Prisoners of War (Original title: Hatufim or "Abudctees") is an award winning Iraeli television drama, in Hebrew, made by Keshet ("Rainbow") and aired on Israel's channel 2 from March to May of 2010 (10 episodes) and March to May of 2012 (14 episodes). A third season was planned but so far has not materialized. The first season is available from Netflix, on DVD, in Hebrew with English subtitles. Rights to produce local shows based on the series have been sold to companies in Russia, Columbia, Mexico, Turkey, South Korea and the USA.

The series focus on three Israeli's captured and tortured by terrorists in Lebanon and what effect this has on them and their families once they are returned home. The possibility that one or more of the survivors may have converted to Islam and become terrorists is dealt with but its only a small part. Prisoners of War is more than a spy drama.

Prisoners of War:
Its 2008, after 17 years of captivity in Lebanon after a secret mission went wrong, Nimrod Klein and Uri Zach along with the body of Amiel Ben-Horin are returned home to Israel after secret negotiates between Israeli officials and the terrorists.

Family number 1:
Nimrod Klein: brave and intelligent, husband and father of two children, returns to his wife, daughter and son

Talia Klein: wife of Nimrod, worked tirelessly for his return over the years but with him actually home has trouble reconnecting with him

Dana Klein: two years old when her father disappeared, now a rebellious teenager who confuses sex for love and tries to fill the void of not having a father by prostituting herself with older men

Hatzav Klein: born after his father was captured so he does not know the man, he greets his returning father with "hi, nice to meet you" and a handshake

Family number 2:
Uri Zach: shy and timid, formed very close relationship with Nimrod, came home to find his fiancee had not waited for him but married his brother with whom she has a son, his nephew

Nurit Halevi-Zach: Nimrod's former fiancee, sure he was dead she married his brother, now feels guility

Yaakov "Yaki" Zach: Nimrod's brother, Nurit's husband, afraid for his marriage now that the brother he thought was dead has returned alive

Asaf Zach: son of Yaki and Zach, nephew of Uri

Joseph "Yoske" Zach: father of Uri and Yaakov, widower, his wife having died 4 years previously, why her son Uri was still held captive

Family number 3:
Amiel Ben-Horin: died in captivity, his body is returned home 17 years after his capture, appears in flashbacks and his sister's halucinations
Yael Ben-Horin: Amiel's young sister, unable to cope with the death of her brother, she has visions of him which of course only she can see

I haven't seen it yet, but apparently season 2 will throw a curve by revealing


Homeland is an American television drama, in English, losely based on Prisoners of War, which airs on Showtime. It currently on its fifth season and has been renewed for a sixth. The first four seasons are available on Netflix, on DVD. Although it began with the premise of the Israeli series it soon went in a different direction. This series combined two characters into one and the first season focuses mainly on the question whether that one has been turned into a Moslem terrorists with less emphasis on the effects of his captivity on his family. Homeland is essentially a spy drama.

Its 2011, Carrie Mathison, a CIA operative on the outs with her superiors because of past unathorized actions is convinced that US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody who has been rescued under what she deems suspcious circumstances after having gone MIA (Missing in Action) in 2003, has been turned during those 8 years and is now a Moslem terrorist. Captured with Sgt Brody, Marine Tom Walker did not make it back, according to Brody he was killed by the terrorists. Carrie Mathison is convinced Walker was killed because he could not be turned, and Brody was spared because he was turned. Is she right? .

Main characters (first season):
Carrie Mathison: bipolar CIA agent who hides her condition from her superiors by taken prescription drugs meant for her father, provided by her sister

Nicholas Brody: US Marine captured and tortured by terrorists, may have been broken, converted to Islam and returned home to the USA as a terrorist

Jessica Brody: Nicholas wife, who believing him to be dead had an affair with her husband's best friend

Mike Faber: Marine Captain, best friend of Nicholas Brody, had an affair with Jessica Brody after he believed his friend was dead, not happy to see him returned

Dana Brody: daughter of Nicholas and Jessica, rebellious teenager, knows about the affair and despises her mother for it, seems happy to have her father home

Chris Brody: son of Nicholas and Jessica, just a baby at the time of his father's capture he does not remember his father, greets him with a handshake and "hi, nice to meet you". father in return seems in different towards him

Saul Berenson (played by Mandy Patinkin, the reason I was interested in this series): Carrie Mathison's mentor and former boss

David Estes: Director of CIA's Counterterrorism division, Carrie Mathison's boss, too busy playing politics to advance his career to actually be effective at his job

Tom Walker: US Marine captured along with Nicholas Brody, Brody reported him killed by the terrorists.


Gideon Raff creator, writer, director of Prisoners of War also producers and writes episodes of Homeland, which is probably why series 3 of Prisoner of War hasn't materialized he's too busy in America with Homeland (Showtime) and Tyrant (FX).

I never saw the original Israeli series but I love Homeland.

I like both. Despite starting with the same basic premise they're two very different shows. Prisoners of War at least in its first season, moves at a slower pace than most American series. This is apparently going to change in it second season because one reviewer described the first season as a "melodrama" and the second as a "thriller".

I just finished the first season of Prisoners of War and the making off documentary. Learned something interesting, the women were played by women were well known in Israel, were big stars. The men on the other hand were played by lesser known actors, because the series creator felt big name actors would actually be bad for the parts.

Another interesting tid bit, the rights to make Homeland were actually sold before Prisoners of War had actually aired in Israel.

Neat factoid! Thanks