FX's show 'Tyrant', meanwhile, has to move its shooting location from Tel Aviv to Turkey in the wake of unrest in Israel.
- Jul 15, 2014
AceShowbiz - The political tensions in Israel have affected the production of at least two American TV series. USA Network's new series "Dig" has extended its scheduled hiatus while assessing the situation before deciding whether they can continue the filming in Jerusalem. The show has been on a scheduled hiatus for the past week and now the break will continue for another week.
"This caught us off-guard and we are assessing," executive producer Gideon Raff said of the situation at TCA summer press tour in Beverly Hills on Monday, July 14. He added that they're "looking at all options." He said, "Hopefully everything will calm down and we'll go back to what we planned and if not, we'll sort it out," explaining that "Jerusalem is a key element in our show. We chose to shoot there because of its history."
Raff, who was born and raised in Jerusalem, expressed his concern about the situation in the conflicting area, "Our hearts go out to everyone in Israel and Gaza right now and hopefully it'll be resolved very soon."
FX's new show "Tyrant", meanwhile, has temporarily relocated to Turkey after initially filming in Tel Aviv. Crew reportedly had to take shelter at times due to the current unrest.
Both series rely on Israeli producer Keshet's guidance to determine how to proceed.
"Dig" from Tim Kring ("Heroes") and Gideon Raff ("Homeland") centers on Jason Isaacs' Peter Connelly, an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem who, while investigating a mystery surrounding a young female archeologist named Emma (Alison Sudol), uncovers a conspiracy 2000 years in the making. The six-episode series is scheduled to debut this fall.
As for "Tyrant", the drama focuses on Bassam "Barry" Al Fayeed (Adam Rayner), the younger son of the dictator of a war-torn nation, whose reluctant homecoming leads to a dramatic clash of cultures as he is thrown back into the familial and national politics of his youth. It premiered June 24 on FX.
"Dig" trailer:
