There is an actress who deserves a little more than Noa Koller, there is a more worthy program than "Great Country" • We did not completely agree with the academy election • These are our winners
Interestingly, the not-so-simple year we all went through was actually one of the best the local TV industry knew.
Even during the time of the Corona, many series continued to be filmed, and sitting (or to be more precise - the forced confinement) in homes caused the Israeli television product to star and receive excessive attention.
In the complex year we have been through, television has become much more than a distraction, or a flickering content on a screen designed to pass the time with us from the end of the work day and dinner to the lap of a warm bed.
In the absence of social gatherings and in the shadow of one of the vague periods we knew, our TV shows and series became anchors of sanity.
Ambassadors of sanity at a time when everything felt crazy and the future was full of fog.
In general, the local TV product has only been improving for years, producing more and more actresses and actors and series being sold to the biggest streaming platforms abroad. Accordingly, after a long time of not moving anyone too much, the annual TV awards ceremony held today (Sunday) The evening attracts more interest than usual.
At the ceremony, as is well known, prizes will be awarded to those who are behind it.
But since we already know what happened there and do not completely agree with the results, it is our turn to praise the prominent people and works of the past year.
Below are our winners in eight major categories, and an artist blessed with many more years of such television creation.
You know we deserve it.
Leading actress in a comedy series
The winner in reality: Noa Koller
Our winner: Dana Modan
It's not that Israeli situation comedy (a genre that began to understand itself in parallel with its fall in the United States) has lacked great comedic actresses in the past year.
The Moore Foundation, Orna Fitoussi and Dayan Veterans certainly have a legitimate claim to the crown.
And yes, in the end it was the year of Noa Koller, the most prolific actress and screenwriter of the year - and quite rightly so, it must be said.
"Rehearsals", the series she wrote, has turned in a few weeks since its rise from a kept secret for those interested in a hit series that everyone is talking about - for all the right reasons (at least in the beginning).
To be honest, all the players in it shone, from Lake Rodberg through Itai Turgeman and of course the writing and acting partner Erez Driggs.
But Koller captured the hearts of the audience when she played on the one hand a strong and talented woman at the moment of her professional breakthrough, and on the other hand a character who was not afraid to be humiliated and expose the pathetic sides she has and all of us.
In other words, fate was engraved in stone and we would have been very surprised if the actress award, like the Ninet Tayeb National Mummy title, had not gone to Noa Koller this year.
But amidst all the hysteria of Koller, it turned out that another great actress was pushed aside.
Dana Modan's "That's How It Is" is very reminiscent of Dana Modan's "Love It Hurts" from a decade and a half ago.
It is very possible that this has to do with the partner who played with her again, Asi Cohen, and the fact that "this is how it really" feels like "love hurts" - the sobriety version that comes with age.
Here, too, Modan is a female rib equal in quality to Cohen's male.
And just like back then (or in the first season of "That's How It Is"), Modan is not trying to beautify or flatter.
She presents a mature, cynical woman, devoid of Hollywood fantasies about eternal romance.
She smokes a lot (even after spending an entire day in a rehab workshop), anxious about her private space and not letting herself get carried away by a life partner.
Because that's how it is, love it hurts and all that, and whoever knows it is not easily carried away.
And all this happens without neglecting the subtle comic qualities, which emerge between the crevices of cynicism and suspicion.
Best Comedy Drama
Reality Winner: "Rehearsals"
Our winner: "That's how it is"
True, few are the series that have created so much buzz and that have had such a consensus around their quality as "rehearsals."
What began as an almost non-appeal comedic drama about the world of theater, soon turned into one of the most esteemed and beloved series in the history of Israeli television - yes, to that extent, and that is no exaggeration.
She revealed to those who did not yet know Noa Koller and Erez Driggs, gave birth to Itai Turgeman again and gave Lake Rodberg one of the most beautiful and complex roles in her career.
If she does not return for another season it will be considered an artistic miss, even a statement, on the part of a series whose creators have found themselves hugely successful - and then are at the center of a huge media storm.
Potential - A series about relationships, loyalty and theater "Rehearsals 2" can be a series that tells, in its plot as in its background story, the character of the period.
So yeah, "Rehearsals" took because it was her year.
But just as in the case of Noa Koller, here too we are in favor of the dirtier "this is how it is", the one that is not ashamed to show "the whole truth in the face" without trying to put on filters of happiness.
The daily dynamics of Asi Cohen and Dana Modan continue into the second season of the series, which came three years after its predecessor, no less successful.
