Ilan Rosenfeld
Oded Paz
Kobi Farag
Yaniv Polishook
Alona Tal (season 1–3, guest in season 4)
Yamit Sol (season 4–present)
Dana Frider (season 5–present)
Yuval Segal (season 2 in specific episodes, 4, 6–present)
Sean Gitelman (season 8–present)
Eli Keren-Asaf
Ruby Duenyas (season 8–present as main cast member)
Program creators
Ruby Duenyas, Yoav Tzafir, Arik Zilberman
Cast
Oded Paz, Dana Frider, Kobi Farag, Ilan Rosenfeld, Alona Tal
HaPijamot (Hebrew: הַפִּיגָ'מוֹת; lit. The Pajamas) is a sitcom on Israeli television about a struggling band determined to make it in the real world. The show runs on Arutz HaYeladim (The Kids' Channel) and Channel 2 (Keshet).
The show follows the misadventures of three friends, Ilan, Kobi and Oded, as they move from Netanya to Tel Aviv to launch their band. Unlike many shows, the characters in the show are aware that they are on television; the show features their day-to-day lives. A major aspect of the show is "HaMasach HaLavan" (the white screen), where cast members talk to the viewers. Gary also talks to the viewers when he is alone, often complaining about his wife or just his life in general. There are several interactive episodes, such as an episode which the viewers can fast forward or rewind to decide the outcome of the episode, an episode which the viewers can record ringtones, and an episode with a cheaper form of scratch-and-sniff. The show always ends with Shtifat Kelim (washing the dishes); the characters washing the dishes for Gary and summarize the episode.
Seasons
The first season of the show debuted on 1 July 2003 and included 23 episodes. The season ended in a special episode called "My Favorite Episode". Because the show attracted a large number of viewers, The Kids Channel decided to order another two seasons, which were written and filmed together. The second season debuted on 28 March 2004 and included 19 episodes. That season ended with a special episode called "The Gold Pyjamas". The third season of the show premiered on 1 July 2004 and included 20 episodes. The season ended with two special episodes, a documentary episode called "Only The Truth" and a trivia contest about the third season called "This That or That This". After the third season ended, The Kids Channel decided to stop the series, because Alona Tal had left for the US, and the trio filmed a new show on The Music Channel.
A year later, The Kids Channel decided to film a new season in response to high VOD viewing numbers. Alona Tal stayed in the US (but guest starred in five episodes), and the production team picked Yamit Sol to effectively replace her. Yuval Segal, who played Ilan's cousin in three episodes in season two, joined the main cast. This season debuted on 13 August 2006 and included 25 episodes.
In December 2007 The Kids Channel ordered another season. Dana Frider joined the cast for Yuval Segal (who went to study acting in New York), and Yamit Sol was absent in many episodes due to her psychology studies. Eli Keren Asaf was absent in many episodes too (she was drafted to the army). The season was the longest to date, with 36 episodes. It debuted on 1 September 2008.
Several months later, The Kids Channel ordered two more seasons. They were written between January and March 2010. The 6th season began to air on 1 September 2010. These seasons include 25 episodes each. Yuval Segal returned to the main cast. The 7th season aired on 1 September 2011 and included 25 episodes, that season ended on 9 October 2011.
HaPijamot was renewed for two more seasons. The eighth season aired on 19 May 2013. The 9th season aired on 4 January 2015.
Characters
Ilan Rosenfeld (Ilan Rosenfeld) – Ilan is the keyboard player of the band and writes a majority of the songs. His main interest is girls, and many episodes involve him trying to get a date, but eventually everything goes wrong. His catchphrase is: "What do I need all this for?! Let's just pack up our bags and move back to Netanya."
Oded Paz (Oded Paz) – Oded is the drummer for the band. He is very dimwitted but he's the luckiest person in the show. He works at the Hamburgary and often irritates Gary. His catchphrase is "Gotta go, Gotta go!".
Ya'akov "Kobi" Farag (Kobi Farag) – Kobi is the guitarist of the band is always hungry and eats almost anytime he can. He is Gary's nephew and Roni's cousin. He can change clothes remarkably fast, so he has many identities, including Naji Comradin Jackson, an Iraqi who is supposedly the "Chairman of the Association for Apartment Management". He takes advantage of an elderly woman (Ms. Bracha) and always eats at her house.
Gershon "Gary" Mendelbaum (Yaniv Polishook) – Gary is the owner of the Hamburgary, a burger joint with apparently inedible food. His hot dogs can make someone faint, throw up, or supposedly die (since they are made of fimo). He is Kobi's uncle and Oded's employer. He hates life and is constantly troubled by his wife Shifra and his daughter Roni. Apart from Roni, Gary also has triplets named Poli, Shaike, and Gavri (the names of the three members of HaGashash HaHiver, an Israeli comedy group) who also annoy him. During the last season, Gary discovered "Wikipedia" and tries to change history by editing his and other sitcom characters pages on his magic "Leck-top". Gary everytime saying, "Why?" When the situation returns to normal condition.
Roni Mendelbaum (Eli Keren-Asaf) – Roni is Gary's daughter and thinks badly of her father due to his ignorance. She is referred to as annoying, but she is very talented and usually much smarter than any other character in the show. She always forces Gary to give her money.
