DramaOnline: Pakistani dramas by channel

From drama categories to a channel guide

The old DramaOnline, as the Wayback Machine kept it in January 2017, was a blue-and-white WordPress site with one clear idea: Pakistani dramas belong to their channels. Its menu ran Home, Hum Tv, Ary Digital, A-Plus, Geo Tv, Morning Shows, All Time Hit Dramas, Live and Contact, and under the menu sat a second row of categories: Hum Tv Dramas, Ary Digital Dramas, Geo Dramas, Aplus Dramas, Ptv Home Dramas, Express Ent. Dramas, Hum Sitaray Dramas, Urdu 1 Dramas, Ary Zindagi Dramas and TV One Dramas.

This guide keeps that map. DramaOnline gathers 171 Pakistani television dramas from TMDB, the community film and TV database, and places each on the shelf of its channel. There are ten shelves: PTV classics; Hum TV dramas to 2014, from 2015 to 2019 and from 2020; ARY Digital dramas to 2017 and from 2018; Geo TV dramas to 2016 and from 2017; A-Plus, Green TV and the web; and More Pakistani dramas, for serials whose channel record lies elsewhere. The board on the home page, Popular Drama Categories, shows all ten as cards with a coloured channel label, in the style of the old category buttons.

Each poster carries its channel and its year, so a row tells you at once which channel aired the drama and in which era. Every drama page has an English synopsis, the main cast, the full list of episodes and a Watch now button that opens JustWatch for your country, where the legal services for that drama are listed.

How the shelves are filled

DramaOnline starts from Pakistani drama serials on TMDB: series in Urdu or from Pakistan, with an English synopsis, a poster and at least one vote, and with two to sixty episodes. That rule leaves out the very long daily soaps, reality shows and morning shows, and keeps the serial format: one story, told in a few dozen episodes.

Each drama goes to the first channel, in a fixed order, that TMDB lists among its networks: PTV first, then Hum TV, ARY Digital and Geo TV, then A-Plus, Urdu 1, Green TV and the web platforms. Hum TV is split into three eras, ARY Digital and Geo TV into two. Within each shelf the dramas are taken in order of votes, most voted first, up to twenty-four for the large shelves and sixteen for the small ones. Dramas whose TMDB record names another broadcaster, such as the Arabic channel MBC Bollywood, or leaves the channel blank, go to the last shelf, More Pakistani dramas.

Talk shows, very short web clips and an Indian series were left out by hand, and so were a few dramas built around child marriage, child abuse or a mob killing. Pakistani dramas often deal with hard family subjects, and the synopsis on each page tells you what a story is about before you start.

DramaOnline in figures

The 171 dramas span 1965 to 2026. One comes from the 1960s, three from the 1980s, eight from the 1990s and six from the 2000s; ninety-eight come from the 2010s and fifty-five from the 2020s. Together they hold 4,524 episodes: the middle drama has 26, and the average is 26.5. The shortest is Tawaan of 2020, with three episodes; the longest are Suno Chanda and Hum Tehray Gunahgaar, with sixty each.

Drama is the main genre of 155 of the 171 serials. Family appears on 49 and comedy on 24, from the PTV sitcoms of the 1990s to Suno Chanda and Chupke Chupke. A typical episode runs forty minutes. TMDB marks 134 of the dramas as ended and 37 as returning series, a label it keeps for some finished serials as well.

A word on ratings and votes

Pakistani dramas are rated by very few people on TMDB. The 171 dramas hold 362 votes in all. Ninety-two of them rest on a single vote and thirty-nine on two; only fifteen have five votes or more. A single vote can give a drama a rating of 10.0, and seventy-two dramas on DramaOnline show exactly that. The average of all ratings is 8.59; across the forty dramas with three votes or more it is 7.98.

So read the ratings on DramaOnline as a first hint, and read the votes next to them. The most voted dramas tell a clearer story: Zindagi Gulzar Hai with sixteen votes and 8.7, Churails with thirteen and 7.1, Suno Chanda with ten and 8.0, Humsafar with nine and 7.9, Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum with seven and 8.6. The All Time Hit Dramas list gathers the twenty-four most voted dramas, and it is the best place to start.

PTV classics

PTV, Pakistan Television, is the state broadcaster, and its shelf holds the oldest dramas on DramaOnline. The PTV shelf holds eleven dramas, from Alif Noon of 1965 to Coke Kahani of 2012, with 19 votes and ten dramas at 7.0 or more. On the board it carries the label Ptv Home Dramas, after the old category.

