ITV

Tag: Keshet International

  • ABC’s ‘Rising Star’ technology creator,Screenz, secures $5m investment

    ABC’s ‘Rising Star’ technology creator,Screenz, secures $5m investment

    MUMBAI: Cross-media company Screenz, announces the procurement of $5M investment from Marker LLC to expand research and development, accelerating the growth of technological advances in media entertainment.

     

    Screenz CEO Eli Uzan says, “The evolving media landscape provides partnership opportunities with major production companies and broadcasters, making traditional TV and second screen experiences inseparable. We are delighted that Marker LLC, a leading U.S. VC, is joining us to ensure Screenz continues to change how the world views and interacts with television.”

     

    Screenz and Keshet International’s Rising Star is the most social television series to date with 129,071 tweets at the series premiere and was the No. 1 downloaded iOS app. The ABC premiere outperformed NBC’s America’s Got Talent season premiere by 116% (59,734 tweets) and exceeded America’s Got Talent social media interactions by 290% (33,106 tweets).

     

    Rising Star scored the highest rating for an ABC summer series debut in two years. Sold into more than 25 territories, this format uses an extensive suite of products featured on Screenz’s Real-Time Platform.

     

    The cloud-based software solution developed by Screenz permits over 100 million interactions per minute while viewers engage with shows through second screen formats including: talent, trivia apps, real-time prediction, and social media extensions. Broadcasters and producers achieve live audience engagement while simultaneously capturing viewer data, extending their brands beyond the confines of TV, generating new advertising revenue opportunities, and taking TV into the Big Data marketplace.

     

    “Screenz is a leader in the emerging interactive television sector and helps navigate the future of the industry,” says Marker LLC Partner, Rick Scanlon. “The company has created and flawlessly managed real-time interactive experiences on a large scale with globally renowned entertainment companies. Marker is thrilled to partner with Screenz and support its rapid growth.”

     

    Screenz recently joined forces with Google extending the reach of its real-time technology. Screenz maintains a platform of innovative formats that will be revealed through leading technology and entertainment industry partnerships worldwide.

  • Assaf Blecher to oversee Keshet DCP JV in an expanded role

    Assaf Blecher to oversee Keshet DCP JV in an expanded role

    MUMBAI: It was announced earlier today in a statement by Dick Clark Productions (DCP) EVP of programming development Mark Bracco and Keshet International CEO Alon Shtruzman that current Dick Clark Productions programming and development vice president Assaf Blecher will expand his role to include oversight of Keshet DCP.  In Blecher’s new role he will manage programming and development for Keshet DCP, the joint venture(JV) formed by Keshet International, the global distribution and production arm of Keshet Media Group and DC Media, and the parent company of DCP. The JV which was announced last year, produces unscripted programming in the US and develops, produces and finances new formats for international markets.

     

    Keshet DCP programming for 2014 includes the new reality singing competition Rising Star set to premiere on 22 June on the American Broadcasting Company network, the new game show format BOOM! scheduled for broadcast on FOX network later this year and additional projects at various stages of development.  Blecher will continue to be based in the company’s Santa Monica headquarters and will report to Bracco and Shtruzman. 

                                                                                                                                                                                       

    “Assaf played a key role in the formation of Keshet DCP and will be instrumental in our strategies to expand our programming footprint domestically and internationally with the most compelling slate of unscripted programming possible,” said Bracco in a statement.

     

    “Assaf has a proven track record and has contributed great insights and talent to the development of Keshet DCP. We at Keshet are delighted to have him on board as a partner and a creative executive, especially during this significant growth period. His experience, industry acumen and friendship will be of great benefit to our collective effort,” said Shtruzman.

     

    “It is an honor to formalise my relationship with Keshet and the Keshet DCP team,” said Blecher.  “The Keshet International team is a global leader and we look forward to introducing revolutionary new television formats to US audiences and beyond.”

