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Last update - 19:04 04/09/2008
Israel tries to lure 'Big Brother' type U.S. reality TV series
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Big Brother, reality TV 

Israel is waging an all-out, intercontinental campaign against New Zealand and Dubai, all three of which are vying for the privilege of hosting the television production of a new American reality television series.

The producers of the show, whose format closely resembles that of the popular series "Big Brother," are likely to select the locale that provides the most extravagant villa, preferably with an ocean view, that would serve as the backdrop for filming.

Recently, the show's producers visited Israel to scout possible filming locations, including the dolphin reef in Eilat, Timna Park in the southern Negev, and Lake Kinneret. In addition, the producers investigated possible villas for rent in Eilat; Arsuf, the exclusive residential area north of Herzliya; the Sharon town of Rishpon; and Caesarea. At this stage, it appears the producers have yet to find their "dream house."
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Thus far, officials with the network have refused to reveal the name of the show. Producers, who expect the program to attract an audience of hundreds of millions of viewers from around the world, have requested that the Foreign Ministry and the Tourism Ministry find villas in Israel which would compete with those in Dubai and New Zealand.

The show's creators are looking for a complex that is spread out over a large plot of land and that can boast an extraordinary architectural design. They are demanding multiple bedrooms, a large kitchen where the show's contestants can cook, and a number of quiet quarters where the participants can be privately filmed while telling the audience what they think of the other competitors on the show.

Officials in both the Foreign Ministry and Tourism Ministry are determined to win the "competition", particularly due to the positive public relations that would accompany the series' filming throughout various locales within the country.

The ministries have appealed to the country's most affluent citizens in an effort to find the sprawling residence that would serve as the site of the show. Whoever owns an elegant villa with five-to-six bedrooms and is specially designed, isolated from its neighbors, is either equipped with a swimming pool or is is adjacent to the beach, and offers the amenities of a five-star luxury hotel is encouraged to contact the Foreign Ministry.

The Israeli consulate in New York has even created a new email account for soliciting suggestions and pictures of homes: israeliconsulatenyc@gmail.com.

Related articles:
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  • A new Haredi reality show makes 'American Idol' kosher
  • Al Jazeera: a reality show for the Arab world
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