Ten things about... Homeland

US drama series Homeland has taken us by storm, with millions of us gripped to our televisions last weekend for the gripping finale of season one.

We've all followed CIA agent Carrie Mathison, Claire Danes, and Nicholas Brody, the UK's very own Damian Lewis, for weeks, but how much do we know about the actors and the show itself?

We've gone a little bit Carrie ourselves and done a bit of research on your behalf so your can impress your friends with your Homeland knowledge - which is of course, classified. Enjoy!

1. To prepare for her role as bi-polar sufferer Carrie Mathison, Claire Danes watched videos my by sufferers and consulted author Julie Fast, who suffers from the disorder
2. Homeland is loosely based on the Israeli drama, Hatufim
3. The series was filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina - not Washington D.C. where it's set
4. Damian Lewis landed the part of Brody without an audition
5. The role of Brody's wife, Jessica, was played by Laura Fraser in the pilot...
6. ...who was replaced by Morena Baccarin, who had previously appeared in Our House, Stargate SG-1 and The OC
7. Both Claire and Damian were nominated for Golden Globes for their respective roles, with Claire winning an award
8. Danes made her Broadway debut in 2007, starring in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmallion
9. Morgan Saylor, who plays Brody's daughter Dana, enjoys rock climbing in her spare time
10. President Barack Obama is a fan of the show, requesting DVD boxsets to be sent to him by Showtime

The second series of Homeland is set to air in the States on 30 September.