MIPCOM 2012: Israeli Production Company Behind Original 'Homeland' Unveils New Shows

The company behind the original Homeland series, Keshet, is unveiling a raft of new nonfiction formats in Cannes this week.

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The Israeli producer-distributer is one of a growing number of players from that country making waves internationally with both its homegrown drama and its reality fare.

Showtime's Emmy-winning Homeland is an adaptation of Keshet's Prisoners of War, while another of its scripted series, Traffic Light, nabbed last year's International Emmy for Best Drama. Both follow the successful reversioning of producer Hagai Levi's Be Tipul into HBO's In Treatment.

Among the titles on Keshet's non-scripted slate are Marathon, a primetime reality format where five ordinary people, with no athletic background, come together with one common goal: to run a marathon. The show will air on Keshet's Channel 2 in 2013.

Another format being shopped is a game show called Checkout, which aims to combine the fun of shopping with the practice of staying within a budget. In each round a couple is presented with a list of products and they have two minutes to select their items with a checkout price.

"Israeli formats have become a hot property and the continued success and critical acclaim of hits including Prisoners of War, The Vault, Master Class and Traffic Light is testament to the innovation and creativity coming out of Keshet and out of the country," said Keshet Intl. managing director Alon Shtruzman.