Avi Nir, the CEO of the Keshet Media Group, an Israeli media company, was just named to Variety’s list of the 500 most influential leaders shaping the global media industry.
Variety is the leading entertainment industry publication, often called the “industry bible.”
Variety wrote, “Nir has been a key figure in driving Israel’s rise to a power player in the global content industry.”
It cited several Keshet television series that were adapted for US audiences, among them When Heroes Fly, which was adapted as Apple TV+’s Echo 3; False Flag, which became Apple TV+’s “Suspicion; and Prisoners of War, the series named by the New York Times as the best international show of the decade, which was remade as Showtime’s Homeland.
The publication also mentioned Keshet’s game-show formats, including Boom! and Deal With It!, which have been remade around the world. Variety went on to note that, “Keshet bucked that trend [selling shows for remakes] with its limited series thriller, Trust No One, which sold directly to Netflix in 20 territories in 2023, with Keshet and the streamer both carrying the program in Israel.” Trust No One will premiere in Israel on the Keshet 12 channel on Monday.
Variety comments
Variety also mentioned that in 2024, Keshet hired Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds producer Lawrence Bender to produce Red Alert, a series that tells the story of the Hamas terror attack on October 7, in which 1200 people were killed, and about 250 were kidnapped into Gaza, where almost 100 are still held captive.
Variety commented, “Working in consultation with victims and the families of survivors, the series will tell the stories of five citizens who found themselves in unimaginable life-or-death situations as cold-blooded slaughter takes place around them.” The series will be in Hebrew, Arabic, and English and is tentatively set to premiere on October 7, 2025.