Civil unrest broke out in Algeria in the late 1980s and led to what came to be known as the Black Decade. During this time, fundamentalist groups attempted to impose a literal interpretation of religious texts, banning music and most other forms of artistic expression. The show continued to air despite death threats but on 14 February 1994 Aziz Smati was gunned down by a young extremist, leading eventually to the end of the show.