{ "id": "ep5j9fhcc4", "slug": "paranormal-2020-tv-series", "title": "Paranormal (2020 TV series)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_turkish_other", "label": "Turkish, Middle Eastern, and African serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_turkish_other" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_turkish_other.arabic_serials", "label": "Arabic-language serial dramas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_turkish_other.arabic_serials" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.mena.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Middle East and North Africa · 2001 to 2020: Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "path": [ { "id": "geo.mena", "label": "Middle East and North Africa", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t2001", "label": "Middle East and North Africa · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Paranormal (ما وراء الطبيعة, Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa) is Netflix's first Egyptian original series, a six-episode 2020 horror drama by Amr Salama adapting Ahmed Khaled Tawfik's 15-million-copy novel series about hematologist Refaat Ismail in 1960s Egypt.", "snippet": "Paranormal (ما وراء الطبيعة, Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa) is Netflix's first Egyptian original series, a six-episode 2020 horror drama by Amr Salama adapting Ahmed Khaled Tawfik's 15-million-copy novel series about hematologist Refaat Ismail in 1960s Egypt.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_turkish_other.arabic_serials", "markdown": "# Paranormal (2020 TV series)\n\n**Paranormal** (Arabic: ما وراء الطبيعة, Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa) is an Egyptian horror drama television series released on Netflix on November 5, 2020, and the first Netflix original series produced in Egypt. Created by filmmaker Amr Salama, it adapts the best-selling novel series of the same name by the late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik and follows Dr. Refaat Ismail, a hematologist in 1960s Egypt who is drawn into a series of supernatural events.[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/paranormal-teaser) • [2](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80214886)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Premiere | November 5, 2020, on Netflix, released in 190 countries and available in over 32 languages[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/paranormal-teaser) |\n| Format | One season of six episodes, in Arabic, rated TV-14[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01) |\n| Source material | Tawfik's Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa novel series, launched in 1993, which sold over 15 million copies worldwide[4](https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1205/394011/AlAhram-Weekly/Culture/Supernatural-symptoms-.aspx) • [5](https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/5/159/374853/Arts--Culture/Entertainment/Egyptian-director-Amr-Salama-finishes-shooting-of-.aspx) |\n| Lead cast | Ahmed Amin as Dr. Refaat Ismail, with Razane Jammal (Maggie), Ayah Samaha (Huwaida), Samaa Ibrahem (Raeefa), and Reem Abd El Kader (Shiraz)[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/paranormal-teaser) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01) |\n| Direction and production | Directed by Amr Salama and Majid Al Ansari; executive producers Amr Salama and Mohamed Hefzy[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/paranormal-teaser) |\n| Reception | 96% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 4 reviews; 8/10 average on IMDb[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01) • [6](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/paranormal-show) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and episodes\n\nSet in 1960s Egypt, the series follows Dr. Refaat Ismail, a cynical hematologist with a dark sense of humor whose lifelong scientific convictions are questioned when he encounters the paranormal. The plot begins in 1969, as Refaat enters his 40s, and he is accompanied through the season by his university colleague Maggie as they investigate supernatural dangers threatening their loved ones.[7](https://www.ratingraph.com/tv-shows/paranormal-ratings-83580/) Netflix's synopsis describes him as plunged into a series of supernatural events as he attempts to unravel the mysteries behind each unusual case.[2](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80214886)\n\nThe six episodes each adapt one of the novels' iconic myths, with a continuing storyline about Refaat's past and the mysterious Shiraz running underneath:[8](https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/94874/A-deep-dive-into-%E2%80%98Paranormal%E2%80%99-series)\n\n1. \"The Myth of the House\": Refaat invites his old flame Maggie to his birthday party, where a sighting heightens the tension.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01)\n2. \"The Myth of the Curse of the Pharaoh\": after the autopsy of a reportedly cursed mummy, a black cloud looms over Cairo.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01)\n3. \"The Myth of the Guardian of the Cave\": Refaat and Maggie search for a cure in the [Libyan Desert](https://www.edgepedia.org/libyan-desert).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01)\n4. \"The Myth of the Naiad\": after a tarot reading, Refaat visits his hometown, where a voice hypnotizes him.