     

    Blecher began his career with Dick Clark Productions in 2005 as manager and has held several roles with the company.  Most recently, Blecher served as vice president of development TV and digital programming overseeing a variety of projects including Golden Gods for VH1 and the upcoming Star Spangled Spectacular for PBS. 

  • Screenz joins hands with Google to revolutionise TV viewing experience

    Screenz joins hands with Google to revolutionise TV viewing experience

    MUMBAI: Screenz has announced its collaboration with Google to host the Screenz Real Time Platform, a global, live, interactive infrastructure for television shows enabling broadcasters and format owners to transform programs into live events.

     

    The first show to use Screenz Real Time Platform is ‘Rising Star’– Keshet International’s hit TV show that first aired in Israel in September 2013, and will be launched in over 25 countries around the world including on ABC in the US on 22 June.

     

    ‘Rising Star’ is a trailblazing interactive TV format that marks a new era in home entertainment. The show enables real-time voting by viewers from their sofas via an innovative mobile app, fully integrated to the program. It is the first talent show where the viewer is the judge from start to finish. The show features performers making their debut on stage alone, from behind a giant wall of TV screens. They can only make their entry to the studio round by securing more than 70 per cent of the viewers’, judges’ and live audiences’ vote.  The audience can see the results of their vote in real time and if they vote positively, have a chance that their picture will be shown on the giant wall.  If a contestant achieves 70 per cent of the votes, the wall dramatically lifts revealing the studio audience and expert panel.

     

    The collaboration between Screenz and Google delivers the scale to process a huge number of interactions per second and has been successfully employed so far to support the show in Brazil, Portugal and Israel. In testing the Real Time Platform processed a remarkable 100 million interactions per minute.

     

    Screenz is working with broadcasters and TV production companies worldwide to leverage its unique Real Time Platform to create and support innovative new formats. The proven benefit of the Platform for broadcasters is the way it hikes up the level of engagement a viewer has with a show at the exact time when it is aired. The system also enables sophisticated audience targeting allowing broadcasters and brands to effectively identify viewer demographics and interests.

     

    “Broadcasters and producers are constantly looking to introduce new formats which enable them to engage directly with TV audiences. By working with the Google Cloud Platform, Screenz will empower them to rip up the rule book and combine compelling live content with real time viewer interaction” said Screenz CEO Eli Uzan.

     

    Google Cloud Platform director Daniel Powers said, “Screenz is at the forefront of a revolution which is changing the way we watch television. We are delighted that they have chosen to build their game-changing products on Google Cloud Platform. Our job is to make sure that the technology behind the Real Time Platform works effortlessly so that all viewers need to worry about is which way they are going to vote.”

     

    Keshet International general manager production Granit Noham added, “We are very pleased that our partner Screenz is collaborating with the digital prowess of Google Cloud Platform to provide a robust platform and safe pair of hands for each and every international version of ‘Rising Star’.”

     

    Screenz’s Real Time Platform utilises Google Compute Engine, Google Cloud Storage and Google BigQuery, which are part of Google Cloud Platform. The application is deployed globally on Google’s cloud infrastructure, to provide scalability and robustness. The needs of the local broadcaster and audience will always be met, even if multiple countries are broadcasting the live show simultaneously. By utilising BigQuery, Screenz is able to provide broadcasters with the ability to analyze the large amounts of data collected.

  • NBC orders ‘Allegiance’ to series

    NBC orders ‘Allegiance’ to series

    MUMBAI: NBC has ordered to series the spy drama Allegiance from writer George Nolfi (THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, OCEAN’S TWELVE), who also directed the pilot episode. The show is adapted from the original award-winning Israeli series MICE (Gordin Cell), which is produced by Tedy Productions for Israeli satcaster YES and Keshet Broadcasting, and distributed internationally by Keshet International.

     

    Allegiance is executive produced by Nolfi and Keshet Media Group CEO Avi Nir (Homeland) along with Yona Wisenthal from Yes and creators of the original Israeli show Ron Leshem, Amit Cohen and Giyora Yahalom. The series is a production of Universal Television, Keshet Media Group and YES.

