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By Beth in Entertainment, NBC, Israel, ABC, Movies, Hollywood, CBS, FOX, TV, film, HBO, pop culture, In Treatment on July 2 2008
According to an article in this week’s Newsweek, Israeli TV is quickly becoming the hottest commodity to hit Hollywood since Ben Stiller did his Derelicte schtick in Zoolander. Not to nuke the fridge here, but with acts like Yael Naim picking up steam in MacAir commercials and shows like HBO’s In Treatment (B’tipul) managing to muster a modest, but staunchly loyal cult following, it’s not at all surprising that TV and film execs are looking to Israel to provide them with some much needed fresh and original programming. Have you seen NBC’s and ABC’s Summer programming? There’s not one show among the bunch that’s not reality TV.
It’s telling of Israel’s rising popularity and perhaps indicative of its viability as a fixture in the entertainment industry that network TV had followed in the footsteps of HBO and chosen to add and adapt an Israeli show, Mythological X, (about love, nonetheless) to their Fall roster. (To sneak a preview of The Ex-List, click here) Loaded, a FOX-produced show about dot-com millionaires is also slated to air in the Fall.
But aside from the creative, engaging story lines that Israel seems to have the capacity to deliver, why has Hollywood looked to another country to fulfill what seems to be a gaping hole in the U.S. entertainment industry at present? To quote Joshua Alston, “Israeli shows are cheap”:
“In Treatment” premiered new episodes five days a week over nine weeks. “We’re used to doing 12 or 13 episodes per season,” says HBO executive Michael Lombardo. “The cost-effectiveness of the show is what enabled us to take on this huge commitment of 45 episodes.
“The relatively low cost will allow U.S. networks to try out Israeli formats and give them space to find an audience. “In Treatment” premiered to sluggish numbers that would spell trouble for a pricier show. But it built steam by the end of the season, and performed well enough relative to its cost that HBO will launch a second season this fall.
What may be considered “shoestring budgets” by U.S. standards is fueling the passion and stamina of Israel’s entertainment industry and in turn delivering a premium product at a bargain rate. And as long as this translates to the end result being more Gabriel Byrne, then I’m one happy gal.
By ariel in Uncategorized, Entertainment, Movies, Hollywood, Advertising, HBO, Sex & The City, pop culture, America, celebrity, Indiana, Jones, Shyamalan, Mark Wahlberg on May 16 2008
The “Sex & The City” PR machine is working so hard on promoting their film that it almost makes you forget how much of a shitty show it was, especially towards the end. And who has time to watch four middle-age women, strutting around acting like shallow and vacuous teenage girls, chasing 20-year-old dudes? Haven’t we had enough? Why won’t you watch “Indiana Jones” instead? At least Harrison Ford ages with grace…
There’s a new M Night Shyamalan movie coming out mid June called “The Happening,” with Mark Wahlberg. Looks promising, we’ll check it out soon.
By ariel in Uncategorized, Entertainment, Israel, TV, relationships, HBO, America, YouTube, In Treatment, Gabriel Byrne, Mark Whalberg, Concept, Paul Weston, psychoanalyst on February 29 2008
 Although HBO’s new therapy series In Treatment does not rate well among viewers so far, and although the concept of a show that is based mostly on a dialog with a monotone background and relatively passive characters contradict what we are used to get from our TV, the show is very addictive. In Treatment airs daily, and each patient has one session a week, so the show deals with different issues every day. Don’t let the slow start mislead you, in Israel, where the show was created, it also took a while, but then the show became a hit, with a growing group of devoted followers. I’m sure that this crossed Mark Whalberg’s mind when he decided to bring the show to the states.
HBO wanted to increase the exposure of In Treatment and wisely decided to put full-length episodes on its YouTube channel. So if you are not yet acquainted with psychoanalyst Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne) and his patients, here’s your chance.
In Treatment- Highly recommended.
By ariel in Uncategorized, Entertainment, Smut Advertising, comedy, News, The Office, Movies, TV, film, HBO, pop culture, celebrity, Jerry Seinfeld, Bee Movie, McDonalds, Seinfeld, Season 9 DVD on November 2 2007
 Jerry Seinfeld is in the news again. If it’s his new Bee Movie, his wife’s new cooking book, the release of Seinfeld’s season 9 on DVD, or the controversy about promoting Bee Movie at McDonald’s, Jerry is back. And it’s good because no one is funny anymore (with the exception of The Office of course…) Jerry showed us all and especially all those comedian wannabes what distinguish him from others in his speech when he got the first HBO Comedian Award last April.
So, Bee Movie premiers tonight. If you want you can catch it everywhere, on my end I think I’ll just wait for the DVD…
By Beth in Uncategorized, NBC, Heroes, comedy, Comedy Central, ABC, Lost, Hollywood, Dancing With The Stars, FOX, TV, HBO, pop culture, Amaldo.Com, reality TV, celebrity, Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Football, Family Guy, Chuck on September 23 2007
 I’ve been looking forward to the end of September ever since the beginning of May when I was left wondering just why Charlie may or may not have been killed off the island, how many new Fall shows the Heroes phenomena would spawn, and who would be the next cast of D-list celebs breaking onto the Dancing With The Stars scene.
As it turns out, September is here and the season doesn’t hold better TV than what’s airing today and tomorrow. Tonight marks the return of two of my favorite shows on TV-Simpsons and Family Guy. For those of us who got some sort of interim Simpsons fix this Summer having watched the Simpsons movie, we were left with ravenous appetites which only called more attention to the lingering gap left behind last season after Homer saved Mr. Burns from a fatal mall accident involving a fountain. So now we’re on to this season, Mr. Burns debt of gratitude to Homer and Mr. S taking stock of his life with the help of life coach, Stephen Colbert. (yeah, we’re not kidding) And all this in the first episode of the season…
Tonight’s Family Guy has patriarch Peter Griffin enlisting the help of the Star Wars saga to entertain his family when their power goes out. Brian the dog as Chewbacca and Quagmire as C-3PO have my head spinning already. Not to mention the juxtaposition of life sabers and Darth Vader (Stewie). Well, who better to destroy the Griffin household than Stewie, after all…And while the Curb Your Enthusiasm premiere aired a few weeks ago already, tonight is a new episode in the unfolding dramedy involving Larry, Cheryl, the Dansons, and the Blacks (the family they adopted from the Hurricane).
Conflicts/Footnotes to Sunday night premiere week: Cold Case is back as well tonight and personally, for me, this show is compelling enough (if I can drown out the slow-mo soundtrack of your life anecdotes coupled with the morally righteous preachy ending long enough). One thing this show is a testament to is the power of the band Coldplay. As long as this show is around, that band isn’t going anywhere.Tomorrow night is perhaps one of the most exciting TV premiere days of the week. With the return of Dancing with the Stars and the premiere of the much-anticipated show Chuck, be sure to check back here tomorrow for more of a preview of the two hottest shows of the season.
Till then, get your comedy on for Sunday night! It will help you get thru the work week, or at least put your attitude in the right place.
By Beth in Lost, The Office, Hollywood, FOX, TV, The View, The Sopranos, HBO, pop culture, Steve Carell, reality TV, |
