HaMisrad

For other television programmes using this format, see The Office.
HaMisrad ("The Office")
Genre Mockumentary
Comedy
Created by Ricky Gervais
Stephen Merchant
Starring Dvir Benedek
Maayan Blum
Eldad Fribas
Mali Levi
Amir Wolf
Noa Wolman
Ayelet Robinson
Jamil Khoury
Dima Ross
Yossi Wassa
Roberto Pollack
Country of origin Israel
Original language(s) Hebrew
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 30
Production
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) Capital United Nations Entertainment
The Identity Company
Release
Original network Yes Comedy
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
Original release August 10, 2010 (2010-08-10) – October 3, 2013 (2013-10-03)
Chronology
Related shows The Office (UK)

HaMisrad (Hebrew: המשרד, "The Office") is an Israeli television sitcom, that airs on the Yes Comedy channel. It is a version of The Office, a 2001-2003 British sitcom that had already been remade in five other countries (see The Office#Counterparts). HaMisrad is a mockumentary set in a branch of the fictional "Paper Office" (in English) office supplies company, in the industrial city of Yehud. The series stars Dvir Benedek as Avi Meshulam, the branch's regional manager, a character based heavily on the character of David Brent in the original series. It is co-produced by Yes and July August Productions.

Like the original series and many of its spinoffs, HaMisrad lampoons office life as well as gender and ethnic relations. In the case of HaMisrad, the office and warehouse include native-born secular Jews, Arabs, Orthodox Jews, and Russian and Ethiopian immigrants.[1]

The first season aired from August to November 2010. Most of the episodes in the first season were based on the 12 episodes from the British series. Many of the early episodes featured identical plots and some of the same dialogue, though as the season went on the episodes' plots diverged increasingly from the originals.

A second season aired in late 2012 and early 2013. It contained all original plots.

The series is broadcast in HD.

Production

The series' writer is Uzi Weill, and the director is Eitan Tzur. Both are Israeli television veterans, who had both previously written and directed for BeTipul, an Israeli drama series that was itself adapted in various countries, including the American series In Treatment.[2]

HaMisrad was created with the approval of the British series' co-creators, Ricky Gervais (who starred in the original) and Stephen Merchant. Gervais, when asked about the Israeli series after it was first announced in early 2009, said he was "thrilled" about the idea, adding wryly, "who ever heard of Jewish entertainers?"[3]

By agreement with the BBC, the main characters had to match the main characters of the UK series, and the first three episodes had to correspond to the UK series' first three episodes. Weill decided to pattern the series even more closely than required on the original UK series, because he felt it was "an official satire" which "had a lot to say about the world and about people." By contrast, Weill did not want to emulate the American version, which he considered "a parody about funny people in a funny place with a lot of feel-good factors thrown in." Weill described his approach to adapting the source material as "In an English or American office, you would keep your views to yourself, but here, all the racial and religious aspects of our lives are out in the open. We’re constantly talking about it – it's why you come to work! So to create an embarrassing situation, you have to take it further comedy-wise. It's not based on 'what would happen if I say this totally horrible thing' because I've already said it. Instead, it's 'what will happen after I say it?'"[2]

Characters

List of episodes

Season one

Season two

Reception

Critics were overall very positive about the first season of HaMisrad. Entertainment writer Aviad Pohoryles of Maariv called the final episode of the season excellent, and said that it provided a worthy response to those who have criticized the importing of non-Israeli television formats.[4] Reviewers Udi Hirsch and Inav Schiff of Israeli web portal Walla! called the show the best thing on Israeli television in 2010, and singled out for praise the performances of Dvir Benedek and Mali Levi; the skewering of mainstream Israelis' views of minorities such as Arabs, gays and the handicapped; and the dialogue, which the reviewers wrote accurately captured the cliches of Israeli society, corporate culture and internet culture.[5]

Reception was more mixed about the second season. Ami Friedman of Maariv wrote that the second season's situations were too unrealistic, and more worthy of an animated sitcom such as South Park, although he praised the acting and dialogue.[6]

References

  1. Gay Arab pokes at prejudices in Israel's version of 'The Office', Paula Hancocks, CNN, October 7, 2010
  2. 1 2 An equal opportunity offender, David Brinn, The Jerusalem Post, November 5, 2010
  3. Yossi Brent? 'The Office' to get Israeli version, Ruta Kupfer, Ha'aretz, March 31, 2009
  4. HaMisrad review, Aviad Pohoryles, Maariv, November 17, 2010 (in Hebrew)
  5. HaMisrad review, Odi Hirsch and Inav Schiff, Walla!, November 17, 2010 (in Hebrew)
  6. HaMisrad review, Ami Friedman, Maariv, January 9, 2013

External links

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