A ‘Cut’ above the rest: New sitcom follows lives of Saudi students in US

Cast of ‘Cut’ — Yousef Aldakhil, Norah Albader, Fahad Albutairi, Osamah Salih and Mohammed Sef.

JEDDAH: MBC on Friday premiered a new sitcom “Cut,” about Saudi students pursuing filmmaking in the US.
The sitcom, in which comic star Nasser Al-Qassabi is involved, quickly became a trending topic among Saudi Twitter users.
“‘Cut’ follows the lives of five Saudi students and everything they go through, not only as Saudi students in the US, but also as students studying filmmaking and who are coming from a country that doesn’t have cinema,” Fahad Al-Butairi, a Saudi YouTube personality and comic actor who stars in the sitcom, told Arab News.
“It explores the dynamics of cultural identity and family relations, and there’s also a romantic subplot.”
Directed by Osama Alkhurayji, the show targets Saudis and other Arabs aged 20-40, those in college, recent graduates and cinephiles.
“It’s still picking up traction. A lot more people are catching up on episodes on Shahid, MBC’s app,” said Al-Butairi.
“People have liked the dialogue and performances. Some love the fact that the show has been shot in a novel way, in the style of a documentary — something that has never been done in the Middle East before,” he added.
“‘Cut’ features a variety of characters — some conservative, some not so conservative, some passionate about what they do and some slackers — male and female. We also have a character that’s half-American and deals with his own cultural identity in confusion,” he said.
“The show presents a diverse spectrum of interactions between different cultures... It sets the tone of Saudi cultural identity in the context of globalization.”
On Al-Qassabi’s role in the show’s production, Al-Butairi said: “Nasser unfortunately hasn’t played any acting role... but I believe his role is more important than any other. He has provided a platform for young Saudis to display their skills and passion for dramatic, creative and comic writing. Given his position as a leader in the regional entertainment industry, it was fortunate for us to be supported by him. He gave us guidance but was never patronizing.”
Al-Butairi said the best is yet to come: “We’re still in the beginning... The real action doesn’t happen until the middle of the season. That’s when the show catches momentum.”