Public broadcaster viewing rankings reveal surprise hits, with ‘Tehran’ missing from the top 10

A new ranking of the 10 most-watched programs in the history of Israel’s public broadcaster shows how dominant “Kupa Rashit” has become, and how notable the absence of “Tehran” is. The drama that helped launch the original series era on Kan 11, and later gained international attention after Apple TV bought it, does not appear in the top 10 at all, despite its prestige and budget.

Among the other original series on the list, “HaMefakedet” is in sixth place, after the same number of seasons as some shorter-running shows. “Hooligans” and “Alumim” reached the upper tier after just one season each, while “Hazarot” did not make the cut despite being widely discussed. “Menaich” sits in fifth place, which the article says fits its strong public buzz.

The broadcaster cautions that combining views from YouTube and the Kan BOX streaming app only gives an approximate picture, since each platform counts a view differently. Even so, the list highlights the staying power of long-running brands such as “HaYehudim Ba’im,” in second place, and the investigative program “Zman Emet,” in fourth, both of which were on Kan 11’s first broadcast night in 2017. “Bo’u Le’echol Iti” is third, “Zehu Ze!” is seventh, and “Yehida Me’urvet” shows the appeal of a topical docu-series for younger viewers.

The article argues that over the past 10 years Kan Hinuchit, the public broadcaster’s educational arm, has built a new television canon for its audience. It credits this to a meeting between viewers hungry for quality content and a broadcaster that understood its role well. “Kramel” is in fourth place, and the gap to the next title, “HaAkhin Sheli Benz,” is described as especially large. The piece closes by stressing the public broadcaster’s central place in the viewing habits of millions of Israelis, especially children, even though its broader role remains controversial.