The most voted is Alpha Bravo Charlie of 1998, directed by Shoaib Mansoor, with four votes and 7.8: a coming-of-age story of Faraz, Kashif and Gulsher, three friends who join the Pakistan Army. Shoaib Mansoor also directed Ankahi of 1982, the story of a young, ambitious woman whose family struggles after her father's early death.

Ainak Wala Jin of 1993, with three votes and 8.3, is the fantasy comedy of the shelf: a genie is sent by the emperor of genies from the Caucasus Mountains to earth to treat his eyesight, and meets a daring young boy who loves fantasies, over fifty-eight episodes. Alif Noon of 1965, the oldest drama on DramaOnline, follows Allan, a clever, business-minded man always ready with a trick to make fast money, in fifty-four short comic episodes with Kamal Ahmed Rizvi and Rafi Khawar.

The shelf is rich in comedy: eight of its eleven dramas carry the comedy tag. Teen Bata Teen of 1995 is a sitcom with Faisal Qureshi and Adeel Hashmi; Family Front of 1997, directed by Waseem Abbas and written by Muhammad Younis Butt, is a sitcom with Saba Hameed and Samina Ahmad; Aangan Terha of 1985, with Bushra Ansari, strings together stories about many issues of society. Dhoop Kinare of 1987, directed by Sahira Kazmi, follows a team of doctors at a hospital in Karachi; Dhuwan of 1994 follows five friends who form a crack team of police commandos; Mann Chalay Ka Sauda of 1990 is a drama serial by the writer Ashfaq Ahmed. Coke Kahani of 2012, by Mehreen Jabbar, closes the shelf: a young woman tries to save her father's restaurant in Karachi and to bring her family back together.

Hum TV dramas to 2014

The first Hum TV shelf holds twenty-four dramas, from Aashti of 2009 to a group of 2014 serials, with 59 votes and twenty-three dramas at 7.0 or more. Eight of the twenty-four were produced by Momina Duraid Productions.

The most voted drama on all of DramaOnline sits here: Zindagi Gulzar Hai of 2012, directed by Sultana Siddiqui, with sixteen votes and 8.7. Kashaf, a simple and mature young woman whose father left her mother for having only daughters, meets Zaroon, played by Fawad Khan, and her doubts about men stand in the way of happiness. Humsafar of 2011, directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, follows with nine votes and 7.9: Ashar and Khirad, played by Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, are married in haste, and his childhood friend Sara stands between them.

Fawad Khan leads four dramas of the shelf, Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Humsafar, Akbari Asghari and Dastaan, and Mahira Khan three, Humsafar, Shehr-e-Zaat and Sadqay Tumhare. Dastaan of 2010, directed by Haissam Hussain, follows Bano and her fiancé through the partition of 1947, and holds 9.5 from two votes. Haissam Hussain directed three dramas of the shelf: Dastaan, Akbari Asghari, a romantic comedy about two sisters, and Durr-e-Shehwar.

Shehr-e-Zaat of 2012, the second Sarmad Sultan Khoosat drama of the shelf, holds 9.2 from three votes: a young woman's journey as she makes up for the time she has lost in worldly things. Saba Qamar leads four dramas here: Maat, Hinde, Bunty I Love You and Digest Writer, the story of a college girl from a lower-middle-class family whose parents put all their hopes in her brother. Hum Tehray Gunahgaar of 2014, at sixty episodes, is the longest of the shelf.

Hum TV dramas 2015 to 2019

The second Hum TV shelf holds twenty-four dramas from 2015 to 2019, with 56 votes and twenty-three dramas at 7.0 or more. It is the shelf of one production house above all: seventeen of its twenty-four dramas come from Momina Duraid Productions, the most of any house on any shelf.

The most voted is Suno Chanda of 2018, directed by Ahson Talish, with ten votes and 8.0. Two young people, played by Iqra Aziz and Farhan Saeed, hate each other, their families want them to marry, and their plans to cancel the wedding slowly turn into love. With two seasons and sixty episodes, it is also one of the two longest dramas on DramaOnline. Ahson Talish directed two more dramas of the shelf: Alif Allah Aur Insaan of 2017, with five votes and 8.6, a story of five people from different backgrounds and their faith; and Ye Dil Mera of 2019, a mystery between two opposite characters, at 7.2.

Ehd e Wafa of 2019, directed by Saife Hassan, follows four school friends whose lives change as they grow up and face hardships and betrayal; it holds 8.8 from five votes. Mann Mayal of 2016, with Hamza Ali Abbasi and Maya Ali, also holds 8.8, from four votes: Salahuddin and Minahil fall in love, but he refuses to marry her because of the gap between their classes.