     

    In Allegiance, Alex O’Connor, a young idealistic CIA analyst specializing in Russian affairs, learns a shocking secret and his close-knit, affluent family is about to be split apart when its revealed that his parents, Mark (Scott Cohen, Necessary Roughness) and Katya (Hope Davis, The Newsroom, In Treatment) are covert Russian spies deactivated decades ago.  But today the Kremlin has re-enlisted them into service as they plan a terrorist operation inside the U.S. border that will bring America to its knees.  Years ago, Russian-born Katya was tasked by the KGB to recruit American businessman Mark O’Connor as a spy and the two fell in love. A deal was struck: as long as Katya remained an asset for Russia, and it was agreed that her services could be called on in the future, she would be allowed to marry Mark and move to America. After years in America building a happy life and without word from Moscow, they thought they had escaped. Now it seems that the new Mother Russia has one more mission — turning Alex into a spy. For these anguished parents, the choice is clear: Betray their country or risk their family.

     

    Allegiance is the latest show from Keshet to be ordered to series in the US, following Tim Kring and Gideon Raff’s international thriller series Dig starring Jason Isaacs and Anne Heche for USA Networks; Tyrant, from Fox 21 of which Keshet is an executive producer, the David Yates-directed drama from Homeland executive producers Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff and Six Feet Under alum Craig Wright, for FX; and a fourth-season greenlight of the Emmy and Golden Globe® award-winning spy drama Homeland for Showtime.

     

    The Israeli original was created by Ron Leshem, Amit Cohen, Giora Yaalom and Danni Sirkin and produced by Tedy productions headed by Tmira Yardeni.

  • CTV acquires ‘Rising Star’ from Keshet DCP for summer 2014

    CTV acquires ‘Rising Star’ from Keshet DCP for summer 2014

    MUMBAI: It’s social TV on a whole new level. CTV announced today it has acquired the exclusive Canadian broadcast rights to the much buzzed-about and sought-after new revolutionary reality series RISING STAR from Keshet International. The fastest-selling talent show ever and already a massive hit in its original Israeli market, RISING STAR is the first competition series ever to tally viewer votes in real time, making it truly interactive television. From the very first minute of the very first episode, viewers play an integral role in every decision made throughout the season via an innovative free app, available in both Canada and the U.S. From Keshet DCP and executive producers Ken Warwick (AMERICAN IDOL) and Nicolle Yaron (THE VOICE), RISING STAR skyrockets onto CTV’s summer schedule Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning June 22 with a special two-hour premiere. The series will also be available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV Go app.

     

    RISING STAR sees aspiring singers – including solo vocalists, duos, and vocal groups – perform alone behind a giant wall of TV screens displaying the faces of viewers at home who have shown their support for the performance. As viewers, the judging panel, and the studio audience vote, competitors and viewers see how they’re doing in real time through a live vote meter. Once the competitors’ votes reach a certain level, the screen in front of them slowly rises and a new star is revealed.

     

    **Media Note** – Download photos from RISING STAR at BellMediaPR.ca

     

    “RISING STAR’s innovative format is truly revolutionary, compelling, and offers CTV viewers an engagement opportunity like never before,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks.

     

    RISING STAR had a record-breaking debut on Keshet’s Channel 2 in Israel from September to December 2013, maintaining its audience throughout Season 1 as the highest-rated show in 10 of its 15 weeks on air. The series also saw over 10 million votes cast through the app. Now sold to more than 25 broadcasters and territories, RISING STAR is the fastest-selling talent show ever. The territories include the USA (ABC), UK (ITV), Spain (Atresmedia), Italy (Toro), France (M6 Group), Russia (Rossiya1), Germany (RTL), the Nordics (Nordisk), Hungary (TV2), Brazil (Rede Globo), Portugal (TVI), and most recently Argentina (Telefe), Turkey (Acun Medya), and Indonesia (RCTI).

  • Hungary and Belgium get ready to Boom!