Where "rehearsals" end with a good ending (at least scripted), "That's How It Is" is signed with a slightly sour-sweet taste.
Maybe a little bitter.
Like the main characters in it.
She does not promise a happy ending and stays with her feet on the ground until the last minute, and that makes her - if not exciting then at least very loyal to real life.
Best Actor in a Drama Series
Winner of Reality: Shalom Asaig on "Manich"
Our winner: Aviv Alush for "Lock Hour"
Another series that has created a lot of discourse around it is "Lock Hour."
The epic of the Yom Kippur War that also aired on "Here" made quite a bit of noise this year - not least because of its production costs, its impressive cast and the creation of a public debate around the damages of that damned war and the issue of battle redemption.
But much of the discourse surrounding "Lock Hour" also dealt with its scripted problems, alongside its historical inaccuracies.
The characters are too flamboyant, said Catechism, things have not happened in reality already shown in the series, said those who survived the inferno.
And yes, along with a detail on the capillaries of emotion and a chilling description of the feeling of helplessness and inaction of the battle moments, there were also game pieces, texts and plot moves, how to put it mildly?
Were less than ideal.
But one thing is hard to argue with.
And it's about the fact that Aviv Alush, for a long time not a young actor who has to prove himself, nevertheless did it again here, was revealed for the first time who knows how much as a huge dramatic actor.
It's not that we did not know it before.
Even in his lighter roles, let’s say in “Being With Her,” it was easy to spot his huge talent.
But the character of Lieutenant Yoav Mazuz, the assertive and charismatic officer in "Lock Hour" and how he was portrayed, reflected the heroic but smug Israel of pre-autumn 1973 in a realistic way.
Their tragic process parallels - from the euphoria of the post-six days to the wounds of war, both physical and mental, and the severe disillusionment.
This is a particularly impressive acting display of the actor, who should have talked about it much more than about his approach to religion or any of the statements he provided in the interview.
The best reality show
Winner of Reality: "Master Chef"
Our winner: "Ninja Israel"
True, at the time of its broadcast it would have seemed as if it had been stretched over six years.
And yes, the dance and music pieces in it would have seemed a bit forced, amidst all this fitness.
But "Ninja Israel" did to the Israeli fitness world what "Kochav Nolad" did to music in Israel: it took many audiences out of their inner ninja, changed quite a few body perceptions and it is very possible that in the future we will see its effects on the younger generation. Decided that fitness development is as important as quite a few other areas in personal development and was directly influenced by names that are identified with a courageous striving for a goal and optimism, such as Yuval Shamla and Gil Meretz.
The best docu-reality show
Winner of Reality: "A Wedding at First Sight"
Our Winner: Well, "Wedding at First Sight"
There are values that defined the period of the first closure of the Corona: the "Tiger King" series of Netflix, "The Boy of Blessings" Dekel Vaknin, Professor Yoram Les.
Among all these, "Wedding at First Sight", or "Wedding" in the vernacular, stood out, which received excellent viewing figures and endless buzz during the broadcast period, and also a little after it.
Exactly what reality makers want.
Of course, the fact that the sons and daughters of Israel, like the rest of the world, were locked in homes and consumed every drop of content they could lay their eyes on helped quite a bit, but not only that.
This time the academy awarded the prize to the most correct reality, which made everyone else want to become the talk of the day at your family Friday dinner as well as with friends at the bar (or zoom).
In its second season, "Khuntoni" managed to gather a number of memorable castings, a rather endearing winning pair in the form of Dennis and Hadar, as well as particularly hallucinatory combinations.
Such that even if in the end a great relationship did not come out of them, at least they provided us with good reality memories.
Yes, Dobby and Eric.
We are talking about you, and especially about the great imitation she brought to the winning world in the next category.
The best satire program
Winner of Reality: "A Wonderful Land"
Our winner: "This is it"
If ever there was a year in which winning "Great Country" was expected and worthy, then this is it.
Its main competitor in the category, "Back of the Nation," came off the screen, and "The Jews Are Coming" did provide many headlines and a public debate, but failed to dictate an agenda or produce a discourse around sketches.
"A Wonderful Land", on the other hand, has continued to do what it has been doing great for almost 18 years, and that is to distill the essence of Israeliness into satire clips and sketches that only get better over the years.
It's not that reality has not helped her a bit - after all, fourth elections in two years are a fertile breeding ground for any satire program.
