When the Adaptation Reveals the Original: Comparative Analysis of Series and National Ethos

Abstract

Abstract This article compares the Israeli series BeTipul and its French adaptation En thérapie to show that while the changes that were made in the adaptation were minimal, analyzing them proves to be a powerful tool for understanding the national ethos of both Israeli and French societies. The anchoring of the French protagonists in the longue durée—through cultural references, evocation of the psychoanalytic tradition, and grounding in Jewish history—contrasts with the acute presentism that characterizes the Israeli version. The adaptation thus proves to be a gateway to understanding the culture that produced the original. In this way, this case study contributes to the study of the international circulation of television productions and to the analysis of the tension between international homogenization and local specificities.