Race for a Million: Why the New Season of the Israeli Show Became a Stress Test for Participants and Viewers

The new season of the Israeli reality show Race for a Million unexpectedly became not just a television event, but a subject of intense public discussion. The reason was not the filming location or the complexity of the tasks, but the participants themselves — and how the show looks against the backdrop of the current reality.

What the complaints are about

The main line of criticism, as reported by the media, is the gap between the tone of the show and the state of the country. In the very first episodes, viewers saw tantrums, loud conflicts, demonstrative breakdowns, and behavior that many considered childish and inappropriate.

The key criticism is harsh:
the show looks as if it was filmed “in a parallel reality,” where there is no war, loss, and public fatigue.

This caused irritation among part of the audience, who expected either a more restrained tone or a conscious rethinking of the format — but received the usual reality show, amplified by screams and drama.

Why this has become a problem now

Such behavior of the participants was present in past seasons. But, as observers note, it was previously perceived as part of the genre, and now — as dissonance.

The media directly point out:
today’s viewer perceives emotions on the screen differently. Increased hysteria no longer seems “television-like.” It is perceived as disrespect for the context.

Hence the sharp reaction — not to the format, but to the lack of a sense of proportion.

Casting under fire

A separate topic is the selection of participants. Articles emphasize that some pairs seem unprepared not physically, but psychologically. It’s not about weakness, but about the inability to withstand pressure without constant breakdowns.

Critics write that the casting seemed to be done according to old templates — “the louder, the better” — without considering how it would look in 2026.

Meanwhile — high ratings

Importantly: the project did not fail. On the contrary, the first episodes showed high ratings and active discussion. But this discussion is largely critical.

That is, the show is watched — but not as before.
Not “engaged,” but analyzed.
Not empathized with, but evaluated.

Main conclusion from the publications

It’s not about the failure of a specific season. The media emphasize something else:
reality television in Israel has encountered a new limitation — context.

The format, which worked automatically for many years, now requires fine-tuning. And “Race for a Million” became the first major project to publicly stumble on this.

This is not a scandal for the sake of scandal. It’s a symptom.
Television can no longer be “just entertainment” when society lives in a different mode.

This shift — from a familiar show to a social marker — is what Israeli media have recorded. And NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency records it for the Russian-speaking audience, without smoothing over and without illusions.