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01)\n5. \"The Myth of the Incubus\": a grief-stricken Refaat chases Shiraz through a haunted maze in his dreams.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01)\n6. \"The Myth of the House: The Return\": Refaat tries to decipher the real story behind Shiraz's death.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01)\n\nThe action moves between time periods, transporting audiences between Egypt in 1910, 1941, and 1969.[9](https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/08/30/paranormal-a-closer-look-at-netflixs-first-egyptian-original-series/)\n\n## Origin and production\n\n**A long-gestating adaptation.** Amr Salama read Tawfik's novels as an eleven-year-old in 1993 and acquired the property rights in 2006, developing the material as a director for years before production requirements, which in Egypt were available only to Ramadan-series-scale productions, could be met through the deal with Netflix.[10](https://www.feps.edu.eg/images/elite/26/issue26en.pdf) Salama and his producing partner Mohamed Hefzy, founder of Film Clinic, brought the idea to Netflix when the platform was beginning to produce original content in the [Arab world](https://www.edgepedia.org/arab-world).[11](https://www.arabnews.com/sites/default/files/pdf/45337/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf?uni=2a01bb23383c31110f2eef8e001270eb)\n\nFilming began on November 17, 2019, in Cairo, with locations between Giza and Fayoum, and wrapped in July 2020, which Salama announced with a clapperboard image captioned \"in these difficult circumstances,\" a reference to the COVID-19 period.[12](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-shooting-of-paranormal-kicks-off) • [13](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/it-s-a-wrap-netflix-s-first-egyptian-series-paranormal-has-finished-filming-1.1051915) The season was shot in Egypt with an entirely Egyptian cast and crew, which the production presented as a new level of production standards for the country.[8](https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/94874/A-deep-dive-into-%E2%80%98Paranormal%E2%80%99-series) Producer Mohamed Hefzy said the production process differed greatly from what Egyptian producers were used to, with resources that had not previously been available to them.[14](https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/11/05/netflixs-first-original-egyptian-series-transports-you-into-the-paranormal-world-review/)\n\nThe special effects team spent several months of preparation and rehearsal sessions to reach the final look of the character Shiraz.[8](https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/94874/A-deep-dive-into-%E2%80%98Paranormal%E2%80%99-series)\n\n## The source novels\n\nAhmed Khaled Tawfik, a Tanta-based physician, wrote Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa as a supernatural horror series for teenagers from 1993, in a pulp-fiction boom begun that year by the Modern Arab Association publishing company. He died in 2018 at the age of 55, before the adaptation was released.[4](https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1205/394011/AlAhram-Weekly/Culture/Supernatural-symptoms-.aspx) The series of 81 books, not counting special editions, sold over 15 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most commercially successful literary works to come out of the [Middle East and North Africa](https://www.edgepedia.org/middle-east-and-north-africa).[11](https://www.arabnews.com/sites/default/files/pdf/45337/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf?uni=2a01bb23383c31110f2eef8e001270eb) • [5](https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/5/159/374853/Arts--Culture/Entertainment/Egyptian-director-Amr-Salama-finishes-shooting-of-.aspx) Its protagonist Refaat Ismail differs from conventional heroes: a weak, sardonic, hesitant, frightened man who makes many mistakes and admits his weakness, which kept him beloved with readers.[15](https://www.rosaelyoussef.com/UserFiles/Attachments/2020/11/24/786524/Binder1.pdf)\n\n## Release and reception\n\nNetflix announced the release date in October 2020 and dubbed the series into nine languages, including English, Spanish, French, Turkish, and German. Paranormal was also the first Egyptian Original series to carry audio and written descriptions for viewers who are hearing or visually impaired.[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/paranormal-teaser) It quickly rose to number one on the \"Top Ten in Egypt Today\" list.[16](https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/11/13/the-paranormal-experience-season-one-review-of-netflixs-first-egyptian-original-series/)\n\nCritical response was largely positive. On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 96% Tomatometer from 4 reviews and more than 250 audience ratings.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01) Reviewers highlighted the wry humor and case-of-the-week structure, the cinematography and set pieces, and Ahmed Amin's performance; recurring criticisms targeted the visual effects and lighting.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01) • [17](https://loudandclearreviews.com/paranormal-review/) A German review judged it a well-made first season for the first Egyptian Netflix series overall, despite weak CGI and predictable plotting.[18](https://www.thrillandkill.com/review/review-paranormal-2020-serie/) Some Egyptian critics and readers found the adaptation less coherent than the standalone novels it drew from.