Bnei Aruba

Made in Israel!Filmed around and in Jerusalem.This excellent thriller/drama ,which is the foundation for the CBS aired HOSTAGES,will keep you glued to your chairs/sofa wherever you are. Each episode will end before you notice it even begun. Ayelet Zurer and Yair Lotan ,as well as the rest of the cast, are giving us a compelling performance . Although fiction ,yet one keeps thinking ...what if.... The story line is not just about "the task "given to Dr Danon.There are several other "issues" going on at the same time without them casting any shadow on the main story line.And remember one thing,the show does not end until the fat lady sings. With season 2 now reaching episode 8 the plot thickens.Do not miss season 2!

It gets better with every episode, addictive. It should be released in English.

/refers to Season 1/

The recent decade has seen me moving away from U.S. and partially British crime drama (mini)series and focusing on wider geographical area. Thus, when I was referred to an Israeli one, I was anxious to see what was on offer from a country where security, army and intelligence form a vast part of daily life.

It all started working from the first scene, and the thrill was maintained throughout the season. In spite of some clichés, predictable scenes and questionable "blunders" around the Prime Minister, this series is pleasant to follow: it is thrilling, fast-paced, with good cast (particularly Ayelet Zurer as Dr. Yael Danon and Yoav Rothman as Assaf Danon), and you get an overview of beautiful Jerusalem as well as living in a highly secured country due to lots of hostile people around and within (although no Arabs were visible to me this time).

The final episode had multiple sub-endings, promising a sequel, which I am eager to follow as well (although I heard that the cast is partially different). All in all, Bnei Aruba 1 was a pleasant familiarisation with Isreali series and listening to Hebrew in almost all conversations.

From the very first episode Hostages commands its viewers attention and doesn't let it go until the very last episode of Season 2! Unlike the American remake, Hostages cleverly weaves surprises, intrigue as well as a considerate amount of character development for a short time span show. Pros: -Great casting, and believable acting -Loved the soundtrack, added perfectly to the intensity of each scene -Intriguing plot -The cinematography is visually striking, particularly if you like older buildings

Really interested in the first few episodes, but later it transoforms in a bad soap opera-like tv show and the plot is unconvincing and just plainly bad.