Fifty Years of Drama on Israeli Children’s Television: From Teaching to Competing

This article analyzes the changes in drama series in the first five decades (1966–2016) of Israeli children’s television. Based on interviews with 27 central producers, this cultural-historical study seeks to explain the significance attributed to children’s drama over the years. Early children’s dr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Israel studies review 2018-09, Vol.33 (2), p.123-147
Main Author: Gozansky, Yuval
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Childhood
Children's television programs
Digital media
Drama
Habits
Privatization
Social aspects
SPECIAL ISSUE: Israeli Culture: New Perspectives on Israel at 70
Television
Television and children
Television dramas
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Summary:This article analyzes the changes in drama series in the first five decades (1966–2016) of Israeli children’s television. Based on interviews with 27 central producers, this cultural-historical study seeks to explain the significance attributed to children’s drama over the years. Early children’s drama series in Israel were instructional or educational, but they also sought to control the representation of childhood under the direct supervision of the state. The neo-liberal privatization process in Israeli society led to the creation of locally produced, Hebrew-speaking daily dramas on private channels for children. In the multiscreen environment created by the age of multichannel television and digital media, original Israeli daily drama shows functioned as a central branding tool for children’s channels. The article contends that these shows became one of the producers’ key answers to the changes in children’s viewing habits and, more particularly, linear television’s strategy for success in a world of multiple online screens.
ISSN:2159-0370
2159-0389
DOI:10.3167/isr.2018.330208