Paranormal (Arabic: ما وراء الطبيعة, Ma War'a Al-Tabi'a) is a 2020 Netflix Original Series, based on a popular series of similarly named suspense novels written by Dr. Ahmed Khalid Tawfik.
Set in late 1960s Egypt, the series follows Dr. Rifaat Ismail, a middle-aged hematologist who finds himself frequently drawn to in supernatural occurrances.
Paranormal contains examples of:
- The '60s: Set in the later years of the decade.
- Adaptational Skill: Maggie speaks fluent Arabic, allowing her to converse with the other characters.
- All Myths Are True: Each episode presents a different mystery that seems to have supernatural elements, and does turn out to actually have supernatural elements, despite Rifaat's efforts to convince himself otherwise.
- Ascended Extra: Maggie Mckillop is an occasional character in the book, who met up with Rifaat when he visited Scotland, or when she visited Egypt. In the show, she takes a job in Egypt in the first episode, and is present throughout.
- Ethereal White Dress: Shiraz, the creepy ghost girl, is always seen in one.
- Kissing Cousins: Rifaat and Houaida are cousins, and engaged.
- Not His Sled: The Myth of the Naiad story originally involved a "Scooby-Doo" Hoax perpetrated by the village doctor. The episode that adapts it plays the paranormal aspect completely straight.
- Tarot Motifs: Rifaat agrees to a Tarot reading that gets interrupted, but the cards turn out to actually foreshadow some of his later (mis)adventures.