Kashif Nisar directed three dramas of the shelf. Ranjha Ranjha Kardi of 2018, with Imran Ashraf and Iqra Aziz, holds 9.5 from four votes: Noori, a garbage picker who dreams of a respectful life in the city, marries Bhola, the son of a rich widow, and two outsiders slowly grow close. Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila of 2017, with Yumna Zaidi, and O Rangreza of 2017, with Sajal Ali, complete his trio.

Saife Hassan also directed Sange Mar Mar of 2016, about the family of Gulistan Khan, who rules his household with an iron will, and The Witch of Belapur of 2018, where Aziz Ahmed wins back his ancestral home after a court battle of thirty-two years and his family begins to feel uneasy there. Aangan of 2018, with Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Ali, follows a family divided by the events before partition; with Dastaan on the earlier shelf it makes a pair of partition dramas.

Hum TV dramas from 2020

The newest Hum TV shelf holds twelve dramas from 2021 to 2026, with 35 votes and ten dramas at 7.0 or more. Seven of the twelve come from Momina Duraid Productions.

The most voted is Parizaad of 2021, directed by Shehzad Kashmiri, with six votes and 8.7. Based on the novel by Hashim Nadeem, it follows Parizaad, played by Ahmed Ali Akbar, born into a poor family of eleven people with dark skin in a society obsessed with fair skin, whose name means a fairy's child. Ishq Murshid of 2023, directed by Farooq Rind, follows with five votes and 8.0: a prosperous young man, played by Bilal Abbas Khan, disguises himself as a poor job seeker at the office of the father of the woman he loves.

Chupke Chupke of 2021, directed by Danish Nawaz, is the comedy of the shelf: a romantic comedy produced by Momina Duraid for Ramadan 2021, written by Saima Akram Chaudhry, with 9.8 from four votes. Hum Tum of 2022, a modern hate-to-love comedy with Ahad Raza Mir, is a second light choice, at 8.0.

Sajal Ali leads three dramas here: Ishq-E-Laa of 2021, where three people from different backgrounds find their lives intertwined, at 9.0; Zard Patton Ka Bunn of 2024, directed by Saife Hassan, where Nofil, a young doctor, is posted to an underfunded clinic in a village and meets Meenu, who dreams of becoming a doctor, also at 9.0; and Zanjeerain of 2026, a story of love, greed and traditions in a mountain village. Namak Haram of 2023, at six episodes, is the shortest drama of the shelf.

ARY Digital dramas to 2017

The first ARY Digital shelf holds sixteen dramas, from Moorat of 2004 to three dramas of 2017, with 28 votes and all sixteen at 7.0 or more on TMDB. On the board it carries the label Ary Digital Dramas, after the old category.

Two dramas lead with five votes each. Pyarey Afzal of 2013, directed by Nadeem Baig, holds 8.8: Afzal, played by Hamza Ali Abbasi, confronts a forbidden love, and his story changes dramatically, with Ayeza Khan and Sana Javed beside him over thirty-seven episodes. Bulbulay of 2009 holds 7.6: the ARY sitcom about a family of four, Momo, Nabeel, Khoobsurat and Mehmood Sahib, who land in a new situation in every episode. TMDB lists two seasons with twenty-six episodes; it is one of the three dramas here with more than one season.

Nadeem Baig also directed Dil Lagi of 2016, set in the back streets of interior Sindh, where Mohid, played by Humayun Saeed, is sent to recover a debt from Anmol's family and falls in love with her. Humayun Saeed leads a second drama of the shelf, Kaafir of 2011, directed by Shahid Shafaat, who also made Khuda Mera Bhi Hai of 2016.

Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan of 2011, by Haissam Hussain, with Fawad Khan and Mikaal Zulfiqar, follows Mujtaba from Iqbal Town in Lahore to Turkey and holds 8.5. Daam of 2010, by Mehreen Jabbar, follows two close friends from different classes over seven years, and Daagh of 2012, by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, the life of a housewife named Umama. Moorat of 2004, the oldest drama of the shelf, tells the story of a transgender woman who leaves a strict family after a forced marriage as a man,. Dugdugi of 2011, a comedy by Rana Rizwan, the director of Bulbulay, and The Courtyard of 2017, a family comedy with Qavi Khan, add lighter evenings.

