When the most popular format reaches the most atypical country: reality TV and religion in Israel

Abstract

This chapter looks at the ways in which Judaism finds expression in reality shows in Israel. It examines three aspects: reaction to the programs from religious leaders and religious communities; participation of religious people in the shows; and the appearance of religion-related topics in the programs. Reality shows predominate the ratings chart in Israel, where nine of the ten most highly watched programs in 2014 were of this genre. The accommodation of religion finds expression in the country's legal system, including regulations that dictate the modus operandi of commercial TV channels. Stations are free to broadcast programming that caters to popular taste, but they are still required to devote a portion of air-time to religion. Although Israel has become a capital of dramatic formats and game shows, local inventions of reality formats have been less successful in terms of ratings.