Shtisel Spin-Off Series Going Global

Fremantle, IZZY, Abot Hameiri and YES have entered into a partnership for the new drama series Kugel, a spin-off of Shtisel.

The deal will see Kugel launch on the global streaming platform IZZY in early 2025. Written by co-creator and writer of Shtisel, Yehonatan Indursky, the 8×60-minute spin-off series focuses on the story of father and daughter Nuchem (Sasson Gabai) and Libi Shtisel (Hadas Yaron).

Kugel follows the pair as they navigate hijinks and heartbreak in Europe’s ultra-Orthodox community. The series celebrates how every person is as complex, individual, surprising and addictive as a slice of delicious kugel.

The series was commissioned by the Israeli network YES, which was also the original commissioners of the Shtisel series in Israel. Kugel is supported by Screen Flanders and the Belgian tax shelter in collaboration with BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance. Fremantle handles global sales.

Jens Richter, CEO for commercial and international at Fremantle, said: “We are proud to be working with our formidable partners in IZZY, Abot Hameiri and YES to take this beautiful series to audiences worldwide. The response to Shtisel has been huge, capturing the imagination of millions of loyal fans. Kugel follows a rich, warm and compelling sequence of love triangles, broken promises and misunderstandings, told with humor, compassion and uncompromising humanity. I couldn’t be more thrilled to share another chapter of Nuchem and Libi’s story.”

Nati Dinnar, co-founder and CEO of IZZY, said: “As a streaming platform, we understand the transformative power of an original, exclusive drama, and we’ve been dreaming of this moment for a long time. But even in my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined partnering with such an incredible team on the most beloved TV brand to come out of Israel, Shtisel. Since acquiring all three seasons of Shtisel on IZZY, we’ve been eagerly awaiting this day. With millions of die-hard fans of the series, we’re confident they will join IZZY to experience Kugel, rediscover Shtisel, and explore even more exceptional stories from Israel’s storytellers. By doing so, they’ll not only enjoy world-class content but also support Israel in sharing its vibrant storytelling with the world.”

Dikla Barkai, head of drama at Abot Hameiri and executive producer of Kugel, said: “Kugel is a prequel to Shtisel, created thanks to the immense love audiences have for the original series. With IZZY’s partnership, the show can now return to the hearts of its passionate fans—there’s nothing more exciting for us.”

Keren Gleicher, chief content officer at yestv, added: “We are thrilled that Kugel, the new prequel of our wonderful national treasure TV series Shtisel, will warm the hearts of audiences worldwide.”