Manayek

This was another ForeignTV Series which I loved. I'm a Kiwi living in Australia but will never watch anything Australian as I much prefer the Storyline's, Acting etc from Countries/Actors such as France, Sweden, Norway, Danish, Icelandic, German, England, Israel, USA, New Zealand (yes I'm biased but the locations are out of this World) etc. I love the "Noir genre" of TV Series and Movies. There was one thing in this Series (also seen in another Foreign Series) which puzzled me which was, the need for a Dog. It really didn't serve any real purpose except the few times it was outside on the grass being walked and the couple of scenes when people came home from work but totally ignored it which I felt sad about. Having a Dog, let alone such a huge Dog was superlative to the Storyline as it could have simply been replaced with the Owner just outside walking alone.

Manayek is a very good Israeli production of the British Line of Duty.

Both deals with police corruptions and shows each country nuance of cultures.

Must see both.

This is the first Israeli TV series I have watched, although I have familiarity with Israeli culture. If you liked the British TV series Line of Duty, then this is worth a look.

There are 2 seasons to date, with a credible storyline that carries through both. It's essentially about police Internal Affairs officers investigating high level corruption at various levels in the Israeli police force.

The acting is generally good, the script is mostly well written and the direction is generally competent, although not exemplary. There is plenty of attention on the main characters' personal stories as well as the complex web of police investigations.

It's rather rough around the edges with no pretentiousness and little refinement, compared with the more nuanced approach in Line of Duty. The stories are very loosely based on real events in the history of Israeli police, and it's quite revelatory how the main IAD characters cope with the myriad of hurdles and obstructions thrown their way with sad resignation and frustration, almost an acceptance of how things just are. For those who don't live there, it's also quite an interesting reflection of Israeli cultural approach to life in general.

/Refers to Seasons 1 and 2/

In recent years, I have managed to watch 10+ Israeli crime/drama series and I have found them interesting (yet I have no Jewish roots and visited Eilat briefly once). Manayek in another solid brick in this wall - intense scenes, dynamic characters, realistic performances (and most performers here not "regulars" in Israeli series, I recognised Ishai Golan only).

True, the initial dual confontration of the main characters almost disappeared in Season 2, and what about so many policemen engaged in so severe crimes (Israel has relative high place in Transparency corruption list; well, dealings where politicians involved are plausible)... But still a solid production, looking forward to next season(s).

Great acting, very well written. The plot is really good and will keep you on the edge of your seats most of the time.