Bunim/Murray Signs First-Look Deal for Israeli Formats

LOS ANGELES: Bunim/Murray Productions has entered into a first-look agreement with The Operating Room to identify unscripted Israeli formats for potential development and production in the U.S.

Bunim/Murray, part of the Banijay group, will have a first look at The Operating Room’s unscripted formats, along with the availability of its talent management group. The Operating Room’s creative team includes David M. Israel, an Emmy- and Golden Globe-award winning writer and executive producer; Oded Turgeman, an Israeli-born producer/director/writer; Roby Freireich, an American-born international entrepreneur; Aaron Kogan, the head of The Operating Room’s management division; and Yoram Mandel, one of Israel’s top TV producers and executives, who is running the Tel Aviv office.

“Israel has proven to be a hotbed for scripted formats, and we’re eager to duplicate that success on the unscripted side,” said Gil Goldschein, the president of Bunim/Murray Productions. “The Operating Room is one of the few, if not only, Israeli production companies with people on the ground in Israel and Hollywood, enabling them to move quickly and make the right connections in both territories. We’re looking forward to pairing The Operating Room’s fresh, original reality formats with Bunim/Murray’s expertise in creating some of America’s most enduring and popular reality shows.”
 
“Knowing Israel’s incredible pool of talent, the recent successes we have seen in both scripted and unscripted formats are only the tip of the iceberg,” added Oded Turgeman, the president and director of The Operating Room. “We are excited about Israel’s entertainment content and talent and believe Israel has the potential to become as well known for entertainment as it is now for high-tech innovation. Bunim/Murray, with support from Banijay, is the perfect partner to promote Israeli content as they are truly pioneers and visionaries in the unscripted world.”

François de Brugada, the executive VP of Banijay Group, added, “As we see more and more Israeli formats being successfully adapted in the US and around the world, the partnership between Bunim/Murray Productions and The Operating Room is a perfect way to give U.S. and international exposure to the kind of boundary-pushing Israeli creativity that is the perfect complement to Banijay Group’s skill base.”