Cast and crew shooting in Israel. Photo: Screenshot.

Cable TV network Showtime has posted several short clips on YouTube teasing season 2 of its Golden Globe winning suspense drama “Homeland”. Most clips available now online feature cast and crew on set in Tel Aviv and Jaffa, as they are filming large portions of the new season’s first two episodes in the holy land almost three months ago.

The clips, presented by actor Navid Negahban, who plays CIA number-one Al-Qaeda target Abu Nazir, shows lead actors Claire Danes & Mandy Patinkin in character, as they shoot action scenes around Tel Aviv. Shooting in Israel also took place in Haifa, Nazareth and Ben Gurion Airport.

Earlier this week, while speaking at the Television Critics Association summer press tour event at the Beverly Hilton, executive producer Howard Gordon explained that the plot on paper takes place in Beirut Lebanon but it was an easy decision to have Tel Aviv double it. “Not only do we have these exotic and wonderful locations, which really do a remarkable proxy for Beirut because, when you think about it, it’s only a couple hundred miles away”, he told American reporters, “we have this tremendous production value for a great value because we had amazing professionals and we took a bunch of our key people over there”.

“Homeland”, nominated in 9 categories including Outstanding Drama Series at the upcoming Emmys, is of course based on Israeli show “Prisoners of War”, which is now available in North America via on-demand TV streaming website Hulu. Season 2 of “Homeland” premieres September 30 on Showtime.