[19](https://www.madamasr.com/en/2020/11/08/feature/culture/detox-paranormal-the-myth-of-the-mangled-plots/)\n\n## Significance\n\nAs Netflix's first Egyptian original, [Paranormal](https://www.edgepedia.org/paranormal) marked the streaming platform's first foray into Egyptian drama and its first Arabic Original from Egypt.[12](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-shooting-of-paranormal-kicks-off) • [1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/paranormal-teaser) Egypt had historically been dubbed the \"Hollywood of the Middle East\" and produces the most Arabic films and television series in the region, and the series returned supernatural horror to Egyptian television, a genre largely absent since the 2009 series Abwab Al-Khof aired on MBC.[20](https://1-e8259.azureedge.net/economy/2020/11/3/netflix-to-debut-its-first-egyptian-original-series-paranormal) • [4](https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1205/394011/AlAhram-Weekly/Culture/Supernatural-symptoms-.aspx)\n\n## References\n\n1. ['PARANORMAL' Launches globally on November 5, About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/paranormal-teaser)\n2. [Paranormal, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80214886)\n3. [Paranormal: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/paranormal/s01)\n4. [Netflix original 'Paranormal': Supernatural symptoms, Al-Ahram Weekly](https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1205/394011/AlAhram-Weekly/Culture/Supernatural-symptoms-.aspx)\n5. [Egyptian director Amr Salama finishes shooting of Netflix's series Paranormal, Ahram Online](https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/5/159/374853/Arts--Culture/Entertainment/Egyptian-director-Amr-Salama-finishes-shooting-of-.aspx)\n6. [Paranormal, Screenwise](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/paranormal-show)\n7. [Paranormal (2020) ratings, Rating Graph](https://www.ratingraph.com/tv-shows/paranormal-ratings-83580/)\n8. [A deep dive into 'Paranormal' series, EgyptToday](https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/94874/A-deep-dive-into-%E2%80%98Paranormal%E2%80%99-series)\n9. [Paranormal: a Closer Look at Netflix's First Egyptian Original Series, Egyptian Streets](https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/08/30/paranormal-a-closer-look-at-netflixs-first-egyptian-original-series/)\n10. [Vol.1 Issue 26, December 2020, FEPS](https://www.feps.edu.eg/images/elite/26/issue26en.pdf)\n11. [Digital Newspaper 45337, Arab News (November 7, 2020)](https://www.arabnews.com/sites/default/files/pdf/45337/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf?uni=2a01bb23383c31110f2eef8e001270eb)\n12. [THE SHOOTING OF PARANORMAL KICKS OFF, About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-shooting-of-paranormal-kicks-off)\n13. [It's a wrap: Netflix's first Egyptian series 'Paranormal' has finished filming, The National](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/it-s-a-wrap-netflix-s-first-egyptian-series-paranormal-has-finished-filming-1.1051915)\n14. [Netflix's First Original Egyptian Series Transports You into the 'Paranormal' World: Review, Egyptian Streets](https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/11/05/netflixs-first-original-egyptian-series-transports-you-into-the-paranormal-world-review/)\n15. [Rosa El Youssef newspaper, November 24, 2020](https://www.rosaelyoussef.com/UserFiles/Attachments/2020/11/24/786524/Binder1.pdf)\n16. [The 'Paranormal' Experience: Season One Review, Egyptian Streets](https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/11/13/the-paranormal-experience-season-one-review-of-netflixs-first-egyptian-original-series/)\n17. [Paranormal (2020) Netflix Show Review, Loud And Clear Reviews](https://loudandclearreviews.com/paranormal-review/)\n18. [PARANORMAL (2020) (Serie) | Serienkritik, Thrill&Kill](https://www.thrillandkill.com/review/review-paranormal-2020-serie/)\n19. [Detox | Paranormal: The Myth of the Mangled Plots, MadaMasr](https://www.madamasr.com/en/2020/11/08/feature/culture/detox-paranormal-the-myth-of-the-mangled-plots/)\n20. [Netflix taps 'Hollywood of the Middle East' to produce new series, Al Jazeera](https://1-e8259.azureedge.net/economy/2020/11/3/netflix-to-debut-its-first-egyptian-original-series-paranormal)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › Turkish, Middle Eastern, and African serials › Arabic-language serial dramas*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/paranormal-2020-tv-series", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/paranormal-2020-tv-series.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Paranormal (2020 TV series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/paranormal-2020-tv-series. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Paranormal (2020 TV series)](https://www.edgepedia.org/paranormal-2020-tv-series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/paranormal-2020-tv-series](https://www.edgepedia.org/paranormal-2020-tv-series). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Paranormal (2020 TV series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/paranormal-2020-tv-series. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Paranormal is Netflix's first Egyptian original series, a six-episode 2020 horror drama by Amr Salama adapting Ahmed Khaled Tawfik's 15-million-copy novel series about hematologist Refaat Ismail in 1960s Egypt." }