But alongside the imitations of politicians and the media, Molly Segev and Eretz took the precious screen time they get every week and dedicated it this year to a blatant, harsh and sharp statement - even if sometimes it comes at the expense of laughter at home.
Particularly notable this year was the creepy bachelorette party sketch, the sketch of the troublemakers in line and of course, this year's comedic highlight, Shauli's Civil War monologue, which was an instant classic and is about the only thing to be remembered for another election night without clear winners.
And yet, it seems that after so many wins, members of the academy could have awarded the prize this year to someone else.
New-old, who returned to the screen after an absence of almost three decades and did the unbelievable - to be accepted back gracefully.
And it's not a trivial matter, in a sea of remakes that have arisen in recent years and only do injustice to the original.
Instead of other programs that came back from the dead disappointing and seeming archaic, the guys from "That's It" managed to blend in naturally with the local satire landscape.
Even if they did not provide classics like the Smurfs episode and "Stories for an Unnecessary Night", or an iconic character like Baba Buba - Moni Moshonov, Avi Kushnir, Debbie Glickman and Gidi Gov still have a natural and rare chemistry between them that does good on the heart.
If you thought the return of "That's It" was limited to nostalgia - think again.
The lead actor in the best comedy series
The winner in reality: Asi Cohen
Our comedian: Eran Zarchovich
Once upon a time, right at the beginning, "Wonderland" was Tal Friedman's show.
In a cast full of stars and super talents, he shone above them all, bombarded with imitations we all remember to this day and put pearls of tongue into Israeli jargon at a pace that was hard to follow.
After a few years it was Asi Cohen, a comedic aristocrat at this point, who went on to become with every Lieberman or perhaps the undisputed star of the show.
And again - this is something that is not easy to do, with cannons like Mariano Ildman, Eli Finish or Yuval Samu being shot next to you, in recent years, not least due to the fact that Cohen is already less present in the old sketch show - the premiere went to another king.
While Udi Kagan suited the team like a glove and Tamir Bar also joined the cast with impressive naturalness, the one we are eagerly awaiting to see his face on screen is Eran Zarchovich, who in recent seasons has excelled more than all his mega-talented panelists.
Just think of the amount of imitations and characters: Naftali Bennett, Semyon, Michal Dalyot, court reporter Guy Peleg, Razi Barkai, Peres' hologram, Yoram Sheftel, Reuven from "Almost Shabbat Shalom" ... and these are just in retrieval.
Slowly but surely, E. Zarhovich has established himself as one of the great comedians who have grown up here and a talented imitator, having successfully translated his (and some of the characters') wonderful comedic abilities from his and Sharon Teicher's excellent radio show to the small screen.
And for next year - Tamir Bar, we look forward to seeing your name at the top of the list.
The best current affairs program
The winner in reality: "From the other side" with Guy Zohar
Our winner: "Ofira and Berkowitz" (and still a mention of respect for "From the Other Side")
The truth is our heart wanted to go with Guy Zohar.
After leaving "The Day That Was," the show he co-hosted with honors for years (and is now gracefully presented by Tal Berman), Guy turned to presenting the news from what he calls "The Other Side."
Zohar's program deals quite a bit with media criticism and presents the less photogenic aspects of the field in Israel.
A brave thing to do, admittedly, in such a small industry, but also an important service for those who want to understand the set of considerations and interests behind the information presented to us and which are expected of us to take for granted.
In an age that is really the golden age of the Pike News concept, it is important to have a program like Guy Zohar's that warns and points to the bullshit that is sometimes familiar to us.
Zohar and his team did win this year's award and as mentioned, they do deserve it.
But not just them.
Because while "from the other side" is the choice of the heart, the head says something else.
If we put things on the table - few programs today, not even the new editions, that created more interest around them, attracted more interesting guests and more importantly - made them an unfortunate statement that constituted the next media storm, as the "Ofira and Berkowitz" program did.
• What's theirs: The big scandals of Ofira and Berkowitz
Perhaps these are the facilitators, who are repeatedly perceived by their political guests as popular journalists and not sharp enough.
Maybe it’s the broadcast slot that makes public messengers feel a little too comfortable.
And perhaps it is Asaig and Berkowitz's blatant language that makes politicians sweat and move uncomfortably in the interviewee's chair - an ideal situation for emitting problematic statements that create a real public relations crisis the second they are uttered. Or Regev converters an explicit threat to her interviewer. The press "," fact "or" studio Friday ".