    Hungary and Belgium get ready to Boom!

    MUMBAI: Keshet International has sold its explosive gameshow formatBOOM! to TV2 in Hungary, and VTM, the top Flemish speaking channel in Belgium owned by parent company MEDIALAAN.TV2 plans to launch a local adaptation of the thrilling gameshow later this year.

     

    This news marks the fourth and fifth sales of the format since its launch at MIPTV, following Spain (Atresmedia), the US (FOX) and France (TF1).

     

    BOOM! fuses the drama, intensity and thrill of a blockbuster action movie with the high octane fun of a video game. Full of comedy, color and excitement – BOOM!’s fresh approach rolls the intellectual AND physical challenges of existing gameshows into one must-see event for viewers of all ages. A squad of four players must defuse eight (replica) bombs by answering trivia questions correctly within a strict time limit. In nail-biting scenes, the nominated player must defuse one bomb per question by cutting through colored wires which represent multiple choice answers against the clock. If the player answers correctly the prize money remains intact and they move to the next bomb, if they cut the wrong wire, or run out of time the bomb will explode strewing material across the studio andvisiblyshaking the set – and the team will lose one player and 25% of the potential prize money. BOOM! delivers fierce tension and light-hearted humor in quick succession,extending the experience not only to those in the studio, but also viewers at home who can play along.

     

    “BOOM! is igniting all over the world, and we are thrilled to partner with our longtime friends at TV2 and VTM to bring our show to Hungary and Belgium,” said Keshet International CEO Alon Shtruzman.

     

    “We are pleased to have once again picked up the most talked-about format of the market from Keshet International. With the success of Master Class and Rising Star now in pre-production, BOOM! will be the third Keshet format that TV2 will adapt and we are very happy to bring this innovative project to audiences in Hungary,” said György Bence, Program and News Director, TV2.

     

    BOOM! achieved outstanding ratings when it made its debut on Keshet Broadcasting, Channel 2 Israel following its launch on Thursday April 3 at 9 PM, becomingthe highest-rated game show launch ever in Israel. Vastly outshining all other shows in its timeslot, BOOM!scored a staggering 41.2% share and 26.7% (HH) rating.

     

    The ratings and share equate to an increase of four times the amount drawn by the nearest competitor for the time slot, doing exceptionally well in the younger demographic of 18 – 24 years with a share 27.5% higher than the average.

     

    BOOM! is now the most viewed game show ever in Israel both in terms of ratings and number of viewers, outperforming other favorites such as Million Pound Drop and Raid the Cage. It has also garnered the highest audience share ever for a game show airing on a week night. The show’s rating was 14% above the average share for the time slot on Channel 2.

    BOOM! was created by Keshet, Ido Rozenblum and July August Productions.

     

    Season two of TV2’s Master Class, also an adaptation of a Keshet International format, will launch on the network later this month following a tremendously successful first season debut.

     

    Visit the Keshet International stand R8.C9, Riviera 8, Palais Des Festivals,at MIPTV 7 – 10 April 2014

  • Keshet International has Asia Singing

    Keshet International has Asia Singing

    MUMBAI: Keshet International has sold its trailblazing interactive talent format RISING STAR and its high-rating children’s singing format MASTER CLASS into Asia. The deals mark a first for each format in terms of geographical reach.

     

    RISING STAR will air on Indonesia’s largest private broadcaster RCTI (Indonesian Idol, Masterchef) which reaches a gigantic potential audience of 180 million viewers. An initial 24 x 2 hr episodes have been commissioned and will be produced by RCTI to air in late Summer/early Fall 2014. ABC’s US version of the show will air on June 22 and is available to buyers at MIPTV as a finished 10 episode tape.

