Lonely?
Tune in to Melody Trix and your forlorn feelings will disappear, Salonaz Sami recommends
Interactive TV channels conquered our entertainment world almost a decade ago when viewers were suddenly offered the novel opportunity to call in on shows, give their opinion, vote on an issue or just simply play a game. The new technology captured people's attention and imagination worldwide, altering for good their television experience and giving them hours of interactive fun.
Climbing on the new interactive viewing bandwagon, 24-hour game channels appeared that offered financial prizes to callers who could solve onscreen games or knowledge questions. In the Arab world, however, the launch of these game channels has fallen short of successful, having metamorphosed into a weak imitation of their European-launched counterparts -- void of any mind-stimulating content.
The typical programme offers a female presenter in a revealing dress and an overly made- up face speaking in a shrill tone that drives you insane, generally repeating nonsensical questions and urging viewers to call in order to win large sums of money.
My misgivings were forgotten two months ago when, accidentally, I came across Melody Trix, a channel that offers 19 hours of non-stop games daily, and which has become my new addiction. It is the latest production of a prominent TV channel group owned by the grandson of late president Gamal Abdel-Nasser, businessman Ashraf Marawan.
My first encounter with what later turned out to be my most memorable satellite experience happened by chance as I was flipping through the channels one night and stumbled upon Trix. An attractive young lady was talking about drugs and their horrific consequences. The approach of presenter Amira Nour was new, as the question of the day was to rearrange some letters on screen to come up with the name of an Arabic movie that tackled the issue of drug trafficking. I was intrigued by the fact that the programme managed to shed light on an important issue in a fun way, turning a simple game into a discussion of one of the most important problems that face our society.
The next time I watched Trix, a handsome young man with capturing eyes and an enchanting smile captivated his viewers with a sense of humour that had calls pouring in. People from all walks of life -- men, women and children -- were calling just to talk to Khaled Hamzawy, the show's host. Watching the show, even I felt like I was having a good laugh in the company of an old friend.
A woman called in who seemed to share my exact sentiments. "Before discovering Trix," she said, "I was just a middle-aged woman living by myself, with no friends and nothing to do but work. It was through your programme that I felt the warmth of family." A flow of phone calls followed from the show's viewers assuring the woman that she must "never feel alone; we are all your family."
Later, I came to discover that a bond had formed between Trix's fans, which eventually led them to form groups on Facebook with the aim of staying in touch and keeping each other's company.
The idea that an interactive game channel could occupy a place in the lives of its audience drove my curiosity to further investigate.
I had noticed that many callers sent greetings through the show to a Walid Abdel-Hafez, who turned out to be a 38-year-old dentist who is considered the "dean" of the Trix family. "Ever since I came across the channel, I felt its significance," Abdel-Hafez told Al-Ahram Weekly.
The channel offered a number of games ranging from simple to mind-stimulating, which helps ensure a wider spectrum of viewers.
As a novice, Abdel-Hafez only favoured the mind- challenging games until, finally, it was Hamzawy's charismatic presence that kept him a regular.
"As I frequented the programme, I noticed how, unlike other shows, it respected its fans by offering a real game with real prizes. And, since we know each other, verifying the authenticity of the games and prizes was easy," he explained. However, the degree of difficulty of the game still mattered to Abdel-Hafez. "Being able to solve a hard game is rewarding," he explained, adding that it was never about the money. Abdel-Hafez bought himself an encyclopaedia to help him solve the programme's riddles.
The bond that developed between the programme's viewers turned into a personal friendship and he and Hamzawy, over time, became "best buddies". Week after week, he said, callers began to interact with each other and the Trix family was born. "People would make the effort to be on air simply to send regards to each other and to the presenters and staff of Trix, both those behind and in front of the camera."
"People come and go," he said. "But the founding members of the family never change. Even if they disappear for weeks, they always come back."
According to Abdel-Hafez, the family grew thanks to the efforts exerted by everyone, but especially by Hamzawy, who was the mediator connecting everyone together. "Khaled knows how to make each and every caller feel special; something that we all need. It is this warmth that gathers the people around him."
"Without Trix and Hamzawy, the family wouldn't be the same," Abdel-Hafez said. Had it not been for the appeal of Hamzawy and Nour, none of the viewers, including myself, would have become the addicts to the show that we are.
It was through Facebook that I managed to get a hold of Abdel-Hafez and two other presenters who shared their experience with me over a five- hour interview at Nour's house. The friendly, warm faces I bonded with on screen were not just for the show; these people were all for real.
I was received by Nour, who welcomed me with a warmth only a very close friend would extend. With no make-up, she looked both beautiful and natural, spontaneously speaking to me over a cup of coffee as though we had known each other for ages.
"It has always been my dream to become a presenter. Interacting with people, sharing their problems and learning from their experiences has always been my goal," she confided.
A graduate of the Faculty of Arts, Nour started her professional life in the field of tourism, later joining, by coincidence, a radio-programme that marked the start of her dream coming true. Her move to TV came after a fierce competition, with no less than 500 contestants, of which nine presenters were chosen for a new channel aimed at offering games with a new vision.
"For so many reasons, people are feeling lonelier and lonelier these days. It was at the top of our agenda to attract this segment of society. Through attracting them to the channel, we provide them with knowledge, entertainment and money, while giving them a feeling of not being alone; of being part of a bigger family. It is a major success in which we take pride," she said.
"Yet, as the saying goes, success is a double- edged weapon. We have to exert a continuous effort to maintain it if we want to stay at the top," Hamzawy said, who had joined our gathering three hours later after meeting with a family of viewers, who had driven all the way from the coastal city of Port Said to meet him in person.
"Those people have given us our success and made us feel that our efforts were worth it. When they refer to us as the family that we've become to them, their feeling is reciprocated, because we, too, cherish them dearly and would have never been where we are today without their support and love," he explained.
Hamzawy is no stranger to show business, with 12 years of experience in modelling and presenting TV shows. He believes that the important thing is to communicate with viewers from the heart. "Because they can tell if you are faking it. And with me, what you see is what you get," he said. "I don't pretend to be someone that I am not, because viewers let me into their homes and lives every day," he said. "So I have to let them into the real me."
He recounts how it was through Trix that the love story of two members of the family of viewers had been sparked. He proudly declared that his contribution as a family member was to announce the marriage proposal on air.
"Indeed we are an entertainment channel; yet entertainment could be informative and profound. Knowing how much we influence our audience leaves us with a responsibility to exert our best in tackling most of their concerns and, wherever needed, lending a helping hand through all possible means. We admire the family that we've become, intend to keep it and aim at extending it further and further," he said.
I smiled. I never tried to call in or interact with Trix, but I considered myself part of the family.
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