ARY Digital dramas from 2018

The second ARY Digital shelf holds twenty-four dramas, from 2018 to 2026, with 52 votes and twenty dramas at 7.0 or more. It is the shelf of the recent ARY stars: Hania Aamir leads three dramas, Farhan Saeed three, Ayeza Khan three and Danish Taimoor two.

The most voted is Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum of 2024, directed by Badar Mehmood, with seven votes and 8.6: a book lover and class topper and a laid-back young man, played by Hania Aamir and Fahad Mustafa, are opposites who attract. Meray Humsafar of 2021, with Hania Aamir and Farhan Saeed, follows with six votes and 6.8: Hala, a timid young bride, is treated badly by her mother-in-law while her husband Hamza tries to take her side. Kaisi Teri Khudgharzi of 2022, with Danish Taimoor as the spoilt son of a tycoon who falls for Mehar, holds 7.4 from five votes.

Meray Paas Tum Ho of 2019, directed by Nadeem Baig, with Humayun Saeed and Ayeza Khan as Danish and Mehwish, an ordinary couple who drift apart, holds 5.7 from three votes. Meri Zindagi Hai Tu of 2025, with Bilal Abbas Khan and Hania Aamir, holds 8.3. Bandish of 2019, about a family under the influence of black magic, is the third drama on DramaOnline with two seasons.

The shelf also has its lighter side. Prem Gali of 2020, the love story of Joya and Hamza in a small neighbourhood, with Farhan Saeed and Sohai Ali Abro, and Jhooti of 2020, with Iqra Aziz as a stuck-up teenage girl in a middle-class family, both carry the comedy tag. Shahid Shafaat directed two family dramas here, Dil Mom Ka Diya of 2018 and Bikhray Moti of 2020, both with Neelam Muneer and Yasir Nawaz.

Geo TV dramas to 2016

The first Geo TV shelf holds eleven dramas from 2008 to 2014, with 17 votes and eight dramas at 7.0 or more. Its titles come from two Geo channels on TMDB, Har Pal Geo and Geo Entertainment, joined here under one label, Geo Dramas, after the old category.

The most voted is Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan of 2009, directed by Babar Javed, with four votes and 4.5: a woman wrongly accused of adultery, and the daughter of her second marriage, who learns the truth about her mother's past when she marries into the same family. Humayun Saeed leads three dramas of the shelf: this one, Zip Bus Chup Raho of 2011 and Doraha of 2008, by Mehreen Jabbar, about Umer and his university friend Sara, whose parents refuse his proposal.

Mohsin Mirza directed two dramas here: Aasmanon Pay Likha of 2013, with Sajal Ali, about a middle-class girl whose in-laws demand a heavy dowry, at 7.5; and Do Qadam Door Thay of 2014, with Ayeza Khan and Sami Khan, where Zohab is forced to marry Nayab while blindfolded, at 8.0. Aik Nayee Cinderella of 2012, by Haissam Hussain, retells the Cinderella story: Meesha, mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, meets the rich and dashing Mayer, with Maya Ali and Osman Khalid Butt. Annie Ki Ayegi Baraat of 2012, a family comedy written by Vasay Chaudhry, follows Annie, more interested in her new job on a film set than in her family's search for a groom.

Geo TV dramas from 2017

The second Geo TV shelf holds twenty-two dramas from 2017 to 2026, with 40 votes and seventeen dramas at 7.0 or more. It belongs to one actor and one production house: Feroze Khan leads six of the twenty-two dramas, and fourteen come from 7th Sky Entertainment.

The most voted is Khaani of 2017, directed by Anjum Shahzad, with six votes and 8.0: after the son of a rich politician kills her brother, Khaani, played by Sana Javed, seeks justice, and an unlikely connection with him complicates it. Feroze Khan and Sana Javed also lead Romeo Weds Heer of 2018, about two college sweethearts from different families, and Aye Musht-E-Khaak of 2021, about an aggressive man who falls for a deeply religious young woman. Feroze Khan's other dramas on the shelf are Sanwal Yaar Piya of 2025, Dil Kiya Karay of 2019, by Mehreen Jabbar, and Khumar of 2023, which TMDB lists with four episodes.

Alif of 2019, directed by Haseeb Hasan, holds 8.4 from five votes: Momin, a successful film director, and Momina, a struggling actress, played by Hamza Ali Abbasi and Sajal Ali, see their paths cross while he tries to reconnect with his roots. Tere Bin of 2022, directed by Siraj-ul-Haque, with Wahaj Ali and Yumna Zaidi as Murtasim and Meerab, holds 6.5 from four votes and, at fifty-eight episodes, is the longest drama of the shelf.

