It is the usual practice to show entertaining programs during the Iranian New Year Norouz (starts March 20) holidays, and this year too different TV channels of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) have included several comedy and fun programs to keep the viewers amused.
All channels welcome the New Year, concurrent with the beginning of spring, with special live shows. The programs usually start several hours before the turn of the year and continue for a couple of hours into the New Year.
As the New Year (1395 in the Persian Calendar) rings in on Sunday (March 20) at 8:12 am, therefore the special Norouz programs will start the night before and last till noon the following day. The other programs and series will be aired every night during the 13-day annual holiday.
Channel 1 will broadcast ‘One One’ on the eve of the New Year with the popular TV host Ali Zia, where a number of artists will attend as guests and talk about empathy, kindness and friendship.
‘The Standard Patient’ directed by Saeed Aqakhani, will be screened on the channel during the holidays. Babak Hamidian, Javad Ezzati, Asghar Semsarzadeh, Shila Khodadad, Puria Pursorkh, Nima Shahrokh-Shahi, Hooman Haji-Abdollahi and Khatereh Hatami are cast in the serial which is about a student of acting who plays the role of patients with mental disorders, but this causes him problems.
Final Round of ‘Cuisine’
The final round of the cooking contest ‘Cuisine’ will also be held where the ‘Chef of the Year’ will be selected from the nine finalists. The show has been aired for the past five months and a total of 81 chefs have taken part in the contest.
‘Under the Bell’ is the name of another competition show, produced with the help of the Safety Services & Fire-Fighting Organization. An action and dynamic contest, it is a game for firefighters to compete with each other and includes rescue operations and fire control and extinguishment.
Veteran actor Rasool Najafian will host ‘Joys of Spring, Eternal Traditions’ which will introduce the traditional customs of Iranians in the olden days before and after the turn of the New Year.
Channel 2 will air ‘Saffrony’ directed by Hamed Mohammadi as its Norouz series every night. A sitcom on the life of a couple who has many friends and also a foe, the series has Mehdi Hashemi, Mehran Ahmadi, Hadis Miramini, Setareh Eskandari and Narges Mohammadi in the cast.
Centering on social issues, there are many characters who lead the story who can all be considered as protagonists in the story.
‘Familiar Cuisine’ is another cooking contest but unlike its serious counterpart in channel 1, the contenders are actors, singers and athletes who will compete in a friendly and fun atmosphere.
Chanel 3 will start the New Year with a program presented by the popular host Ehsan Alikhani.
‘The Draw’ directed by Borzu Niknejad is the series chosen for Norouz nights on this channel. The story is about the ups and downs of an Iranian family which experiences sweet and bitter times.
Hamidreza Azarang, Fariba Motekhases, Hedayat Hashemi, Parastoo Golestani and Mohamadreza Alimardani are the cast.
Focus on Sports
The new series of the game show ‘Mr. Commentator’, which is among the most popular TV contests in the recent years, will focus on sports like volleyball and wrestling this time to find talented people in the field and train them for future contests.
Nasim Channel has already started the third season of the fashionable entertainment program ‘Khandevaneh’. Directed and hosted by the comedian Rambod Javan, the first episode was broadcast on Tuesday night. Stand-up comedy shows, fun chatting with guests, live music performance and funny matches in the studio are among several parts of the program which seeks to promote happiness in the society through laughter.
‘Get-Together’ is another fun show on the channel hosted by the well-known comedian Mehran Modiri. It comprises theatrical plays, funny talk shows, and humorous clips on social issues.
Other channels such as Varzesh (sport), Jam-e-Jam, Salamat (health), Namayesh (show), Children and Young Adults, Qur’an, Ofoq (horizon), Mostanad (documentary) and Amoozesh (education) have each scheduled different programs for the holidays to please the various tastes of the viewers, including scientific, educational, religious, art and music programs; talk, reality, game, sports and puppet shows; documentaries on environment, wildlife and Iran tourist attractions and a huge number of films and animations.
