EXCLUSIVE: Israeli content streamer Izzy is pushing into daily series, and veteran international TV exec David Levine is onboard to oversee the strategy.
The plan is kicking off this month with Dumb, an Israeli drama series for Hot that was licensed from Dori Media. It was created by and stars Bat-Chen Sabag and Lior Raz (Fauda), and Shay Capon is the director. Episodes will rollout every weekday.
That will be followed by a slate of teen dramas from Paramount Global’s Israeli production house, Ananey Studios, and we understand that Teen Nick drama Rising is among the first of them. The strategy, led by former Disney Channel and Moonbug exec Levine, is being positioned as a response to a perceived growing appetite for serialized programs.
“Expanding into daily drama represents a transformative moment for Izzy,” said Nati Dinnar, CEO and co-founder of Izzy. “We are redefining what international audiences can expect from Israeli storytelling by offering gripping daily content.
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“The addition of David Levine, with his exceptional track record at Disney Channel, underscores our commitment to this bold new direction. David’s experience in building globally successful franchises makes him uniquely suited to lead this exciting expansion.”
Plot for Dumb follows Shiri Azugi, a 30-year-old failed actress who, in a desperate bid to save her drug-dealing ex, becomes an undercover agent posing as a high school student. She crosses the line and becomes a dealer herself, prompting a new investigation. The series won multiple Israeli Television Academy Awards for Best Daily Drama and Best Actress for Sabag.
Dori CEO Nadav Palti said he was “confident that the immense success Dumb enjoyed in Israel will translate effortlessly to an international audience through Izzy.”
Rising, meanwhile, is billed as a period-adventure drama with a soapy lens based on historical events that follows the Jewish people’s struggle to turn their dream of having their own state into a reality. Set in 1947, it follows brother and sister Holocaust survivors who swim to Israel’s shores after their boat is stopped by British soldiers.
Starring the likes of Eurovision 2023 entrant Noa Kirel and Yael Shelba, it’s from Eden Gurion & Jonathan Bar Ilan and ran from three seasons, totalling 95 episodes. It’s likely to launch over the summer, when teenagers from U.S. and European families attend summer camps in Israel and can be targeted by advertising.
“We are delighted to partner with Izzy in launching their teen programming initiative,” said Hila Pachter, VP International Relations at Ananey Studios. “Ananey has a rich and diverse slate of beloved and successful teen dramas such as Rising, The Hood, Sky, Greenhouse Academy and Spell Keepers to name a few. We look forward to bringing some of these compelling stories to Izzy’s growing international audience.”
A ‘well’ of YA content
In an interview with Deadline, Levine said there was “such a great well of quality young adult content that Ananey produced for Teen Nick here in Israel that has not been shown around the world,” adding, “It is my honor to bring the content to kids around the world.”
Levine said the wider challenge with the daily drama plan “is going to be not only bringing Izzy to the audience but also bringing the concept of a daily TV appointment to that audience.”
However, he pointed to the likes of O11CE and Soy Luna, both Latin American teen telenovelas commissioned while he was at Disney Channel, as examples of genre’s popularity. Both shows, which played in numerous Disney territories around the world, have gone back into production on new seasons recently, having ended in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Levine added that Israel has pedigree in teen programming through the likes of Disney Channel series North Star, which was reversioned as global series The Lodge, which is now on Disney+ starring Luke Benton (Bridgerton), Thomas Doherty (Gossip Girl) and Sophie Simnett (Twist).
He moved to Israel last year after decades in the UK and the U.S., initially for Disney and then later CoComelon maker Moonbug. Last year, we revealed he was developing on a 30-minute kids TV special for Sky in the UK based on children’s book Uncle Bobby’s Wedding through his Lightboat Media imprint, having previously been first to report his exit as Head of Studios for Moonbug in 2022. We understand Levine is also working with Hot! Media to develop its pre-school shows into global formats.
Levine noted how microdrama apps in China were “threading the needle between repeated daily viewing habits and deeper storytelling.” He added Israeli children and teenagers are “very dialled in to “everything on social media,” which provides opportunity for the shows to build conversations and online fanbases.
Izzy’s plan for the teen strand will initially center on licensed content, but is likely to expand into co-productions or fully-funded originals at some stage. “That is definitely on the roadmap,” said Levine.
The streamer has already co-produced Shistel prequel series Kugel alongside Fremantle, Abot Hameiri, Menuetto Film and local network Yes, which launched it last year. Izzy has global rights and launched it last month in 12 languages, including English, Hebrew, Yiddish, French, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic and Portuguese.
Izzy doesn’t provide subscription numbers, but Dinnar has said customers come from as many as 60 countries around the world.
In an exclusive interview with Deadline in December, Dinnar outlined Izzy’s mission statement, which is to “enhance the world’s relationship with Israel through entertainment, help talent and find an audience in the world.”
Following the violence of the October 7 killings, Dinnar had felt Izzy had “an obligation to make sure Israeli content has the opportunity to be seen around the world, not to be dependent on executives at international platforms making big decisions.” The devastating war between Hamas and Israel continues, but reports this week suggest a new ceasefire formula is being developed by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.