TV

US television looks to Israel for ideas

Israel is proving to be a hot TV market.

It’s already provided the source material for such hits as Showtime’s “Homeland” — and, on Monday, spawned another TV project when ABC ordered a pilot script for “So Where Were We?,” which is based on an Israeli sitcom.

Described as a “cringe” comedy a la “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “So Where Were We?” follows a hapless man named Israel, who is constantly getting into trouble with his sharp tongue and his schemes.

And just as countries like the UK (“The Office,” “Shameless”) or Denmark (“The Killing,” “The Bridge”) have provided a stream of US TV adaptations before, Israel is the latest country to benefit from the industry’s globalization.

“In this golden age of television there’s so much demand for scripted content and ideas or formats that these producers and studios are really beating bushes around the world,” says Brad Adgate, senior VP of research at Horizon Media. It’s also a matter of success begetting success. “Homeland” (adapted from Israel’s “Prisoner of War”) has won six Emmys, including Best Drama Series. And HBO found a three-season hit in the Gabriel Byrne drama “In Treatment,” which was based on the Israeli series “BeTipul.”

“If you get a hot show like ‘Homeland’… producers will look at that and say, ‘Well, what else do they have over there?’ ” Adgate says. Other Israeli-to-US series have included the CBS thriller “Hostages,” which premiered weeks before the series of the same name on which it was based. CBS also announced that it was developing the medical drama “Only Human” starring Jamie Lee Curtis, which has roots in Israel.

This midseason will bring another Israel-to-US adaptation with NBC’s “Allegiance,” a CIA drama about Russian spies — a plot bearing more than a slight resemblance to FX’s popular “The Americans.”

“Israeli [dramas] tend to be a little more thought-provoking, with serialized, complex storylines,” says Adgate. “And those types of shows are really popular right now.”

Ratings success doesn’t hurt, either. “So Where Are We?” is the top-rated comedy on Israel’s Channel 10. The interactive singing competition “Rising Star” was also a hit in its native Israel, but the much-hyped US version aired this summer on ABC to tepid viewer interest.

Meanwhile, Keshet Media — the Israeli studio behind “Rising Star” — formed a joint venture with Dick Clark Productions — Keshet DCP — to sell its formats in the States.

Up next? A game show called “Boom!,” coming soon to Fox.