CAIRO — “From Cairo … it’s ‘Saturday Night!’ “
An Arabic version of “Saturday Night Live” is airing across the Arab world for the first time this weekend, offering a Middle Eastern twist on the hit U.S. comedy show.
In a newly renovated theater in the Egyptian capital, the live audience laughed its way through the shooting of the first episode. The host was Donia Samir Ghanem, one of Egypt’s top female comedians, who cracked jokes at her own expense and sent up stereotypes of different Arabic countries. All the elements of “SNL” were there: a celebrity guest, music performances, live sketches, videos and parody news — but when it comes to politics, they’re playing it safe.
Egypt’s sharply satirical version of “The Daily Show” had to go off air in 2014.
