The cast of Israeli show Mesudarim

Imagine if Tony Soprano faced an assassination attempt during Shabbat services. Picture Carrie Bradshaw as modern-Orthodox and dressed in fabulous-yet-halachah appropriate knee-high skirts looking for love in Jerusalem—No Sex and the Holy City. Or try to think of Entourage’s Vinny Chase trying to impress a girl by buying water to fill up Israel’s diminishing Sea of Galilee. Sound far-fetched? Not if you’re an Israeli coach potato! Welcome to the alternate universe of Israeli television.

In many cultural aspects, Israel is an extension of the U.S. Israelis are completely fluent in American pop music, fashion trends and anything related to Hollywood. So it’s no surprise that the local TV industry is very connected to what’s going on in the heart of mainstream America. Let’s just say that Israel is a young Luke Skywalker following the teachings of Master Yoda, and like any young Jedi, it seems to be growing into a powerful Jedi warrior in its own right.

The Sopranos Meets The Godfather

One of the most popular shows at the moment is Haborer, which is loosely translated as “The Boss.” It’s the story of a young social worker who discovers he’s adopted and is actually the biological son of the head of the Israeli mob. The plot draws heavily from The Sopranos and The Godfather, but the style is more of a dramedy than anything else. The popularity of the show draws from the colorful characters, including the main villain, Yigal, nicknamed “The Nazi” because he did time in a jail in Germany, and the boss’ son, Avi, a.k.a. “The Spleen” because of his unusual gift for punching people’s sensitive parts. Plus it has a lot of blood, car chases and bedroom action. But a more unique aspect of the show is how the boss arbitrates between rival mobsters by using the Bible to solve conflicts. And then you get to see him choke an assassin at temple using t’fillin as his weapon of choice.

Entourage, Israeli-Style

Another fan favorite is Mesudarim, or “Sorted for Life” in Hebrew slang, meaning someone who has made it big. It follows the story of four friends who sell their high-tech company for an outrageous amount of money and find themselves filthy rich. Naturally, they choose cars and houses and purchase a soccer team, and basically lead the envious good life. The presence of HBO’s Entourage is heavily noticed in this series. Like Entourage, the four guys are completely different types. There’s Tomer, the egotistical, womanizing, handsome bachelor, who spends money shamelessly and enjoys being rich and famous; Guy, the settled and mature voice of reason and a romantic at heart; Erez, the lovable nerd; and Sagi, the comedic stoner.

But the messes they get themselves into aren’t always so Hollywood. One example is an episode during which self-absorbed Tomer’s car gets stolen, and he decides to hire Mossad to track it down. Then he devises a plan to save the Sea of Galilee by purchasing water from another country, all to impress a beautiful TV reporter. By the end of the season, the guy you’ll love to hate feels he can do whatever he wants so much so that he decides to become a politician and forms his own party. Imagine what Ari Gold would say to that!

Sexless in the City and Vampire Craze

Another current show is Srugim, about a group of modern-Orthodox singles looking for love in the dating pool of Jerusalem, which goes to show that these affairs of the heart are just as juicy, even if most of them happen at synagogue. And even the vampire trend hasn’t skipped the Holy Land—the biggest tween sensation at the moment is Hazuya, or “Half Blooded,” about a high school student who discovers she’s half-vampire and half-human and becomes torn between her love for a mysterious vampire who takes her under his wing and her best friend, who’s in love with her.

The relationship between Israeli and American TV seems to be working both ways. The format of Mesudarim was recently purchased by FOX, and it’s not the first Israeli show to make a splash overseas. The most prominent one is BeTipul, which you might recognize as HBO’s In Treatment. The Emmy-winning show, which chronicles a therapist and his patients, is an original Israeli production, and the American version is almost exactly translated word for word. For example, the Israeli pilot traumatized by his actions in Lebanon became an American pilot scarred by his experience in Iraq. In Israel, it was mostly a way to create a character-and-dialogue-based show with a low budget. In the States, one location and a lot of dialogue also apparently makes for quality television.

It seems Israeli television is in a good place right now, so much so that networks in the States have taken notice. Perhaps the student has surpassed her teacher! So if you like Jewish guilt-ridden mobsters, Torah-oriented singles, womanizing men, Hebrew-speaking vampires and a therapist with issues, get your hands on our Israelicious options.

Ealeal Semel is currently a soldier in the IDF but still manages to keep track of every awesome show on TV. Her sole purpose in life at the moment is to get a day off when Leonard Cohen comes to Israel this month.