{{Short description|Australian television series}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox television | image = | genre = | creator = Osamah Sami<br>Shahin Shafaei | based_on = | writer = Osamah Sami <br>Shahin Shafaei<br>Blake Ayshford<br>Sarah Bassiuoni | screenplay = | story = | director = Fadia Abboud | starring = {{Plainlist| * Kamel El Basha * Osamah Sami * Maia Abbas }} | narrator = | theme_music_composer = | country = Australia | language = English/Arabic | num_series = 1 | num_episodes = 6 | executive_producer = Debbie Lee<br>Sally Riley<br>Sheila Jayaved<br>Blake Ayshford<br>Brett Sleigh | producer = Bree-Anne Sykes | editor = Nicholas Holmes | cinematography = Sky Davies | runtime = 55 minutes | company = {{Plainlist| * Matchbox Pictures }} | budget = | network = ABC TV | first_aired = {{Start date|2024|02|25|df=yes}} | last_aired = {{end date|2024|03|31|df=yes}} }} '''''House of Gods''''' is a 2024 Australian television drama series. It is created by Osamah Sami and Shahin Shafaei and produced by Matchbox Pictures. It was broadcast on ABC TV from 25 February until 31 March 2024.
==Premise== In the Sydney suburb of Fairfield, Sheikh Mohammad is bidding for the head cleric position at his Iraqi Shia mosque. However, whilst his progressive positions are backed by his children they bring tension to aspects of the more conservative community.<ref name="Guardian review">{{Cite news |last=Racheani |first=Mostafa |date=24 February 2024 |title=''House of Gods'' review – 'Succession in a mosque' drama is disappointingly shallow |url=https://theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/25/house-of-gods-review-succession-in-a-mosque-drama-is-disappointingly-shallow |access-date=22 March 2024 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>
==Cast== * Kamel El Basha as Sheikh Mohammad * Osamah Sami as Isa * Maia Abas as Batul * Majid Shokor as Uncle Samir * Safia Arain as Hind * Simon Elrah as Sheikh Shaaker * Priscilla Doueihy as Jamila * Ali Ibrahim as Yusuf * Azmi Al-Hasani as Aqil * Saif Alawadi as Bilal * Wadih Dona as Abu Hany * Antoinette Lattouf as Leyla
==Production== The 55 minute six-part drama series<ref name="ScreenHub">{{Cite web |last=Dalgarno |first=Paul |date=13 February 2024 |title=''House of Gods'' on ABC iview: need to know |url=https://www.screenhub.com.au/news/features/house-of-gods-on-abc-iview-need-to-know-2634609/ |access-date=22 July 2024 |website=ScreenHub |publisher=Creative Hubs Group}}</ref> was created by Osamah Sami (whose father was head cleric of a mosque in Melbourne) and Shahin Shafaei. It is co-written by Blake Ayshford and Sarah Bassiuoni. Sami first presented the idea to the Matchbox Pictures producer Sheila Jayadev 5–6 years prior to production.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Quinn |first=Karl |date=14 February 2024 |title='I'm bracing myself for pushback', says creator of mosque drama House of Gods |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/i-m-bracing-myself-for-pushback-says-creator-of-mosque-drama-house-of-gods-20240213-p5f4jg.html |url-access=registration |access-date=23 March 2024 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |department=Australian TV |publisher=Nine Entertainment |location=Sydney}}</ref>
''House of Gods'' is directed by Fadia Abboud and executive producers are Debbie Lee, Sally Riley, Jayaved, Blake Ayshford, and Brett Sleigh. Bree-Anne Sykes is series producer.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Clarke |first=Stewart |date=15 March 2024 |title=Australia's {{'}}''House Of Gods''{{'}} Started Out As "{{'}}''The Sopranos''{{'}} In A Mosque," Channeled 'Succession' & Ended Up In A Category All Of Its Own |url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/house-of-gods-sopranos-in-mosque-succession-abc-australia-1235859716/ |access-date=22 March 2024 |magazine=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=ABC unveils bold new drama House of Gods |date=24 November 2023 |publisher=Screen Australia |url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2022/11-24-abc-new-drama-house-of-gods |access-date=22 March 2024}}</ref>
The series has an entirely Arab Australian cast, which includes Kamel El Basha, Osamah Sami, Maia Abas, Majid Shokor, Safia Arain, Simon Elrah, Priscilla Doueihy, Ali Ibrahim, Azmi Al-Hasani, Saif Alawadi, Wadih Dona, and Antoinette Lattouf.<ref name="ScreenHub review">{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Mel |date=27 February 2024 |title=''House of Gods'', ABC review: an absorbing balancing act |url=https://www.screenhub.com.au/news/reviews/house-of-gods-abc-review-an-absorbing-balancing-act-2635442/ |access-date=22 March 2024 |website=ScreenHub |publisher=Creative Hubs Group}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=McLennan |first=Callum |date=17 March 2024 |title='You Can't Manufacture Authenticity': the Makers of Australian Series 'House of Gods' Talk Challenging Stereotypes, Religion and Community |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/house-of-gods-matchbox-series-mania-1235944096/ |access-date=22 March 2024 |magazine=Variety}}</ref>