Alona Tal (Alona Tal) – Alona is the background vocalist and percussionist in the band. She is the threesome's neighbor, and they're always fighting over her. Alona Tal is a regular cast member in the first, second, and third seasons and makes guest appearances in the fourth and fifth seasons.
Yamit Sol (Yamit Sol) – Yamit effectively replaces Alona in the fourth and fifth season, despite officially "[not] replacing Alona". She has her own agenda and is not just the pretty face of the series. She plays percussion and is a background vocalist in the band in the fourth season. In the fifth season, she lives with Dana and learns psychology.
Nathan Kuperman (Yuval Segal) – Nathan is Ilan's cousin from Beersheba and the band's temporary DJ. He shows up a couple of times in the second season and eventually becomes a main character in the fourth season. He is emotional and cries very loudly when he is either happy or sad.
Dana Frider (Dana Frider) – Dana Frieder is Shifra's niece and joins the show in the fifth season. However, she doesn't replace Yamit, as they both star in the Fifth season. Yamit has a smaller part in the fifth season. According to the show, 'she went to learn psychology and won't have as much time to run around with the gang' (she actually studied psychology while the fifth season was being filmed). The characters often mention the fact that Dana Frider was in Nolad Lirkod ("Born to Dance", which aired on Israeli television from 2005–2008) and did commercials for the Israeli shampoo brand Mui Keph (Hebrew for "very fun"). Dana always clarifies to them that they don't even have the right to fantasize about dating with her.
Shifra Mendelbaum – Shifra is Gary's wife. Gary is always complaining about her, and claims she is very, very fat and ugly. Whenever she calls Gary, she always complains to him and gives him a lot of chores. She doesn't let him speak, and Gary always starts words without finishing. Shifra is never seen in the show except for one episode, when the young Shifra is seen in some flashbacks ("Lucky Gum"). She is also seen in a spinoff, Mendelbaum Private Detective.
Side characters
Mr. Avraham Latin (Simon Rosenfeld) – Mr. Latin is introduced a side character in the fourth season. He is an old man that lives in the same building as the others. He is deaf and whenever someone talks to him, he responds by saying "What?" He is played by Ilan's real-life father.
Mrs. Bracha Kirschenberg (Rivka Gur) – Bracha is an elderly woman who owns the building and hates everyone in it. She calls the threesome "Afrikaner hooligans." She is in love with Naji Jackson (one of Kobi's characters) and always allows him to eat at her house. She is the head of the Mossad, according to the episode "Shem Kod Moustache" ("Secrets").
Ruby Duenyas (Ruby Duenyas) – Ruby is the show's director. He appears many times in the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons.
Badash (Nadav Assouline) – The Devil. He was the producer of Gary and Oded Menashe's band. He first appeared in the first season, when he tried to trick Ilan and convince him to join "In Shtink" (Ilan the first star and Ilan the second star). In the fourth season, he represented Mr. Latin in his prosecution against the Pyjamas ("What?", fourth season, first episode). Appears in four episodes in season five and in three episodes in season six.
Albert (Aryeh Cherner) – Renovated the Hamburgary and the Trio's home in the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons.
Shimon Tzimhoni (Nir Ron) – Tzimhoni is Gary's arch enemy; ever since they competed for a student council election, they started an endless feud. He appears twice in the third season, twice in the fourth season, in three episodes in the fifth season, and twice in the sixth season. In the third season, he and Gary competed for the position of mayor. In the fourth season he tried to buy the Hamburgary, in the fifth he opened a business called Tzimhoburger (in Hebrew "Veggieburger") to compete with Gary's, and in the sixth season he met Gary in the prison.
Malka Kuperman (Effi Ben Israel) – Ilan's aunt and the owner of the trio's apartment. She didn't live in Israel because she's in a delegation of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Poland. She doesn't know that Oded and Kobi live in the apartment, so every time she's visiting Ilan, Kobi and Oded needs to find somewhere to stay overnight. She's appears twice in the show: in the two last episodes of the first season, and in the first episode of the sixth season.
Kobi's characters
Freddie "Nice-to-Meet" Pus – Freddie is the band's manager and often does anything in the series that has to do with planning. He talks very fast and tricks people to agree with him. He creates fictional stories about knowing stars. He is aggressive and is feared by many characters in the series.
Naji Comradin Jackson – Unlike Kobi's other characters, Naji doesn't have a specific purpose other than to "silence" Bracha when she complains about the noise, but in the fourth and fifth seasons this becomes more rare. Ms. Bracha is in love with him and always gives him food.
Marcel Fuerro – A policeman. He appears when crimes occur or when investigations are needed. Very attachted to the mole he has on his face.
Sabbaba Sali – Rabbi. A parody on the Baba Sali. He sings songs in English and says "Sabbaba" (Hebrew slang for "OK").
Eddie "Good-to-See" Pus – Freddie's gay brother. He says "Naim li" (Hebrew for "comfort to me", but used as "I'm pleased") as a response to someone else's "Pleased to meet you".
Meireinstein – Broadcaster with an obsession to comb his hair. He has a dog named Hava is mentioned in one tack and appeared just after the chapter. Based on a true boulevard named Meir Einstein
Yehoram Zuberbuler – The announcer of "The Only Channel". He usually shouts his last name. Joined in the sixth season.
Mani Pire - A new character in season 8, shows up when Kobi is on the TV show "Mister Chef" (Master Chef parody). Becomes an superstar when the group decide to give him an online show to promote the band.
