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A modern remake of the old classic Embratoreyet Meem: Starring Khaled El Nabawy as Mokhtar Aboul Magd, Embratoreyet Meem is a Ramadan series adapted from the 1965 classic of the same name by the late Ehsan Abdel Quddous. Aboul Magd is a widowed father of six children, who he raises with the help of his sister Madiha (Nashwa Mostafa). All of his children bear names starting with the letter M, in an attempt to build an empire of Ms who are ministers in different sectors.

Mukhtar begins to juggle a number of issues, including his failing company. He also grapples with newfound feelings for his neighbor, Mai (Hala Shiha), a divorced single mother, which causes a rift between him and his children. Then there is the threat of house displacement by a real estate company followed by a power dynamic shift in the house due to constant clashes with his children when it comes to rule flexibility that prompts an election to see who is more fit to run the house.

The story is not that different from the film, with some tweaks here and there: While adding Madiha to the mix — bringing herself into a maternal role — the change falls more onto the new identities of the children and the more in-depth dive into their lives. Marwan (Nour El Nabawy) isthe president of his university's student union and is also navigating his new relationship with a polar opposite Maddy (Mayan El Sayed). The eldest, Mona (Hagar El Sarrag), is a law professor and struggles to convince her father to allow her to go on a work trip, which leads her on to start a relationship with her colleague. His other children also struggle with identity crises — especially Maya (Elham Safi El Din) — as well as their jealousy of Mokhtar and Mai’s developing relationship.

The show is a bit of a drag at times but it packs up relatable moments and laughs — occasionally. Aside from the exaggerated incidents, we were excited to see a real-life father-son Nabawy duo on screen but were let down with the occasional mediocrity of performances. However, the dynamic developed into something more meaningful and authentic over time which made it worth the wait.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can watch Embratoreyet Meem on Shahid and Watch IT or catch the trailer here (watch, runtime 00:29).

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