CHATSWORTH, Calif. — The darkened adobe hut offers relief from July's searing heat, but there's nothing cool about what's happening inside. As a U.S. Army unit grills an Iraqi family while searching for an American hostage, a soldier gets his feet tangled in wires connected to what could be a bomb.

"What do I do?" the private, known as Smoke, nervously asks his sergeant.

Is it a bomb? What is the Arabic-speaking family saying? Are they lying? The tense scene, from an upcoming episode of FX's new war drama, "Over There," depicts the life-or-death uncertainty the young troops face in Iraq.

Uncertainty — ratcheted down several notches — is a watchword for "Over There" itself, the first TV series to depict a war while fighting goes on. The drama is tangled up in potentially explosive questions: Is it too soon or too much? Is it believable? How will it be received by a divided public?

"This isn't about politics, policy or a particular administration," says famed producer Steven Bochco ("NYPD Blue," "L.A. Law"), who created "Over There" with lead writer Chris Gerolmo ("Mississippi Burning"). "It's about war. There are significant universal themes that are common denominators in any war."

"Over There" will focus on the personal and not the political, although characters will express their views. "What we're trying to do is tell honest and true stories about young people under pressure," says Gerolmo, who directed the pilot (available on DVD Tuesday).

The goal is to show the humanity of soldiers and their families, reflecting their bravery, commitment — and flaws. There's honor and nobility, but also ethnic bias, poor judgment and fear.

"Over There" also explores the complex issues of women in combat, attitudes toward Muslim U.S. troops, hurdles confronting injured soldiers and military families' lives.

The series, one of entertainment's first takes on the war, faces the challenge of engaging viewers as real fighting continues, with the future unknown.

It's also trying to get the war details right. A Marine serves as an on-set adviser; writers' research includes books, news articles, movies, blogs and soldiers' e-mail.

"Over There" follows an Army unit on its first Iraq tour, at an unspecified time before the January elections. It connects the lives of young soldiers, a mix that includes blacks, whites, a Latina and an Arab-American, with their loved ones stateside. In the premiere, the men and women engage in a firefight with insurgents, who are accompanied by an al-Jazeera correspondent.

FX president John Landgraf, who had the idea for a series on the Iraq conflict, says war is rarely the focus of series TV, despite being "a deeply compelling, complicated emotional sphere" rich with drama potential.

"Tour of Duty" and "China Beach," which left the air in the early 1990s, depicted the long-since-over Vietnam War. "M*A*S*H," which began during Vietnam's later stages, was considered a commentary on that war through the buffer of Korea.

Museum of Television & Radio curator David Bushman senses that viewers might be more receptive to a contemporary war drama than they would have been during the fractious Vietnam era. The rise of niche cable networks that needn't appeal to all viewers changes the dynamic, too, he says. "It's a different time politically, socially and on television."

On a blistering afternoon in this Los Angeles suburb, five actors in Army uniforms rehearse stealth movements through a smoky, windswept Iraqi village set.

The technical adviser, Marine Staff Sgt. Sean Bunch, guides the actors in military technique.

"It's like you're sneaking up. You're looking in windows and doors," he tells Erik Palladino ("ER"), who plays the squad leader, Sgt. Chris Silas, aka Sgt. Scream.

"Then he'll look back and wave you up. Then you're like this, (crouching) against the wall," the Iraq war veteran tells the others, whose characters are mostly known by nicknames: Dim (Luke Macfarlane, "Kinsey"), Angel (Keith Robinson, "American Dreams"), Smoke (Kirk "Sticky" Jones, "Flight of the Phoenix"); and Tariq (Omid Abtahi, "Running with Scissors").

"Going into the sixth episode, we're starting to get a natural feel for when something's not feeling right," Palladino says, referring to Bunch's training, which included a five-day, pre-shooting "boot camp."

Another consultant, Sam Aylia Sako, provides advice on Iraqi culture and language.

In early episodes, "Over There" dives into a rash of hot-button sub-topics. Female soldiers in a combat situation; a unit member's prejudice against an Arab-American soldier; a U.S. interrogator's treatment of a prisoner; a soldier smoking a joint before going to war.

Bochco doesn't believe flaws tarnish the characters.

"Over There" will veer from the fight to follow topics that get less attention: the recovery of a soldier whose leg is blown off and a look at families back home.

"I don't think a lot of the news outlets examine the effect of war on a family," says Macfarlane, whose character has a wife and 7-year-old stepson. "I know they do their stories, but in a real kind of way, how do you deal with the pain of potential loss?"

Those working on the show wouldn't discuss their personal views of the war, other than blanket support for the troops. But they know their fictional drama will be a magnet for discussion of the real conflict.

"Right now, we're able to work and be anonymous because it hasn't hit the airwaves, but I know the political debates are on the way soon," Robinson says.