     

    Keshet International has closed deals for RISING STAR in more than 25 territories since its launch at MIPCOM 2013, making it the fastest-selling talent format on record (source: The WIT). Sales include the US (ABC), UK (ITV), Argentina (Telefe), Brazil (Rede Globo), Spain (Atresmedia), Portugal (TVI), Italy (Toro), France (M6 Group) Russia (Rossiya1), Germany (RTL), the Nordics (Nordisk), Hungary (TV2), Ukraine (1+1), Greece (MEGA) and Turkey (Acun Medya). Interest in the format continues to grow worldwide following unprecedented ratings for the show’s original series in Israel, the season finale of which peaked with a 58% share of the total domestic audience.

     

    MASTER CLASS will find a home in China on Jiangsu Satellite TV, launching in the last quarter of 2014 with a first season of 12 x 90’ episodes. The show is being adapted into a local version done through a co-development deal with Beijing-based production company 3C Media.  

     

    The original Israeli version of MASTER CLASS is a show in which children sing all-time classics with only positive reviews and no eliminations. It is currently the highest performing talent show on Keshet’s Channel 2. It has also performed extremely well in Hungary where its ratings exceeded TV2’s average for the timeslot by 250%.

     

    Kanti Mirdiati, Managing Director of RCTI, said, “It is an honor for RCTI to cooperate with Keshet International and be the first TV Station in Asia that will telecast Rising Star. This is a singing talent search program with a very interesting concept and totally interactive format, where the audiences at home can vote at a real time and decide who will stay or who will leave. We can’t wait to see how great this program will be. It will bring a new reality and voting sensation through the new platform called Mobile App.”

     

    Mr. Liu, CEO of 3C Media, said “We are very happy to be working with Keshet in co-developing this format into a version that’s more suitable to the Chinese audience and market. The core elements of the show remains intact while we bringing in a special local twist to it. We hope to establish a long-term relationship with Keshet in co-developing many future hit shows for China.”

     

    Keshet International CEO, Alon Shtruzman, said, “We’re delighted to see two more jewels in the Keshet crown airing in Asia. Having a strong presence in such rapid growth regions feels like a great frontier to have conquered.”

     

    Elsewhere in Asia, Keshet International has sold its hidden camera game show Deal With It to Mediacorp Channel 5.

     

    RISING STAR is a trailblazing interactive talent format which hails a new era in home entertainment. It enables the first real-time voting by viewers via an innovative free app ‘TV app to you’ which is fully integrated into the show. Making their debut on stage alone, behind a giant wall of TV screens, a performer can only make his or her entry to the studio by securing more than 70% of the viewers’, judges’ and live audiences’ vote. If the bar is met, the screen (which lights up with the face of each voting viewer in real-time) will slowly rise to expose the hopeful to their new fans and the judging panel. From the very first minute of the very first episode, viewers will play an integral role in every decision made on the show and continue to do so throughout the entire season.

     

    RISING STAR, produced by Tedy Productions for Keshet Broadcasting, marked a record-breaking debut on Keshet’s Channel 2 from September to December 2013, maintaining its audience throughout the full first season as the highest-rated show in 10 of its 15 weeks on air. Over 10 million votes were cast through the app during season one, which has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. RISING STAR has far outperformed all second screen data ever recorded in Israel, with an activity rate 10 times higher than its nearest competitor. It maintained high ratings and conversion rates (i.e. viewers to second screen participation), in excess of 30%, throughout the series.

     

    MASTER CLASS is a talent show full of heart, and no heartbreak! It is a music talent show for children singing old classics with only positive reviews and without elimination. It has become a critically acclaimed program that taps into the global trend of family viewing because of its warm and humane approach. MASTER CLASS avoids the intrigue and harsh judgment of a ruthless competition, focusing on the nurturing relationships formed between the teachers and their young students, as they become familiar with the country’s rich musical history and cultural heritage.

     

    The sixteen stars of the show are children aged 8-14, with the most promising voices in the country. Four teachers – leading artists in the music industry – train them to make the most of their potential and become the best singers they can. The program is set at the music school and its auditorium, where the weekly performances take place. Towards the end of the season the best student in each performance is awarded a place in the graduation show. In this way, the six will sing for the last time in front of the committee, where one will be selected as the best in the class. Still, all the students continue their studies and perform at every show, including the final one.

