That Time the BBC Produced a Positive Documentary Series on Israel, Starring Topol
David Lange
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It is hard to believe, but back in 1985, the BBC produced a six-part series calledTopol’s Israel, starring iconic Israeli actor Chaim Topol, who just passed away at the age of 87.
Part documentary and part entertainment, the series joins Topol on the closing night of his triumphant West End revival of Fiddler on the Roof, and follows him to Tel Aviv, the city which has always been his home. Week by week Topol reflects on his experiences as a child of Israel – his memories of family life in an immigrant quarter, of the Exodus operation, his pioneering days on a Kibbutz, his days as an entertainer in an army troupe. His travels range from the Galilee to the Red Sea, from Jerusalem to Jaffa, and from the Lebanon to Eilat, and on his way he meets an array of friends from every walk of Israeli life.
I have managed to track it down. Enjoy!
They don’t make series like this anymore (i.e. portraying the real Israel)., and certainly not the BBC.
Meanwhile, may Topol’s memory be for a blessing.
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David Lange
