Weekly: How one little co-pro conquered the world

Welcome to the golden age of global drama and international co-production. This isn’t just an industry trend anymore - it’s a necessity.

Audiences everywhere, including in the US, are hungry for it. The industry needs it financially. And the world needs it emotionally.

In an era marked by nationalism and growing suspicion across borders, stories that cross languages and cultures build empathy and tear down walls.

TV drama, in all its global forms, is today’s most powerful and influential art.

When we founded Sipur, the mission was clear: build a next gen film and TV studio - small in size, big in ambition.

A tight-knit team with sharp taste and vast experience, backed by a big financial arm led by the prominent businessman Gideon Tadmor. An IP machine that can produce in Hebrew, English, Spanish and more. A studio capable of breaking borders and finding new ways to generate revenues. To tell global stories that can live for 100 years.

Hitting Netflix’s global Top 10 in 46 countries with a low-budget, foreign-language series isn’t just Sipur’s win - it’s a win for the whole creative community around the world.

We began this journey with the creators of Euphoria, embracing full creative freedom to experiment and push boundaries. Being part of this series as a co-studio together with Peter Chernin’s The North-Road Company and serving as an executive producer has been a true privilege.  

“The support of North Road’s Jan David Frouman and his team helped this modestly budgeted series - produced for just a few hundred thousand dollars per episode - redefine what’s possible in international TV”

Bad Boy quickly took the world by storm - breaking records, earning critical acclaim and outpacing even the best known Israeli series to become the most successful international launch for an Israeli show in history.

It was also the biggest local debut of any Israeli series in years when it premiered on Hot and swept the Israeli Television Academy Awards with seven wins before landing on Netflix.

By its second week on Netflix, Bad Boy ranked in the Top 10 charts in 46 countries and peaked at #8 globally, outperforming titles with budgets more than 40 times higher.

And the story behind the show is just as compelling as the story of its success.

Over two decades ago, journalist Ron Leshem, who would go on to create the original Euphoria and become a leading showrunner, uncovered a staggering statistic: 95% of children born to incarcerated mothers in Israeli prisons end up in prison themselves before the age of 18.

Determined to understand why, Leshem voluntarily entered a juvenile detention center to report from inside. His reporting shocked the country.

Among the boys in that facility was a kid named Daniel Chen. Against all odds, Chen not only survived the harsh prison system but went on to become a leading stand-up comedian.

Twenty years later, he reunited with Leshem and shared his life story. The two locked themselves in a hotel room in London, and what emerged was a raw, honest narrative about using humor as survival. Leshem knew instantly: this was a story that had to be told.

Bad Boy doesn’t ask, “Will this child survive prison?” It starts with the knowledge that he did. The real question becomes: How? The answer, in both the show and in real life, is clear: through laughter.

The project gained momentum when director Hagar Ben-Asher – celebrated for her unique cinematic vision – joined Leshem as co-creator and director of the entire series. Her artistry brought a distinctive, elevated tone to the series and made it unique and special.

Together with legendary producer Tmira Yardeni, and Hot’s iconic head of drama Mirit Tuvi, Sipur led the project to a major turning point by bringing Peter Chernin’s North Road Company to join as co-studio, marking their first international co-production.

Together, we brought Bad Boy to Netflix. The support of North Road’s international president, Jan David Frouman, and his team helped this modestly budgeted series - produced for just a few hundred thousand dollars per episode - redefine what’s possible in international TV.

Bad Boy is proof that extraordinary storytelling - regardless of language, origin, or budget - can move the world. This little Hebrew-language series has earned its spot on the global stage through vision, grit and heart.

Emilio Schenker is chief exec at Tel Aviv-based Sipur.