How Israel Became a Global Television Powerhouse

In the 1920s and 30s, Sam Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, the Warner brothers, and other Jews who had settled in Los Angeles played a major role in creating Hollywood and the movie business as we know it today. Some 100 years later, it is the Jewish state that is doing much to redefine entertainment. It began when Israeli shows were adapted for American audiences, producing such series as Homeland. Now Israeli shows like Fauda are simply being streamed on thousands of small screens around the world with subtitles. The Israeli-American writer and producer Alon Aranya, who has been involved in many of these programs, discusses the appeal of Israeli television, as well as one of his latest projects, a spy thriller titled Tehran. (Interview by Shmuel Rosner. Audio, 40 minutes.)