Third Party). The shows have also been responsible for catapulting the careers of new stars who have gone on to play lead roles elsewhere, including Youssef el-Sherif, who starred in Zay el-ward (Like a Flower) and Raqam maghool (Unknown Number) in 2012.
Another young actor, Amr Youssef, also came to the fore in these hit-dramas, prompting directors to cast him as the lead in al-Muntaqem (The Revenge). He is now due to start filming Niran Sadeeqa (Friendly Fire).
Meanwhile, actors Amir Karara, Mahmoud Abdel Muani and Ahmed Safwat are set to star in Taht el-ard (Underground), Raghm el-fura (Despite the Loss) and Fadd eshitbak (Disengagement).
Actor Mahmoud Abdel Ghani, who began got his big career break as part of a large ensemble casts, says these dramas gave him and his co-stars a path which lead to bigger parts.
"Being a star doesn't mean you have to be the one doing all the action. One person isn't enough anymore. A collective approach guarantees success in several aspects, one of which is that viewers feel it's more realistic," says Abdel Ghani
Film critic Tarek el-Shennawi says the popularity of dramas featuring ensemble casts is creating revenue for producers.
"Having many stars in one series guarantees two things. Firstly, a good script and, secondly, taking advantage of more than one rising star, especially if those rising stars are well-known and have a career behind them," el-Shennawi says.
"Stardom is often born out of an ensemble cast," he adds and explains that the phenomenon marks the start of a new period in drama which benefits producers, actors and viewers.
Meanwhile, another critic, Khairia el-Beshlawi, says: "The ensemble casts we've seen over the past two years have brought out several stars each of whom has taken on a whole series as the lead."
"The age of the single protagonist is over," she said, "and the script is now the real protagonist of any work of drama."
"Ensemble casts can bring forth a lot of stars who will enrich the scene," she adds.
Critic Magda Khairallah also agrees. She says this format "enables many stars to have a presence in TV drama as well as in movies." She credits the rise of ensemble casts with giving young actors an opportunity to rise to the top faster than ever seen before.
"A lot of new faces will graduate from this new school," says Khairallah. She also believes the blows that have hit the Egyptian dramatic arts scene in recent years "will result in an entirely new form that will bring creativity to rights again."
However, Essam Zakariya disagrees with the critics, saying that this style of drama rarely produces stars “who can carry off a whole series.” He points to the comedy film Seieedi fil gamaal amrikiya (Hillbilly at Uni) and the series Citizen X, which were a huge hit during Ramadhan last year, despite the absence of famous leads.