James Delingpole James Delingpole

Why I love Israeli TV

Plus: Shtisel is like Midsomer Murders without the murders and with broad-brimmed black hats

Shira Haas, Doval'e Glickman and Michael Aloni in season 3 of the charming series Shtisel. Photo: Netflix 
issue 12 June 2021

Tragically it wasn’t my turn to review when Channel 5’s groundbreaking Anne Boleyn came out so you’ll never find out what my totally unpredictable critique might have said.

As you know, I have previously been mad for all things Israeli and one of my plans had been to go there with my brother Dick and make a fun documentary where we train with the IDF, practise in one of those urban-warfare shooting ranges, learn krav maga, eat lots of Ottolenghi-type food, wallow in the Dead Sea, etc. But I’m afraid I’ve rather gone off Netanyahu’s vax tyranny and just can’t root for Israel in the way I once did. Still, this doesn’t seem to have put me off its TV shows, yet. I’ve just started getting in to Shtisel and the new cop thriller Black Space isn’t half bad either.

Shtisel is like Midsomer Murders only without the murders and with broad-brimmed black hats

Guri Alfi stars as Rami Davidi, a hard-bitten, no-nonsense cop whose unique quirk is that he has an infected glass eye.

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