For a lighter evening, Ishq Jalebi of 2021, a family reunion at the house of Muhammad Boota with Qavi Khan, and Chaudhry and Sons of 2022, a light family drama with Ayeza Khan and Imran Ashraf, both carry the comedy tag. Aik Aur Pakeezah of 2026, directed by Kashif Nisar, follows a young woman facing cybercrime, at 9.0 from two votes.

A-Plus, Green TV and the web

The ninth shelf gathers twelve dramas from the smaller channels and the web, from 2013 to 2026: A-Plus, Urdu 1, Play Entertainment, Green TV Entertainment, and the streaming services ZEE5, Zindagi and Eros Now. On the board it carries the label Aplus Dramas. It holds 32 votes, and ten dramas reach 7.0 or more.

The most voted is Churails of 2020, directed by Asim Abbasi, with thirteen votes and 7.1, the second most voted drama on all of DramaOnline: four women set up an undercover detective agency to expose cheating husbands. At ten episodes, it is also the shortest serial of the shelf. Enaaya of 2019, an Eros Now web series about a college student with a passion for music, holds 5.3 from three votes.

A-Plus brings Ishq Mein Kafir of 2018, about a family hurt by its belief in black magic, at 8.0 from four votes; Aunn Zara of 2013, by Haissam Hussain, with Maya Ali and Osman Khalid Butt as two spoiled young people who marry to escape their families; and Gohar-e-Nayab of 2013, with Sajal Ali as an orphan girl. Urdu 1 brings Baaghi of 2017, directed by Farooq Rind, with Saba Qamar as a young woman whose dream of stardom turns into a nightmare, and Jab We Wed of 2014, a comedy with Danish Taimoor and Ayeza Khan.

Green TV, whose dramas here all date from 2020 on, brings Duniyapur of 2024, about two feuding families whose future rests on Shahmeer and Ana, and Aik Mohabbat Aur of 2026, by Farooq Rind. Ek Jhoothi Love Story of 2020, a Zindagi Original by Mehreen Jabbar written by Umera Ahmed, has Salma and Sohail, played by Madiha Imam and Bilal Abbas Khan, meet through fake profiles in their search for a partner. Dhoop Ki Deewar of 2021 is a cross-border love story between Sara from Pakistan and Vishaal from India, and Ready Steady Go of 2018 is a Play Entertainment sitcom about Khairan, the strict head of a family with two lazy sons.

More Pakistani dramas

The last shelf holds fifteen dramas from 1993 to 2025 whose TMDB record names another broadcaster, such as MBC Bollywood or STN, or leaves the channel blank. On the board it carries the label Popular Drama. It holds 24 votes, and fourteen of the fifteen reach 7.0 or more.

The most voted is Ishqiya of 2020, directed by Badar Mehmood, with four votes and 8.8, a story of two people madly in love who are kept apart, with Feroze Khan and Hania Aamir. Abdullahpur Ka Devdas of 2024 follows with three votes and 8.0: Fakhar and Kashif, two best friends in a small town, love the same woman, Gulbano, with Bilal Abbas Khan and Sarah Khan in the cast. Kuch Ankahi of 2023, by Nadeem Baig, with Sajal Ali as Aaliya, who fights to keep her family home in a property dispute, holds 7.0.

The shelf also holds older gems. Dasht of 1993 is set among three warring tribes in rural Balochistan, with Atiqa Odho and Noman Ijaz. Kollege Jeans of 1999, a sitcom about campus life at the NCA with Ali Zafar and Faisal Qureshi, runs eight episodes. Last station of 2018, by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, brings seven women from different backgrounds together on a train to Karachi over seven episodes. Inkaar of 2019, by Kashif Nisar, with Yumna Zaidi as Hajra, a brave university student who fights powerful and corrupt opponents, and Dil Wali Gali Mein of 2025, a Ramadan series by Kashif Nisar for Momina Duraid, round out the shelf.

The stars across the channels

Counting the first three cast names of each drama, the most frequent star on DramaOnline is Sajal Ali, with fourteen dramas spread over seven shelves: Aasmanon Pay Likha and Gohar-e-Nayab from 2013, Kahani Raima Aur Manahil Ki, Gul-E-Rana, O Rangreza, Yakeen Ka Safar, Aangan and Alif, then Ishq-E-Laa, Dhoop Ki Deewar, Kuch Ankahi, Zard Patton Ka Bunn, Dil Wali Gali Mein and Zanjeerain of 2026. Following her across the shelves is a tour of the Pakistani drama since 2013.

