‘Tyrant’ quitting Tel Aviv over rocket fire

Television drama, co-created by Israeli writer Gideon Raff, will move its operations to Turkey

By JTA 16 July 2014, 11:11 pm

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From left, executive producers Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff and cast members Adam Rayner, Jennifer Finnigan, Ashraf Barhom, Moran Atias and Justin Kirk participate in the "Tyrant" panel at the FX Winter TCA Press Tour, on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at the Langham Huntington, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Invision for FOX/AP Images)

The production of “Tyrant” is leaving Tel Aviv because of the ongoing rocket fire in Israel.

The television drama, which was co-created by Israeli writer Gideon Raff, will move its operations to Istanbul, Turkey, Variety reported Wednesday. Air raid sirens and ongoing rocket fire from Gaza have disrupted the production, and members of the cast and crew have posted on social media about the stresses of running to bomb shelters.
The show’s producers reportedly hope to return the production to Israel if the situation allows it.

“Tyrant,” which airs on the American cable network FX, is set in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Abbudin.
Meanwhile, executives of the USA Network’s “Dig,” which had been filming in and around Jerusalem, are waiting to determine their next move, according to a report in TV Guide. The show delayed its return to shooting from a hiatus because of the current violence; the break will be extended by several days.

“Dig,” which also was created by Raff, was on hiatus when Operation Protective Edge began last week.

“Our first priority is the safety of our cast and crew,” said a statement from Universal Cable Productions, according to TV Guide. “We will continue to assess the situation and plan accordingly.”