     

    Entitled School of Music in Israel, MASTER CLASS became a breakthrough hit oh Keshet Broadcasting Channel 2 – it was the 2nd highest rated show in in 2011, with a season average of 48.1% share and 32.5% rating.

  • Fox Broadcasting and Keshet DCP bring ‘Boom!’ to U.S

    Fox Broadcasting and Keshet DCP bring ‘Boom!’ to U.S

    MUMBAI: Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) has picked up KeshetDCP’s explosive gameshow format BOOM!,marking Keshet DCP’ssecond project sold to series.  

     

    BOOM!fuses the drama, intensity and thrill of a blockbuster action movie with the high-octane fun of a video game. Full of comedy, color and excitement, BOOM!’s fresh approach rolls the intellectual AND physical challenges of existing gameshows into one can’t-miss event for viewers of all ages. A squad of four players must defuse eight (replica) “bombs” by answering trivia questions correctly within a strict time limit. In nail-biting scenes, the nominated player must defuse one “bomb” per question by cutting through colored wires representing multiple choice answers…which the ticking clock counts down. If the player answers correctly, the prize money builds and he/she moves to the next “bomb.”BOOM!delivers fierce tension and light-hearted humor in quick succession,extending the experience not only to those in the studio, but also to viewers at home who can play along.

     

    “BOOM!is a perfect blend of family entertainment and FOX attitude. Never has a ticking clock been so ingeniously placed at the center of a game, and never has a game more inventively borrowed from the language of a thriller,” said Simon Andreae, Executive Vice President, Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.  “It’s as if Jack Bauer made brain love with Jeff Foxworthy.”

     

    “We have no doubts that BOOM!’s fresh take on the traditional game show will blow American audiences away with laughs and thrills, and we couldn’t be happier to have secured such an esteemed broadcast partner as FOX only days after announcing our plans for the show in the U.S. market,” said Alon Shtruzman, CEO Keshet International.

     

    Allen Shapiro, CEO of dick clark productions continued, “BOOM!represents a continuation of original, provocative and unique content coming out of the KeshetDCP venture.  FOX is the perfect home for it.” The news follows the first sale of the project to France’s most popular broadcaster, TF1, as well as outstanding ratings for the new game on Keshet Broadcasting’s Channel 2 Israel,where it recentlybecame the highest-rated game show launch ever in Israel. Vastly outshining all other shows in its timeslot, BOOM!scored a staggering 41.2% share and 26.7% (HH) rating.

     

    BOOM!was created by Keshet, IdoRozenblum and July August Productions.

     

    Visit the Keshet International stand R8.C9, Riviera 8, Palais Des Festivals,at MIPTV 7-10 April 2014.

     

  • Keshet International unveils its interactive prime time format

    Keshet International unveils its interactive prime time format

    MUMBAI: Following the international success of its trailblazing talent show RISING STAR,Keshet International has today unveiled itsplans to launch an innovative real time interactive format ELEVATOR PITCH. The high concept show sees entrepreneurs stepping into an elevator to deliver a pitch of a lifetime to business tycoons and the entire live viewing audience, in the hope of securing funding to take their passion projects to the next level.

     

    ELEVATOR PITCH is a live interactive viewing event which directly engages the audience and gives them an influence over the fate of the show’s contestants and their ideas. They are asked “Would you buy the product/idea being pitched?” and thereby encouraged to watch the show in real time and take an active role in how it unfolds via a digital app. The new launch underlines Keshet’scommitment to continue bringing pioneering digital formats, which change the way viewers watch television, to the world.Keshet has again teamed with Tedy Productions, which it also partnered with on RISING STAR and other hit formats, to produce the primetime show.

