Bitter Coffee

The series begins with history teacher Nima Zande-Karimi (Siamak Ansari) realizing that his extensive research on Persian and world history is of little use to financing his day-to-day life. He is about to leave Tehran for good to go back to his hometown by the name of Darab, when he comes across young university student Roya Atabaki (Sahar Jafari-Jozani) who is researching for her final year dissertation, which is regarding the period 1198–1203, that is said to be a period of turmoil for Iran's ruling elite. Such turmoil that, very few books are available on that period for Roya's research. It is then that Nima receives an anonymous telephone call, which leads him to Niavaran Palace (currently a museum), where he is told to have a coffee and wait. The coffee (which is bitter) is ready and he duly drinks it, his sight becomes hazy, and when he manages to refocus he is in the year 1201 (1822 AD), and the story develops therein.

Directed by Mehran Modiri, Bitter Coffee leans on a strong ensemble — Siamak Ansari, Mohammadreza Hedayati, Mehran Modiri — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2010.