This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews share their thoughts on the newly launched UK version of Saturday Night Live.

The first episode of the British adaptation of the sketch comedy show received better reviews than expected after its broadcast last weekend. Some of the most popular segments shared online feature veteran SNL cast member Tina Fey hosting the monologue and an impersonation of sir David Attenborough hosting a dinner party with celebrated British personalities. Farah tells Enas why she initially had low expectations for SNL UK but later changed her mind.

Elsewhere, on the internet a viral video of a group of pet dogs in China escaping their kidnappers has tugged at people’s heart strings all over the world. The hosts remember some of the most famous internet animals over the years and reflect on why we have become so invested in them from behind our screens.

Enas and Farah also give an extended list of recommendations this week. With rainy weather in the UAE keeping people indoors, they offer their top suggestions of what to read and watch at home.

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about the creative ways the entertainment industry is adapting to disruptions in the events calendar.

Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena is hosting a shopping clearance sale this week to keep the venue running. After some of its scheduled concerts were postponed due to the regional war, staff quickly pivoted from live events to retail, offering shoppers free entry and attractive prices. Enas and Farah talk about the increased community support for local brands and businesses in the UAE to help them overcome the uncertainty.

The hosts also discuss the microdrama phenomenon taking over social media platforms. These short-form, vertical video series became popular in China before spreading worldwide. Despite being low-budget productions featuring soapy plot lines and stereotypes, they are turning into a multibillion dollar industry.

Farah and Enas explore how media creation and consumption trends have evolved as doomscrolling and shorter attention spans influence what and where we watch.

This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and guest host Faisal Al Zaabi, The National's culture reporter, reflect on a new Netflix documentary revisiting the hit 2000s reality show America’s Next Top Model.

The docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, features interviews with former contestants, judges and host Tyra Banks. It has reignited debate about the fashion industry's standards at the time and the treatment of young models on the programme.

Enas and Faisal discuss criticism of the show's pursuit of ratings at the expense of contestants’ well-being, and question whether its creators have taken sufficient responsibility in the years since.

The hosts also share their favourite Ramadan cultural traditions as the holy month enters its second week. Faisal talks about Gargee’an, a popular Gulf celebration in which children dress in traditional clothing and go door-to-door collecting sweets and nuts. Enas recalls the mosaharaty, who would walk the streets at night, drumming and chanting to wake families up for suhoor.

This week on Culture Bites, host Farah Andrews is joined by The National's culture reporter Faisal Al Zaabi to discuss their reactions to this year’s Oscars.

One Battle After Another took home the most awards at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. Michael B Jordan won Best Actor for his role in Sinners while Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet.

Farah and Faisal share their thoughts on which wins and snubs were most deserved. They also talk about some of the bold statements on stage, such as Javier Bardem’s Handala badge and anti-war statement.

This week as Eid begins, the much anticipated film Project Hail Mary comes to UAE cinemas. But the big-screen adaptation of Andy Weir’s sci-fi novel is not the only version to receive glowing praise. The audiobook has also become a favourite, thanks to its atmospheric sound production and Ray Porter’s narration. The hosts share some of their other recommendations for audiobooks that are more captivating than the original texts.

In this episode of Culture Bites, The National’s music and culture journalist Saeed Saeed is back, this time joining Enas Refaei to discuss Ramadan TV.

Every year during the holy month, households across the Arab world tune in to watch the most popular comedies, dramas and talk shows of the season. Over time, networks – and now streaming platforms – have invested bigger budgets into Ramadan specials, as audiences spend more time watching television after iftar and late into the night.

Enas and Saeed discuss how this cultural phenomenon became so dominant in the region and share some of the shows they’re looking forward to watching. The hosts also react to a recent marketing campaign by Egypt’s Diwan Publishing to encourage young people to read and write in Arabic. Classics by authors like Naguib Mahfouz and Taha Hussein were printed entirely in Franco-Arabic, colloquially known as “Arabizi” – a way of writing Arabic words using English letters. The campaign was meant to prompt concern over the loss of Arabic language.

Enas and Saeed talk about Diwan’s previous project to make book covers more vibrant and attractive for the younger generation, and also how schools in the UAE are changing their rules to promote the Arabic language.

This week on Culture Bites, Farah Andrews is joined by guest host Saeed Saeed, The National’s music and culture journalist.

After much acclaim and debate over Bad Bunny’s half-time Super Bowl show, the hosts reflect on its massive worldwide appeal. They discuss the powerful cultural messages layered through the Puerto Rican artist’s viral performance, described as a celebration of Latin American culture. But they also question whether the half-time performances have lost some of their magic as they evolve into polished productions made for a digital audience rather than fans at the venue. Farah and Saeed discuss what this means for audiences and why it can be impactful either way.

Meanwhile, one of the world’s most famous fossils is preparing to return to its home. Lucy, the 3.2 million-year-old fossil, currently on display at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, will be going back to Ethiopia next month.

Named after the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, she is considered to be one of the most widely recognised early human ancestors that helped transform scientific understanding of humanity’s origins. The hosts talk about the significance of her discovery and share their own existential contemplations of Lucy’s profound cultural impression.

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about a new initiative in Abu Dhabi to attract art collectors.

The scheme announced by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi will waive customs duties for artworks brought in for at least three years. Designed to be more than a financial incentive, the programme prioritises cultural investment in the emirate, building on its reputation as a hub for the arts. Farah and Enas point to similar schemes that have been successful and share tips for aspiring art collectors.

In the entertainment world, awards season is in full swing, with the 68th Grammy Awards earlier this week. Political gestures and speeches stole the spotlight, with artists wearing “ICE out” badges in protest at recent immigration crackdowns in the US.

This year’s wins reflected an evolving music industry. Farah and Enas discuss Bad Bunny winning album of the year, and give their take on the wins, snubs and captivating moments of the ceremony.

This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews sit down with chef and author Asma Khan during the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai.

Born and raised in India, Asma later moved to the UK where she eventually opened her highly acclaimed restaurant, Darjeeling Express. She became the first British chef to be featured on the Netflix documentary series, Chef’s Table. She tells the hosts she insisted her all-female team be featured on the show, as part of her mission to celebrate women, who typically do most of the cooking across cultures but seldom receive enough credit or pay.

Asma also discusses the writing journey and concept of her latest cookbook, Monsoon, which includes recipes that complement the six seasons of her homeland. She explains that growing up in India, she used to know what season it was based on the produce available in the market.

But times have changed significantly and she speaks to Enas and Farah about the impact that year-round ingredients have had on global food systems and vulnerable farmers. Her book, she says, is meant to encourage people to cook with fresh ingredients available to them and share the special gift of home-cooked meals with their loved ones.

The hosts later explore the literary festival and pick up some of the books they’re most looking forward to reading this year.