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Israeli TV Coming to America

(Wall Street Journal) Amy Chozick and Joshua Mitnick - American television floods the world, but more and more, clever TV ideas also travel in the other direction. The Israeli TV series "Hatufim" traces what happens when two soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces return after being held captive by Syria for 17 years. Their wives and families become household names, and their ordeal sparks national debate about how Israel should handle prisoners of war. Could this be America's next hit show? The pay-cable channel Showtime is currently developing "Homeland," a psychological thriller based on "Hatufim," starring Claire Danes as a globe-trotting CIA agent. It's one of several Israeli series being adapted for U.S. audiences. Last month Fox launched "Traffic Light," a sitcom based on "Ramzor," about a group of guys in various stages of relationships and their urges to revert to primordial guydom. HBO and Lionsgate are developing "The Naked Truth," based on an Israeli drama about police officers investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl from a powerful family. HBO's much-praised "In Treatment," with Gabriel Byrne, finished its third season in December. Israel is culturally more aligned to American TV tastes than almost any other country. The nation's small, but highly educated, technologically advanced work force largely speaks English and has grown up on U.S. shows and movies, even if their own shows are in Hebrew.
2011-03-11 00:00:00
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