Competition among cable networks in recent years for major event series programming has been fierce, with dramas such as “Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men,” “Game of Thrones” and “Homeland” garnering critical acclaim and awards. These shows run on the HBO, AMC and Showtime cable channels.

What’s missing in this mix of cable outlets is the USA Network, which may not have a cabinet full of awards, but does manage to crank out many popular entertainment series such as the spy thriller “Burn Notice,” the riveting legal drama “Suits,” and the ever popular “White Collar.”

Since last summer, USA Network has been talking about going big, launching an event series that is deep into murder mystery and rich in conspiracy theories. It was in July, 2014, when Chris McCumber, the network president, told a gathering of the nation’s TV critics about the action event series “Dig.”

At the time, McCumber was touting the “provocative new show set in Jerusalem” which would be “a ‘Da Vinci Code’ like thriller starring Anne Heche and Jason Isaacs that follows the discovery of a conspiracy 2,000 years in the making.” Indeed, the USA executive convincingly made the whole enterprise sound like a big deal.

Drawing a larger portrait of the “Dig” experience was executive producer Tim Kring, who observed that the closed end series of six episodes would focus on the story having a beginning, middle and end.

And to validate the point, series star Jason Isaacs claimed he found “continual frustration” with open ended series that never reach a conclusion.

Now that “Dig,” which was reportedly on filming hiatus for a while during armed conflicts arising in the Middle East, is ready to roll out on Thursday, March 5, the adventure has expanded to a ten-episode event, which given the essence of the series’ complicated storylines may be absolutely essential to reaching a satisfactory ending.

Even after watching the first two episodes, I found that “Dig” holds one in suspense because the nature of the conspiracy, of which there is apparently more than one, remains a big mystery.

Initially, the plot gets rolling when Jason Isaacs’ FBI agent Peter Connelly, stationed in Jerusalem, gets involved in the murder investigation of a young American female archeology student (Alison Sudol).

Several threads in the narrative create interesting scenarios. Though Jerusalem is the primary backdrop for the action involving Connelly’s sleuthing, interconnected events are happening in desolate areas of Norway and New Mexico, as well as in a scenic coastal area of Croatia, that have a real bearing on the overall story.

Biblical prophecy is a big part of the story, and it may cause viewers to do some of their own background research, if for no other reason than to satisfy curiosity about historical incidents or to explore the vast reach of conspiracy theories.

Hasidic Jews converge on a farm in rural Norway to witness the birth of a red heifer, which will figure into a dangerous journey by land and sea back to Israel. By all means, conduct your own Google search on the meaning of the red heifer for biblical prophecy.

Meanwhile, in a remote desert area of New Mexico, a religious cult under the leadership of Pastor Ted Billingham (David Costabile) has sheltered a young child from the impurities of the outside world, cultivating the youngster’s potential as a messiah, even while church adherent Debbie (Lauren Ambrose) harbors serious doubts about the cult’s activities.

Most of the action takes place in Jerusalem where Connelly reports to the American consulate station chief Lynn Monahan (Anne Heche), resulting in an often awkward situation for him not only because he’s an independent operator unconstrained by diplomatic niceties, but he’s also sleeping with his boss.

For his part in the murder investigation, Connelly doesn’t play well with others, resulting in a source of real friction with Israeli detective Golan Cohen (Ori Pfeffer), who insists that the American has no jurisdiction in a foreign land and as a result, must work in cooperation with and subservient to the local authorities.

The premise of “Dig” is both interesting and promising, and the essentially mysterious nature of the unfolding conspiracies commands attention.

In fact, the series requires one to pay attention to the details, which can be as obscure as the scribbling in the archeologist’s notebook.

Hyped as an action thriller, “Dig” doesn’t fit neatly into the popular conception of what is required for the action to be authentically rousing and full of excitement. “Dig” seems preoccupied with peeling back the many layers of mystery, and that alone may be just enough to keep viewers coming back week after week.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.