Zombit

Zombit was created ahead of the 1993 summer vacation when Israeli Educational Television wanted a new format about computer games for children and teens.

The original idea linked computer and TV: viewers could call the studio and control a game via phone keys-highly innovative for the time.

Summer ratings success led the channel to continue after vacation.

Zombit grew from a games show into a broader computer magazine, airing three times a week in its early period.

The 100th episode aired on 9 March 1994.

Early years tried different hosting styles, including pairs.

Early hosts included Pini Ben-Sira, Nir Friedman and Efrat ("Afti") HaCohen, with more joining later.

What makes Zombit distinctive today is real-time documentation of massive tech change.

Early seasons covered DOS games, personal computers, software, educational titles, hardware and modems.

As the Internet reached Israeli homes the show explained what the network was, how to connect, email and what you could do online.

Later episodes covered websites, e-commerce, MP3, downloading film and TV, video on demand, open source, gadgets and online services.

The show's role shifted from introducing the very idea of computers and the Internet to tracking innovations in a digital world that had become everyday life.

Over the years many hosts, reporters and segment presenters passed through Zombit; several made early TV careers there.

Early hosts included Pini Ben-Sira, Nir Friedman and Efrat HaCohen, who also presented software and hardware topics.

Eyal Kitzis began on television on Zombit in its first years.

Ron Levantel was among early hosts.

Mid-1990s Sivan Rahav-later Sivan Rahav-Meir-joined at age 13 as host, reporter and games presenter, and was a regular in the print Zombit magazine.

Sharon Teicher hosted in the 1990s; despite his later radio and comedy persona he had a computer background and wanted Zombit to feel light for non-geek viewers.

Idan Miller joined in 1997.

From 1998 Gal Nadivi became lead host through the 2006 finale.

Others included Doron Nir ("Our correspondent for affairs"), Hagit Gal, Adi Skop, Dror Globererman, Aviv Hod and Nimrod Ben Moshe.

Recurring corners changed with technology:

Computer games-reviews, news and demos; Sivan Rahav hosted gaming segments.

Gadgets-new products, often with Sharon Teicher.

Investigations-tech reporting, later with Dror Globererman.

The Doctor-PC support with Aviv Hod.

Internet and communications-connectivity, email, websites and online services.

Future tech-inventions and then-futuristic science.

Phone games-especially in holidays, viewers played via phone keys.

Sivan Rahav, later journalist Sivan Rahav-Meir, was one of the youngest and most notable Zombit presenters.

She began hosting at 13 as presenter and reporter, including a computer-games segment.

She was also tied to the print Zombit magazine as a regular contributor.

From late 1994 a youth computer monthly also titled Zombit was published in cooperation with the TV show.

It covered games, software, hardware, the Internet, educational software, tips and digital culture.

Each issue also had a thematic focus linked to technology-film, money, comics, religion, space, psychology and more.

Graphic design mimicked period computer UIs with windows and buttons.

Regular writers included Sivan Rahav, Amos Elnbogen, Ido Amin, Moshe Perster, Koren Shadmi and others; some also appeared on TV.

About 35 issues appeared through 1997.

When Channel 10 launched in 2002 Educational Television debuted Zombit 10, a broader-audience spin on the format.

Gal Nadivi continued as host with new segments-Moshe Perster presented games for ages 2-7 and Dr David Passig a futurism corner.

It aired Monday-Wednesday afternoons on Channel 10's Educational block.

In 2005 the show was refreshed as Zombit On-Line.

Gal Nadivi remained host; the format focused on the evolving tech world and tools for young and older users, with expert teams, field reports and event coverage.

Zombit On-Line was the final incarnation.

Second Authority records document 2005-2006 broadcasts, ending 27 June 2006 with 31 episodes in that period.

Zombit maintained www.zombit.

co.il as an official site extending the show online, mentioned on air for more information.

It was active at least through the 2000s and was promoted from The Doctor segment.

A spin-off, Parliament of Zombit, was edited and hosted by critic and broadcaster Gidi Orsher.

It discussed computers, communications and the Internet with guests and experts, first on Educational TV and later on local Channel 9.

As early as 1995 it covered email and online information services.

Zombit ran about 13 years and roughly a thousand episodes, spanning the transition of computers and the Internet from novelty to daily life in Israel.

In hindsight, many clips document how technologies now taken for granted-Internet, email, online shopping, downloading music and video-were first shown to Israeli audiences.

It also launched or boosted media careers including Eyal Kitzis, Sharon Teicher and Sivan Rahav-Meir.

In 2018, marking 25 years since Zombit and after Educational TV closed, the tech show NEXT hosted a reunion with Kitzis, Teicher and Nadivi looking back at gadgets and how tech had changed.