The US television series inspired by an Israeli prisoner of war drama is to return for a third series.

Homeland, which is based on Gideon Raff's original Hebrew language series Hatufim, will air for a further 12 episodes next year.

The second season is currently being shown in the US and in the UK, with audience numbers on the rise.

When the producers of Homeland chose to return to the country where the series originated, Israeli fans were delighted, with former Hamas prisoner Gilad Shalit even making a visit to the set.

But the decision to use Israeli locations – including Jaffa and Tel Aviv – as stand - ins for areas in the Lebanese city of Beirut, has apparently angered Arab viewers.

The Israeli writer behind the hit television series Homeland has won the most prestigious award in US television for his work.

Gideon Raff was awarded the Emmy for best writing in a drama series for his work on the show, along with Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon.

First it was prisoners of war, now it is former Soviet spies.

The Israeli network behind the series that inspired Homeland has sold the rights to another mystery series to a US television studio.

Until last week, I had never given a five-star rating to any TV or radio programme. But Channel 4’s Homeland was a thriller of such quality, such impressive characterisation and complexity that I felt it merited the accolade.

The Israeli soldier who was freed last October after more than five years of being a Hamas captive has visited the set of Homeland.

Gilad Shalit joined actors Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin in Jaffa where they were filming for the second series of the hit drama, which was inspired partly by the soldier's own story.

Homeland star Mandy Patinkin was the guest of honour at a peace conference in Jerusalem on Friday.

The actor, better known as his screen alter-ego CIA agent Saul Berenson, arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to film scenes for the second series of the hit drama.

He was spotted with Claire Danes, who plays Carrie Mathison, filming scenes near Jaffa over the weekend.

Hollywood actress Julia Stiles has been cast as the lead in an adaptation of an Israeli series about a mystery at a secretive commune.

Timrot Ashan is the latest in a growing list of Israeli programmes to be given a US makeover, following in the footsteps of Homeland – based on the series Hatufim – and In Treatment (formerly BeTipul).