The former prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, had somewhat of an issue with his hair: from time to time, it appeared to be changing colours. After one of his public appearances, a hair stylist was even called upon on an afternoon popular news programme to comment on the hairy development.
But when Netanyahu’s hair became purple, social media found the ultimate reference: Mrs Slocombe from the British classic sitcom Are You Being Served? The PM’s hair colour made him look like Mrs Slocombe.
Eastenders
EastEnders's home, Albert Square
The subsequent tweets and memes would not have been so funny unless they had hit a cultural nerve. And for many Israelis of a certain age, Mrs Slocombe is indeed a piece of nostalgic history: the very best of British TV that the average Israeli could have watched back then, whether it was Are You Being Served, The Onedin Line, I, Claudius, Yes Minister, Fawlty Towers and more.
Those classics were not only treasured in their homeland, they also formed the special relationship that Israeli viewers had with British drama, a deep connection that had a tremendous effect on the image of the British in Israel for years.
As a kid I remember vividly how thrilled I was to make the acquaintance of British politics via House of Cards. The brilliant trilogy was broadcast repeatedly for many years on Israel’s public TV, so even a little child from the centre of the country knew by heart all the catchphrases of Francis Urquhart (played by the legendary Ian Richardson).
When Netflix announced an American production of House of Cards, the expectations couldn’t have been higher. So was the disappointment.
Back in the 80s and part of the 90s, Israeli television was under the reign of one channel only, the public channel. Between the daily news programme, talk-shows and sportcasts, it was not unusual to encounter English-speaking content. The US was represented by hits like Dallas, and the UK was there with all the best the BBC had to offer.
House of Cards
House of Cards
This is the reason, at least partly, that many Israelis, who didn’t live in Britain or travel frequently to London like today, got to know a specific type of Briton: the upper-class one. Well-mannered, highly educated, formally dressed with humour as dry as a martini and a face as cold as ice. Historic sins like lack of diversity (no women or people of colour) had an international reflection.
It was only after a major cultural and technological change that some of the viewers (but not as many as before) learned that there was more to British life. When cable TV became available, there was an opening for other genres of British TV to emerge.
Shows like EastEnders and Doctors, for example, were part of BBC Prime, a channel which was broadcast internationally including to Israel (later replaced with BBC Entertainment, which is unavailable now).
My mother was a keen admirer of BBC Prime. I remember her reaction to the satellite company’s announcement that the channel would no longer be a part of her subscription. How to put it in a typically British understatement? She wasn’t happy.
For the past two and a half years I’ve been a Londoner. And, as you probably noticed, during this period there was quite a lot of time to watch all kinds of TV: local, regional, digital, you name it.
Although plenty of British series are licensed for Israeli TV, it usually takes them time to arrive there. And even though the world is more global than ever, one cannot compare watching national obsessions like The Great British Bake Off or Strictly Come Dancing in Britain to watching them outside the country.
But it also made me realise how narrow the Israeli knowledge of British culture is, when it’s limited mostly to prime and prestige dramas. While the UK makes some of the best dramas in the world (like the exhilarating Line of Duty), there’s a wide spectrum of other shows and genres which encapsulate this day and age.
Shows like Love Island or perhaps I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, or even game shows like Only Connect, give much more than a clue about the modern day UK than yet another regency-era melodrama.
Of course the Israeli media industry is quite aware to the power of original programming in the UK and often translates it to make local versions. Among the most successful and buzz-worthy shows in Israel one can find The Chase, Come Dine With Me, The Secret Life of Four and Five Year Olds, Planet Child and up until recently, X-Factor.
But in 2022, the relationship between Israel and Britain in terms of TV is not one-sided any more. The 21st century media boom in Israel, alongside accessible platforms like Netflix, have brought Israel’s hungry spirit and budget-tight effectiveness to most parts of the world, including the UK.
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Strictly Come Dancing
That’s why born and bred Brits can share their opinion with an Israeli expat about Fauda, Shtisel and False Flag. Then, you can surprise some UK viewers by telling them that a show like The A-Word is based on the Israeli Yellow Peppers.
And yet again, it’s hard to say that these shows portray more than a small part of Israeli culture and life. For a broader view you’ll have to turn to other shows, for example Zaguri Empire, The Parliament, and Zero Hour.
But since language is less of a barrier than it used to be, and the competition for the quality content is just getting more and more ruthless, it’s likely that even more localised TV will find its way towards new crowds. The exchange of narratives, cultures and traditions will be even more common. When Lior Raz, the creator and superstar of Fauda was a kid, he probably didn’t think he would become as famous in the UK as Mrs Slocombe was in Israel. Now he doesn’t even need to dye the hair he doesn’t have.
