television shows

Peter Jacobson portrays a rabbi and Alexa Nisenson plays a girl who seeks shelter at his synagogue in 'Fear the Walking Dead.' (AMC/via JTA)

Taking sanctuary

On ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ zombies attack my childhood synagogue

A raid by the undead on Congregation Beth Israel of Austin, Texas — thankfully just for a TV series — raises mixed feelings, but the episode’s Jewish references are true to life

September 12, 2019, 3:20 am

On ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ zombies attack my childhood synagogue

A raid by the undead on Congregation Beth Israel of Austin, Texas — thankfully just for a TV series — raises mixed feelings, but the episode’s Jewish references are true to life

By David A.M. Wilensky

Sophie Ben-Dor (Screen capture: Channel 12 News)

September 8, 2019, 7:00 pm

Eli Cohen’s daughter lukewarm on ‘The Spy,’ but likes Sacha Baron Cohen’s acting

Sophie Ben-Dor laments ‘the distance from the truth’ and says ‘it hurt’ to watch the Netflix series on her legendary agent father, but understands and respects the show

By TOI staff

Bill Maher arrives at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. (AFP/Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez/File)

August 19, 2019, 12:14 am

Tlaib calls to boycott Bill Maher after he calls BDS a ‘bulls**t purity test’

Congresswoman says Israel boycott movement is ‘centered on equality and freedom,’ after ‘Real Time’ host says supporters forget about intifadas, suicide bombings, rockets and wars

By Marcy Oster

Monica Lewinsky speaks onstage during The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 Women In Entertainment at Milk Studios in Los Angeles on December 5, 2018. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images via JTA)

August 7, 2019, 6:32 pm

Monica Lewinsky to co-produce Clinton impeachment drama

Studio says third season of ‘American Crime Story’ will dramatize events that saw White House intern swept up in sex scandal; will air weeks before 2020 election

By Lynn Elber

Actress Niv Sultan who will portray the character Tamar Rabinyan, a Mossad computer hacker-agent, in the new Israeli action TV series "Tehran." (Facebook)

July 2, 2019, 5:11 pm

Cineflix buys rights to new Israeli TV thriller ‘Tehran’

UK distributor signs deal for 8-part series by creator of ‘Fauda’ on Israelis hacking into Iran

By TOI staff

A still from the new HBO miniseries, 'Chernobyl.' (Liam Daniel/HBO)

June 28, 2019, 3:55 am

Why HBO’s miniseries ‘Chernobyl’ should be required watching

While surprising that the historical drama comes from the same guy who made the ‘Hangover’ sequels, it contains chilling facts, rich characterization, and a dire warning for today

By Jordan Hoffman

'Shtisel' has a certain voyeuristic appeal to some Jewish viewers. (Netflix/Dori Media/via JTA)

June 22, 2019, 1:53 am

What the popularity of ‘Shtisel’ tells us about Judaism’s non-Orthodox majority

The show is superbly written, well acted, with compelling characters and rich story lines, but also contains a voyeuristic opportunity to gaze into a mysterious, cloistered world

By Daniel Treiman

In this May 30, 2019 photo, an actor waits for his scene on the set of Israel's hit TV show "Fauda," in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

June 6, 2019, 12:56 pm

In ‘dialogue with reality,’ 3rd season of Israeli hit ‘Fauda’ ventures into Gaza

‘We know that we’re touching something very sensitive,’ says co-creator Avi Issacharoff as blockbuster thriller takes on the war-scarred enclave — a world away, next door

By Agencies

'Dead to Me' is a new Netflix show Jewish women need to watch. (Netflix/via JTA)

May 25, 2019, 9:03 am

‘Dead To Me’ is the new Netflix show Jewish women need to watch

Subverting expectations without relying on shock value, this compassionate, thrilling new ‘traumedy’ by creator Liz Feldman is a must for Yiddishe mamas — and TV lovers in general

By Lior Zaltzman

Tomer Capon stars in the Israeli TV series "Charlie Golf One." (YouTube screenshot)

May 18, 2019, 2:40 am

Israeli TV show set on an army base to be adapted by US network

Popular series ‘Charlie Golf One’ about IDF medics to be reworked for American audiences, set in Afghanistan

By Curt Schleier

The Israeli posters for 'The Beauty and the Baker,' now optioned for broadcaster NBC in the US (Courtesy Keshet)

May 12, 2019, 6:40 pm

TV’s Keshet inks deals with US networks ABC and NBC

With its ‘Beauty and the Baker’ and ‘Lincoln’ picked up, Israeli television company widens its reach as content producer

By Jessica Steinberg

Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

April 25, 2019, 9:37 pm

‘Empire’ cast members want Jussie Smollett back for next season

In letter to studio executives, former co-stars ask to bring back actor fired after being charged with staging hate crime attack

By Marcy Oster

Ramy Youssef stars in 'Ramy,' the show he created now streaming on Hulu. (Screenshot from YouTube/via JTA)

April 25, 2019, 2:19 am

Why Jews should watch ‘Ramy,’ a new Hulu show about a millennial Muslim

The protagonist engages deeply with religion on the day-to-day ritual and lifestyle level — something Jewish viewers might understand, and few ‘Jewish’ shows address

By Gabe Friedman

A screen capture from the trailer of HBO's new show 'Euphoria.' (YouTube)

April 16, 2019, 10:54 am

Remake of Israeli teen drama ‘Euphoria’ coming to HBO this summer

TV show co-produced by Jewish rapper Drake will begin 8-episode run in June, follows high schoolers as they navigate drugs, sex, identity and social media

By Curt Schleier

Sheila (center left) and Marilynn Brass learn to make cheeseburgers at Mainely Burgers in Cambridge, Massachusetts from Jack Barber (far left) and Max Barber (right). (Bruce Seidel)

April 14, 2019, 4:44 am

Fusing food and family, these flirty TV sisters just get better with age

Sheila and Marilynn Brass turn 130 years of combined cooking experience into ‘The Food Flirts,’ a James Beard-nominated series where they sweet talk top chefs into sharing recipes

By Rich Tenorio