Noman Ijaz comes second, with eleven dramas over seven shelves, from Dasht of 1993 to Parwarish of 2025, Sange Mar Mar, O Rangreza, Parizaad and KHAN among them. Seven stars appear in eight dramas each: Samina Ahmad, Feroze Khan, Ayeza Khan, Danish Taimoor, Maya Ali, Humayun Saeed and Yumna Zaidi.

Some stars belong to one channel. Feroze Khan leads six of his eight dramas on the Geo shelf from 2017. All five Fawad Khan dramas come from 2010 to 2012, four on the first Hum TV shelf and one on ARY: Dastaan, Akbari Asghari, Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan, Humsafar and Zindagi Gulzar Hai. All four Mahira Khan dramas sit on the Hum TV shelves. Others move freely: Ayeza Khan's eight dramas sit on six shelves, from Mere Meherban on Hum TV to Koi Chand Rakh on ARY and Do Qadam Door Thay on Geo.

The production houses

TMDB records the production house of most dramas. Momina Duraid Productions is the largest on DramaOnline, with thirty-two dramas, all of them on the three Hum TV shelves: eight to 2014, seventeen from 2015 to 2019 and seven from 2020. 7th Sky Entertainment comes second with twenty-one, fourteen of them on the Geo shelf from 2017 and three on the earlier Geo shelf.

Six Sigma Plus Productions has thirteen dramas, ten of them on the two ARY shelves. PTV Productions has nine, eight on the PTV shelf. These four houses alone produced seventy-five of the 171 dramas, and the studio name on a drama page often hints at its channel.

The directors

Farooq Rind directed seven dramas on DramaOnline, the most of anyone: Mere Meherban, Gul-E-Rana, Jugnoo, Besharam, Baaghi, Ishq Murshid and Aik Mohabbat Aur. Kashif Nisar and Haissam Hussain directed six each. Kashif Nisar's run goes from Hinde of 2013 through Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila, O Rangreza, Ranjha Ranjha Kardi and Inkaar to Aik Aur Pakeezah of 2026; Haissam Hussain's from Dastaan of 2010 through Akbari Asghari, Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan, Durr-e-Shehwar and Aik Nayee Cinderella to Aunn Zara of 2013.

Mehreen Jabbar has the widest spread: her five dramas sit on five different shelves, from Doraha on Geo and Daam on ARY to Coke Kahani on PTV, Dil Kiya Karay on Geo and Ek Jhoothi Love Story on the web shelf. Saife Hassan and Shahid Shafaat directed five each; Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, Nadeem Baig, Badar Mehmood, Anjum Shahzad, Siraj-ul-Haque and Shahzad Kashmiri four each. Sarmad Sultan Khoosat's four are Humsafar, Shehr-e-Zaat, Daagh and Last station; Nadeem Baig's are Pyarey Afzal, Dil Lagi, Meray Paas Tum Ho and Kuch Ankahi.

The comedy dramas

Twenty-four of the 171 dramas carry the comedy tag, and they make a lighter path through the shelves. The PTV shelf leads with eight: Alif Noon, Ankahi, Aangan Terha, Ainak Wala Jin, Teen Bata Teen, Family Front, Alpha Bravo Charlie and Coke Kahani. ARY brings Bulbulay, Dugdugi, The Courtyard, Prem Gali and Jhooti; Hum TV brings Akbari Asghari, Kahani Raima Aur Manahil Ki, Suno Chanda and Chupke Chupke; Geo brings Annie Ki Ayegi Baraat, Romeo Weds Heer, Ishq Jalebi and Chaudhry and Sons, and the two smaller shelves Ready Steady Go, Jab We Wed and Kollege Jeans.

The sitcoms form a group of their own: Alif Noon from the 1960s, Teen Bata Teen, Family Front and Kollege Jeans from the 1990s, Bulbulay and Ready Steady Go from the private channels. Among the romantic comedies, Suno Chanda and Hum Tum turn two rivals into a couple, while Chupke Chupke and Prem Gali are lighter love stories.

History and partition

Several dramas look back at history. Dastaan of 2010 follows Bano and her fiancé through the partition of 1947. Aangan of 2018 follows a family divided by the events before partition. Dhoop Ki Deewar of 2021 brings the border into the present, as a young woman from Pakistan and a young man from India meet after their fathers' deaths. Alpha Bravo Charlie of 1998 follows three friends who join the army, and Dasht of 1993 three warring tribes in Balochistan.