==Episodes== The series was shown in Australia on ABC TV from 25 February 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chidiac |first=Valerie |date=25 February 2024 |title=House of Gods Premiere screening: "We're not portraying sinning Muslims, we are portraying Muslims" |url=https://honisoit.com/2024/02/house-of-gods-premiere-screening-were-not-portraying-sinning-muslims-we-are-portraying-muslims/ |access-date=22 March 2024 |website=Honisoit |quote=''House of Gods'' premieres on Sunday February 25 at 8.30pm on ABC TV, with episodes released weekly. Watch the trailer here and follow @osamah.sami on Instagram to remain updated.}}</ref> until 31 March 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=30 March 2024 |title=''House of Gods'' |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/03/house-of-gods-2.html |access-date=22 July 2024 |website=TV Tonight |language=en-AU}}</ref> All episodes of the series were added to ABC iview on 25 February 2024.<ref name="ScreenHub" />
{| class="wikitable" |+ !No. !Plot !Directed by !Written by !Release Date |- |1 |'''Dining with the wolves''' The series opens with Sheikh Mohammad, a charismatic Iraqi-Australian cleric, being elected Head Cleric of The Messenger mosque in western Sydney, a milestone that brings newfound power and attention to his family. As he steps into his new role, the community’s reactions — both supportive and critical — begin to surface. The family celebrates the victory, but this new influence quickly brings pressure and scrutiny. |Fadia Abboud |Osamah Sami |25 February 2024 |- |2 |'''Family Blood''' With leadership secured, tensions within the family come to the forefront. Isa, Sheikh Mohammad’s adopted son, struggles to meet a financial commitment to a figure named Seyyed Modhaffar, revealing a web of obligations that complicates his father’s success. Meanwhile, Batul, the sheikh’s daughter, emerges as a strategic—and increasingly ruthless—force, positioning herself as a key player in both family and mosque politics. |Fadia Abboud |Sarah Bassiuoni |25 February 2024 |- |3 |'''Ramadan Sin''' As Ramadan begins, the mosque receives a surge of donation income that temporarily eases Isa’s financial woes. But beyond the money, Sheikh Mohammad attempts to implement his vision for a new school, only to encounter resistance from the mosque’s committee. This clash highlights the broader ideological tensions between modernising aspirations and entrenched traditional views in the community. |Fadia Abboud |Osamah Sami |25 February 2024 |- |4 |'''He in whose hands is dominion''' Batul’s political manoeuvring is disrupted when she confronts the possibility of motherhood, forcing her to balance personal desires with leadership ambitions. At the same time, Isa discovers something of value—an asset he hopes to use as collateral with Seyyed Modhaffar. These developments deepen the moral and emotional stakes for the family as they juggle loyalty, legacy and survival. |Fadia Abboud |Sarah Bassiuoni |25 February 2024 |- |5 |'''Lament''' The stakes grow higher as Seyyed Modhaffar concocts a risky plan to transport Isa’s required funds to Iraq. The urgency and danger of the mission start to attract suspicion, putting Isa and his associates at risk of discovery. This episode focuses on the consequences of secret deals and the reckoning that comes with compromising ethical boundaries. |Fadia Abboud |Blake Ayshford |25 February 2024 |- |6 |'''When God speaks''' In the finale, Sheikh Shaaker, a rival cleric, becomes suspicious of Isa’s dealings and pursues evidence of fraud or misconduct. As pressure mounts from both within and outside the mosque, Sheikh Mohammad demonstrates just how far he is willing to go to retain power and protect his family’s position. The episode culminates in a tense blending of spiritual authority, community politics and hard choices that define the series’ central conflicts. |Fadia Abboud |Osamah Sami & Shahin Shafaei |25 February 2024 |}
==Reception== ===Awards=== Kamel El Basha won the best actor prize at the 14th edition of Series Mania in France in March 2024.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Balaga |first=Marta |date=22 March 2024 |title=Series Mania Crowns 'Apples Never Fall' Star Annette Bening, Garry Kasparov-Centered 'Rematch' |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/global/garry-kasparov-annette-bening-1235949980/ |access-date=22 March 2024 |magazine=Variety}}</ref>
===Critical reception=== Mostafa Rachwani of ''Guardian Australia'' gave the drama series a 2 star rating, writing "I think it is important to acknowledge ''House of Gods'' as an overall step forward for Muslim representation in Australia."<ref name="Guardian review" /> Mel Campbell of ''ScreenHub'' gave the drama series a 3½ star rating, writing "Like the sheikh, ''House of Gods'' is working hard to find its place and move with its times. And it’s a very absorbing balancing act to watch".<ref name="ScreenHub review" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|29511082}}
{{ABC Television programming}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:House of Gods}} Category:2024 Australian television series debuts Category:2024 Australian television series endings Category:2020s Australian drama television series Category:Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming Category:Television shows set in Sydney Category:Television series about families Category:Television series about Islam