What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHATS UP! February 9 - 15, 2020 BY FRANCIS BABIN TV Media A udiences and critics alike often complain about the state of the film industry and its heavy reliance on remakes, but no one seems to bat an eye at the same situation happen- ing in the world of television. Perhaps it is because there is just so much original content on the small screen and streaming services (more than 500 original series in 2019 alone) that they just get lost in the shuffle. Nevertheless, some of the most popular and well-received hits of the last couple of decades have been remakes of foreign series. Furthermore, many of these imports, such as HBO's "Eu- phoria" and "In Treatment," as well as the award-winning spy drama "Homeland," have come from Israel. Why does the small desert nation pro- duce so many programs that attract western audiences? Nobody really knows, but while we stew on that ques- tion, you can catch the globe- trotting action of the eighth and final season of Showtime's "Homeland" when it returns after a two-year hiatus on Sun- day, Feb. 9. Based on the Israeli series "Prisoners of War," "Home- land" took the world by storm when it premiered in 2011. The Showtime drama was immedi- ately an immense success with its gripping and compelling storyline of Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis, "Billions"), a U.S. Marine sergeant who was missing in action but returns to his home after years in cap- tivity. His sudden return sets off alarm bells for Central In- telligence Agency operations officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes, "A Kid Like Jake," 2018), who tries to con- vince her mentor, Saul Beren- son (Mandy Patinkin, "Life It- self," 2018), and colleagues of an impending attack. To com- plicate matters, Carrie has bi- polar disorder, making her an unreliable narrator. Carrie, Saul and the show it- self have come a long way since that first season. After wrapping up the Brody arc, Mandy Patinkin and Claire Danes star in "Homeland" Home sweet home continued on page T10 TV FEATURE