A new drama series to be aired on the NBC subsidiary USA Network will be the first American television series to be filmed in Israel, and most of the scenes will be in eastern Jerusalem.
“Dig” will be filmed in the City of David national park located in the Silwan neighborhood of Jerusalem as well as the Old City. The series will be produced by Gideon Raff, screenwriter of the Israeli series “Hatufim,” which is aired in the United States as “Homeland” and co-written by “Heroes” writer Tim Kring, a co-creator of “Homeland.”
The first six episodes have been purchased without buying a pilot.
The series, which will feature Israeli and American actors, deals with an American FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem who uncovers a conspiracy while investigating the murder of an American archaeologist.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, who worked to bring the project to Jerusalem, said, “The new series is a significant milestone on the road as Jerusalem becomes an attractive location for international productions. Jerusalem’s rich history attracts series and films with great stories to tell.”
The filing in Silwan will present challenge for security forces because it has been a source of hundreds of violent rock-throwing attacks on Jewish motorists and has caused several serious injuries to drivers and passengers who sometimes barely escape ambushes on narrow streets in the area.