#MeToo movement inspires new Israeli TV show exposing sexual harassment

Production company lunching new programme - “The Silence Breaker” - to document sexual harassment in the workplace

An Israeli production company is creating a reality television show format inspired by the #MeToo movement.

“The Silence Breaker” will use hidden cameras to go undercover and document sexual harassment in real workplaces, The Hollywood Reporter first reported on Wednesday. Each episode will tell the victims’ stories and end with them confronting their harasser on camera.

Gil Formats, an Israeli producer of reality television, conceived the show.

The company told The Hollywood Reporter that it is in “advanced negotiations” with an unnamed Israeli broadcaster to produce the show in Israel.

The rights to the format will be offered internationally next month at the MIPTV market in Cannes, according to the report.

Assaf Gil, CEO of Gil Formats and creator of “The Silence Breaker,” told The Hollywood Reporter that he hoped his show would raise public awareness of the issue of workplace harassment and “inspire others to come forward and speak up.”

Gil said the show’s on-air host “should ideally be a woman with a strong background as a journalist.”

He said the show is inspired by, but not directly connected to, the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, which were launched following the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The scandal inspired many women to come forward to accuse not only Weinstein but others in the entertainment industry and beyond.