     

    In a new and unique format pillar, the live viewing audience effectively takes part in the quickest and largest market research test ever executed on TV. An entrepreneur must pitch to the nation and the five tycoons located on the top floor, to secure a minimum percentage of the viewing audience and the tycoons’ interest within the time limited elevator journey. Only then can they enter the studio and take part in a dramatic live bidding war with the tycoons who have voted “in”. If they can’t travel up the required number of floors, the elevator returns to the ground floor and the entrepreneur sadly leaves without ever coming face to face with their potential investors.

     

    ELEVATOR PITCHis a dramatic and cutthroat television event that instantly determines the level of market confidence in an idea and,by putting the end consumers center stage, lets themdecide whether to press the button and elevate the entrepreneurs to the top of their game.

     

    ELEVATOR PITCH will launch on Keshet Broadcasting in Israel later in 2014. Its trailer will be revealed at The RISING STAR Case Study session at MIPTV formats on Sunday 6 April at 15.40 – 16.00. For more info see: http://www.my-mip.com/en/Sessions/4911/RISING-STAR-FORMAT-CASE-STUDY

    Visit the Keshet International stand R8.C9, Riviera 8, Palais Des Festivals,at MIPTV 7 – 10 April 2014
        

     

  • Prisoners of War sells into Asia

    Prisoners of War sells into Asia

    MUMBAI: Keshet International, the global distribution arm of Keshet Media Group, has sold its successful drama Prisoners of War, on which Emmy® Award winner Homeland is based, to Korea’s Star J Entertainment, marking its entry to a fourth continent worldwide.

     
    The local adaptation of the show will be produced in partnership by Youngbeom Jeong, Sebastian Lee and Teddy Zee, Nam-gil Kim is also attached to star. He is best known for his role of Bidam in the hit Korean drama Queen Seondeokand stars in the film Pirates: The Bandit goes to the Seathat will be released later this year.
     

    Prisoners of Warscooped the top prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards in September 2013 beating its US adaptation Homeland, the eighth season of US series House and several other high profile international dramas for the Grand Jury Prize.
     

    Keshet Internationalhas enjoyed unprecedented international success with Prisoners of War having brokered deals for local adaptations in territories like Russia (WeitMedia), Turkey (Medyapim) and the US (Fox21 and Showtime – Homeland). The finished show has sold to more than 20 territories including the UK (Sky Arts), Australia (SBS), Brazil (Globosat), Arte (German and French-speaking Europe) and Norway (NRK). Prisoners of War is also available on several streaming and VOD platforms such as Hulu, Netflix Scandinavia, Universal Pictures German-speaking Europe and iTunes Canada as well as through a range of physical DVD partners worldwide.

    In 2012 author Stephen King included Hatufim (season one) at number 8 in his top 10 TV shows of the year.* In 2013 The New York Times placed Hatufim (season two) at number 2 in its top 12 TV shows of the year.**  

    Teddy Zee, Hollywood-based producer and former studio executive, said “We believe that the ongoing conflict between South Korea and North Korea makes the adaptation of Prisoners of Warespecially compelling and timely.”

    Sebastian Lee, producer, co-founder of EnterMedia Contents and international consultant for ABC Networks added, “With this cooperation with Keshet, we hope to expand the influence of the so-called Korean Wave in Asia and beyond.”

    Alon Shtruzman, CEO Keshet International, said, “We are very excited about the first Asian adaptation of Prisoners of War, I look forward to seeing how the Koreans interpret this incrediblestory. It’s a gem in our portfolio which is continuously evolving and extending its lifecycle internationally.”

    Youngbeom Jeong, CEO of Star J Entertainment shared, “This production represents a dream come true for my partner and client Nam-gil Kim.”

     
    Prisoners of War follows two soldiers as they attempt to re-adjust to their lives after returning home from captivity for 17 years. In addition to their personal struggles, it becomes clear that there is a profound secret that the two are keeping from everyone. The first season was the highest-rated drama of the year in Israel in 2011, achieving a 37% share (HH). Season two launched on Keshet Channel 2 in 2012, and scored a 40% average share, making it the most viewed drama of the year and peaking with an incredible 47.9% audience share during the season two finale.