Long and short dramas

The 171 dramas hold 4,524 episodes. Fifty-nine run thirty episodes or more and seventy-four run twenty to twenty-nine. Seven run fewer than ten: Tawaan with three, Khumar with four, Gunah and Namak Haram with six, Last station with seven, Kollege Jeans and Nashtar with eight. At the other end, Suno Chanda and Hum Tehray Gunahgaar run sixty episodes, and Ainak Wala Jin and Tere Bin fifty-eight.

A forty-minute episode means that a typical drama of twenty-six episodes takes about seventeen hours to watch. A short serial such as Last station or Churails fits into a weekend; a long one such as Suno Chanda fills a month of evenings.

Dramas grow longer

The shelves show a clear change over time: the newer the shelf, the longer its dramas. On the first Hum TV shelf, to 2014, the middle drama runs 22.5 episodes; on the shelf of 2015 to 2019 it runs 28, and on the shelf from 2020 it runs 30.5. ARY Digital moves from 25.5 episodes on its shelf to 2017 to 31 on its shelf from 2018. Geo moves the furthest, from 20 episodes on its shelf to 2016 to 33.5 on its shelf from 2017, the highest of any shelf.

The PTV classics run 17 episodes at the median, though Ainak Wala Jin and Alif Noon, with fifty-eight and fifty-four, lift their average to 24.5. The smaller channels and the web stay close to twenty-two. For a viewer, the rule of thumb is simple: an older drama is a shorter commitment.

The busiest years

By year of first broadcast, 2019 is the busiest on DramaOnline, with sixteen dramas, followed by 2018 with thirteen and 2013, 2017 and 2012 with twelve, twelve and eleven. From 2011 to 2024, every year brings at least four dramas. Before 2009, the catalogue holds one or two dramas a year at most, nearly all from PTV and the last shelf.

All Time Hit Dramas

The old site had a menu entry called All Time Hit Dramas, and DramaOnline keeps it as a list of the twenty-four most voted dramas on TMDB. Hum TV dominates it with eleven dramas over its three shelves; ARY has five, Geo four, the web shelf two, and PTV and the last shelf one each. The top five are Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Churails, Suno Chanda, Humsafar and Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum.

The Rated 7.5 or more list takes another path: the sixty dramas with at least two votes and a rating of 7.5 or more, best first. The ARY shelf from 2018 has the most dramas on it, ten, and every one of the ten channel shelves is represented.

From novel to screen

Several dramas on DramaOnline come from novels, as their synopses say. Parizaad of 2021 is based on the novel by Hashim Nadeem. Deewar-e-Shab of 2019 is based on the novel of the same name by Aliya Bukhari and follows three generations of courtesans. Alif of 2019 is adapted from a spiritual novel, and Ek Jhoothi Love Story of 2020 was written by Umera Ahmed. Mann Chalay Ka Sauda of 1990 is a serial by the writer Ashfaq Ahmed.

Genies, black magic and old houses

A small group of dramas leaves everyday life behind. Ainak Wala Jin brings a genie from the Caucasus Mountains to earth. Bandish of 2019 and Ishq Mein Kafir of 2018 both follow families caught up in black magic. The Witch of Belapur of 2018 begins when a family moves into the ancestral home it has won back in court. Gunah of 2023, at six episodes, is a mystery about a mother and her son's tutor who vanish, and the police inquiry that follows.

Ramadan specials

Some dramas were made for the month of Ramadan. Chupke Chupke was broadcast during Ramadan 2021, and Dil Wali Gali Mein of 2025 is a Ramadan special written by Zafar Mairaj and directed by Kashif Nisar. Both run thirty episodes or more, about one for every evening of the month.

Women at the centre

Many of the most voted dramas put a woman at the centre of the story. Churails follows four women who open a detective agency; Last station seven women who meet on a train to Karachi. Khaani seeks justice for her brother, Hajra in Inkaar fights powerful opponents at her university, and the heroine of Baaghi chases a dream of stardom that turns dark. Kashaf in Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Noori in Ranjha Ranjha Kardi and the college girl of Digest Writer each push against what their families expect of them. Aik Aur Pakeezah of 2026 brings the subject into the internet age, with a young woman facing cybercrime.

Finished and returning

TMDB marks 134 of the 171 dramas as ended and 37 as returning series. The label returning series often stays on a drama after its last episode, so the episode list on each page is the better guide: it shows every episode TMDB knows, with its air date. Geo's shelf from 2017 has the most dramas with that label, eleven, followed by the ARY shelf from 2018 with six.

