Israel’s ‘Traffic Light’ stops at US intersection

February 8, 2011 - 1:30 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Entertainment, General, Pop Culture, tv 

The US cast of Traffic Light

Today’s a big day for Israeli entertainment. The first episode of the comedy TV series Traffic Light is airing in the US on the Fox Network.

Based on the original Hebrew version, Ramzor, which has been on the air for two seasons here and won an International Emmy last year for its creator, comic Adir Miller, the sitcom centers around three longtime guy pals who intersect in their relationship stages with women. There’s the married guy with a baby, the recently-moved in with a girlfriend one, and the swinger who can’t commit.

Our version of the show is smart and funny, and according to advanced reviews of the show compiled by Allison Kaplan Sommer, writing for The Forward, the US debut is stepping forward in the right direction.

Dorothy Rabinowitz of the Wall Street Journal dubbed it “a scintillating comedy brimming with confidence and wit,” adding that “the perilous situations that drive ‘Traffic Light’ are charged with a life and zest that’s good to see. The best comedy of the year, it seems, has arrived in midseason.”

The Hollywood Reporter’s Tim Goodman also greeted the new show warmly, saying that “in the same way that Modern Family has been able to mine comic gold out of everyday struggles, Light keeps the couple-banter and the friend-banter surprisingly relatable and, in the biggest shocker, enormously funny.”

The reviews haven’t all been positive though. David Hinckley in the New York Daily News wrote in a review entitled ‘No Need to Stop for Traffic Light: “The freshest thing in “Traffic Light” – besides Ethan’s wonderful dog, Carl the bulldog – is that these guys seem to have half their conversations while driving in their cars using hands-free speakers.”

And Mark Perigrad in the Boston Herald American wrote that “Traffic Light is the kind of sitcom that revs from zero to zero with laughter.”

So, if you’re in the US, check Traffic Light out tonight and make up your own mind. And if you like it, give a loud shout out to us here in Israel.

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TV’s The Office to open a Petach Tikva branch

April 13, 2009 - 4:20 PM by · 2 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, Business, History and Culture, Israeliness, Life, Movies, Pop Culture 

The OfficeExciting Israeli pop culture news has reached us with the recent announcement that the local satellite TV provider, Yes, will soon be running its own version of the landmark satirical half-hour comedy series The Office. A full 15 episodes have already been contracted, set to air in about a year from now, with the Israeli firm July August, which was behind the recent success of The Band’s Visit, handling production.

Co-creator Ricky Gervais was quoted in The Guardian‘s piece announcing the project saying,

“I am thrilled and amazed that Israel are making The Office with local writers, directors and actors. I mean, who ever heard of Jewish entertainers?”

Ha’aretz reported shortly thereafter that screenwriting will be handled by B’tipul‘s Uzi Weill and the director will be Eitan Tzur, who also had a hand in that Israeli television export’s success.

When Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant developed The Office as what would become a two-season sitcom for the BBC, they had no idea what levels of universal appeal their odd sense of humor had the potential of reaching. Sure, Gervais’ portrayal of oblivious, over-the-top, tasteless paper company branch boss David Brent was arguably grounded primarily in esoteric British dry humor stylings and in specifically British office culture-inspired mishaps. But the show also managed to tap into the universal phenomenon of “cubicle angst,” and its mockumentary-inspired packaging, complete with uncomfortable silences, helped rocket it into global cult favorite status.

Soon the BBC was licensing local versions of the show to markets outside England, with France, Russia, Chile, Canada and the United States (pictured) creating their own takes. While the US version got off to a rocky start (its short first season was more or less a remake of the original British one, just with some local flavor and accents added), it hit its stride towards the beginning of season two and is now enjoying its fifth successful season on NBC.

It can be argued that one of the reasons that the American Office has been as much of a creative success as it has been is that the writers have allowed for the characters to take on lives of their own in ways that are distinctively American. The action all takes place against the backdrops of corporate booze cruises, office outings to Chili’s (where family members’ drinks might or might not be comped), ridicule of those who count Legally Blonde as an all-time favorite movie, peeking at one another’s high school yearbooks – you know, American office culture type stuff.

Having watched both the British and American versions of The Office for several years, I have wondered many times how an Israeli version might manifest itself. Israeli office culture has its own cultural mores and archetypes.

Also according to The Guardian:

….Giyora Yahalom, head of production at the Israeli satellite broadcaster Yes, added: “We are sure that the universal experience of contemporary office life will speak to Israeli viewers. There is no doubt that our viewers will enjoy the same jokes as their contemporaries in the UK.”

And the Ha’aretz piece makes a good argument that the creators are taking the proper approach, reporting that the show

…will take place at the dreary workplace of “Super Office,” a fictional office-supply firm in Petah Tikva.

….The cast will include a variety of Israeli types – an Arab warehouse manager, an ultra-Orthodox saleswoman and a bitter Russian accountant. The Israeli answer to David Brent, the obnoxious boss of the U.K. program, will be named Avi Meshulam, though an actor has yet to be pegged for the role.

Exciting stuff. Hopefully the creative team will have enough self-depreciating perspective to do it right.

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