A lavish drama tries to rally Egyptians with dark memories

WHEN TELEVISION viewers tuned in last month to “Al-Ikhtiyar” (“The Choice”), they knew exactly how it would end. In the penultimate episode Yasser Galal, who plays Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, then the defence minister, enters a room full of religious and political leaders. “We must make a fateful decision,” he says. “The country needs one.” The date was July 3rd, 2013. Within hours the assembled grandees would appear on television alongside Mr Sisi, as he declared Egypt’s brief experiment with democracy to be over.Television viewers in the Arab world are spoilt for choice during the month of Ramadan, which ended on May 1st. Studios roll out dozens of big-budget serials, with a new episode each night. “Al-Ikhtiyar”, now in its third season, was one of this year’s most heavily promoted shows.