The look of the old site

The DramaOnline of 2017 ran on a WordPress newspaper theme. A blue bar, #317DBF, carried the logo and the channel menu in Roboto; links and buttons were a brighter blue, #0088CC; the page was white with a fine pattern; body text was set in PT Serif in a soft grey; the footer was light grey with grey text. Category labels came in two blues, #6686B7 and #54C1DE. This guide keeps those colours and fonts, and gives each channel its own label colour on the board.

A month of dramas

One way into DramaOnline is a month with one channel each week. In the first week, take the PTV shelf: Alpha Bravo Charlie for the army friends, then a few episodes of Ainak Wala Jin and Alif Noon. In the second week, Hum TV: Zindagi Gulzar Hai, the most voted drama on the site, or Humsafar. In the third week, ARY Digital: Pyarey Afzal or Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum. In the fourth week, Geo: Khaani or Alif. On the weekends between, a short serial such as Churails or Last station fills two evenings.

Choosing for the company

For the whole family, the comedies are the safest start: Bulbulay, Suno Chanda, Chupke Chupke, Ishq Jalebi or Chaudhry and Sons, and from the classics Ainak Wala Jin for the children. For friends, Ehd e Wafa follows four school friends over the years, and Kollege Jeans the campus life of an art school. For those who like a strong story, Parizaad, Khaani, Ranjha Ranjha Kardi and Inkaar deal with class, justice and courage. For a love story, Humsafar, Mann Mayal, Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum and Ishqiya are good choices.

The synopsis on each drama page gives a clear idea of the story, and the episode list shows how long it runs. Many Pakistani dramas deal with family conflict, marriage and in-laws, so reading the synopsis first helps to choose the right drama for the evening.

What a drama page shows

Each drama page opens with the poster, the English title and the Urdu original title where TMDB records it, followed by the year, the genres and the number of episodes. The synopsis comes next, then the Watch now button and My list. Lower down, a table gives the original title, the first air date, the original language, the country, the number of seasons, the production house, the TMDB rating with its number of votes, other known titles and the status. The episode list closes the page, season by season, with the air date of each episode that TMDB knows. For a drama such as Suno Chanda, with two seasons and sixty episodes, it is the quickest way to see how far a story runs before you begin.

How to read the board

The board on the home page, Popular Drama Categories, shows the ten channel shelves as cards in the style of the old category boxes. Each card carries a coloured channel label, such as Hum Tv Dramas or Geo Dramas, then the shelf name and the number of dramas. Press a card to open the shelf. Under the board, every shelf follows as a row of posters; each poster carries the channel and era and the year, and every drama page has a Watch now button that leads to the legal services.

Searching DramaOnline

The search box takes a drama title, an alternative title or a cast name. Type Sajal Ali, Feroze Khan or Noman Ijaz to find their dramas, whatever channel they aired on. Common short forms work too: ZGH for Zindagi Gulzar Hai, MPTH for Meray Paas Tum Ho, KMKT for Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum, ABC for Alpha Bravo Charlie. You can also add an episode to the title, such as Suno Chanda season 2 episode 3. The A–Z page lists all 171 dramas.

Watch now on DramaOnline

Each drama page has a Watch now button. It opens the drama on JustWatch for the country you choose, where you see the services that stream, rent or sell it legally. Availability changes from country to country, so the button always leads to the current list.

My list on DramaOnline

Press My list on a drama page to save it for later. The list is kept in your own browser, on the device you use, and stays private to you. A good use of it: save one drama from each channel and work through your own tour of Pakistani television.

DramaOnline on a phone

On a small screen the menu folds behind the blue button at the top and the board of channels folds into two columns.

Where the data comes from

Titles, synopses, cast, ratings, votes, episodes, networks and production houses come from TMDB, as of October 2026; availability comes from JustWatch. The look of the site, a blue header, bright blue links, a light grey footer and coloured channel labels, follows the DramaOnline capture of 2 January 2017 in the Wayback Machine.

Short guides on DramaOnline

Every part of the guide has a short help page. Begin with Start with DramaOnline, then read The channel guide. The channels have their own guides: Hum TV, ARY and Geo and PTV classics. The numbers are in The figures, a ready plan in A month of dramas, and the design in The look of DramaOnline.

For practical help there are Search tips, Watch now, My list, On your phone and Where the data comes from.

Frequently asked questions

For a first visit to DramaOnline, take three channels: Alpha Bravo Charlie from PTV, Zindagi Gulzar Hai from Hum TV and Khaani from Geo. Three dramas, three eras and three channels make a first map of Pakistani television.

Questions