The Canceled Miniseries You Likely Have No Idea HBO's Euphoria Was Based On

HBO's "Euphoria" is one of the cable giant's most popular ongoing series. Created by Sam Levinson, the coming-of-age psychological drama centers on Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a troubled teenager struggling with addiction and typical young adult life alongside her numerous classmates, all of whom have problems of their own. The series is notable for its graphic, hypnotic depiction of some of the darkest experiences modern American teenagers may experience, and is notable for its two-time Emmy-winning performance by Zendaya, who is currently the youngest recipient of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category. "Euphoria" is also notable for serving as a career springboard for much of its ensemble cast, including Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, and Colman Domingo, among others.

Fans may not realize that "Euphoria" is actually based on an Israeli miniseries of the same name. Created and written by Ron Leshem, who also serves as an executive producer on the HBO series, the original miniseries explores the same themes and similar characters highlighted in its American adaptation.

Originally premiering on the Israeli television channel Hot 3, the original "Euphoria" consisted of only one 10-episode season. Similar to its American adaptation, the Israeli series follows a troubled teen (named Hofit) and showcases the lives of teenagers living drug-addled, promiscuous lives. But one major difference is that the series' narrative is set in the 1990s, rather than the present day. The series takes place one year after the murder of a 16-year-old named Ra'anan (Kosta Kaplan), which is directly inspired by the 2004 real-life murder of Ra'anan Levy.

While HBO's "Euphoria" is based on the Israeli series and shares some similarities, it is not a one-to-one adaptation. While various characters narrate the American version, the Israeli show is narrated by  Kino (Dekel Adin), who was a childhood friend of Ra'anan and a witness to his murder. Also, Fezco (Angus Cloud) from the American series has his Israeli counterpart in the form of Deker Eldar AKA "Tzehubon" (Dolev Mesika), and while both are involved in drug dealing, Deker is closer in nature to the abusive Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) than the warm Fezco, given that Deker uses his chemical knowledge of drugs to take sexual advantage of Hofit.

The highly anticipated third season of HBO's "Euphoria" is slated to return in April.