Global terrorism in the era of the bin Laden raid forms the backdrop of the new Cinemax series “Strike Back.” The HBO channel has chosen this production as its first original drama, with strikingly different results from such overly art-directed fare as “Boardwalk Empire.”

The driving force of the show is a stealth British military unit known as Section 20 which pulls out all the stops to capture a heinous Pakistani terrorist known by one name, Latif. Unlike “24,” where terrorist plots were primarily foiled on US soil, “Strike Back” follows the scent of terrorism to India, Chechnya, Prague and London (all shooting was done in South Africa and Budapest) with a pair of brawny daredevils who could take Jack Bauer with one hand behind their backs.

“We go to those countries where the trouble comes from. This is what global war is today,” says executive producer and director Dan Percival, who produced the HBO documentary “Dirty War.”

Based on the novel by Chris Ryan, “Strike Back” was first a British series that caught the eye of HBO execs, who asked Percival to craft a remake that reflected “the real world as it is now,” he says. Research with members of the intelligence community in Britain and America, even before the death of Osama bin Laden, convinced Percival that “the instability of Pakistan is the most critical and volatile issue in the world.”

The reality of the situation was frightening enough, but “Strike Back” still needed fictitious heroes and villains. Little-known actors Sullivan Stapleton and Philip Winchester play Damien Scott, an ex-Delta Force operative with terrorist expertise, and Sgt. Michael Stonebridge, a Section 20 lifer, respectively. They are opposite sides of the same coin. The rugged Scott is a brash womanizer who does some of his best work without benefit of his trousers; the square-jawed and aptly named Stonebridge does everything by the book while fully dressed.

Stapleton and Winchester, who once played Anna Torv’s love interest on “Fringe,” underwent rigorous military-grade physical training for the grueling combat scenes which gave Stapleton, 34, a six-pack for the first time in his life but, after filming one fight scene for seven hours, left him feeling pretty battered.

“I’ve learned in Hungary that whatever your ailments, they’ll give you calcium tablets,” he said, with a laugh.

Winchester had to ingest a 4,000 calorie-a-day diet to balance the workout regimen. His wife, Megan, pitched in, cooking a six-egg omelette with ham and cheese and peppers for breakfast. That was followed by protein shakes, chicken breasts, ostrich steaks and snack packs.

It was a far cry from the time in 2007 when he played Edmund to Ian McKellen’s King Lear at a production of Shakespeare’s tragedy at the BAM’s famed Harvey Theater, but the Montana-born actor adjusted immediately upon meeting the gregarious Stapleton.

“Sully and I met each other at a screen test in London. I really liked him then. We then met up with each other in Capetown. We had a natural banter. Sully’s very much a lad. Out of [our physical] training, these characters developed. Stonebridge has given his life to this company. In comes Damien Scott: He’s a womanizer and a layabout but still gets the job done.”

Winchester was especially relieved that he didn’t have to do any nude scenes. Since Scott beds many of the women who cross his path (or tries to), the Australia-born Stapleton is naked through a good portion of the first episode. In one hilarious scene, he has to relieve a Pakistani terrorist of his firearm while completely starkers.

As for the nudity, he says, “I knew there was bound to be sex, but I didn’t know it was going to be pegged on me. I didn’t think I was going to do all of it.”

There’s more to “Strike Back” than the camaraderie between the two male leads. Section 20 is headed by Col. Eleanor Grant, a cool and controlled woman who favors the Peter Pan haircuts popularized by Morena Baccarin on the defunct sci-fi series “V.” Actress Amanda Mealing had to chop off all of her hair and undergo her own rigorous training. There were some injuries.

“I did work out with the SBS (Special Boat Service) commander. We were boxing. He had a routine and he went off it and I punched him. I dislocated my shoulder,” she says. “He didn’t flinch. These guys are hardcore.”

As the first original series in Cinemax’s launch, “Strike Back” hopes to capture the excitement of 1980s action movie franchises such as “Lethal Weapon” and “Die Hard.” Kary Antholis, President of HBO Miniseries, says that “Strike Back” was the ideal choice for the relaunch of the premium cable network for subscribers because the series blends so well with its most popular movies.

“We looked at high-octane, combat-oriented movies — the “Transporter” movies, the Tarantino movies, “X Men” — and thought that this could be a great and cost-effective way to show a high-action, mini-movie in every episode,” he says.

In the first quarter of 2012, Cinemax will debut a series starring actor Chris Vance and based on the testosterone-fueled Luc Besson “Transporter” movies.

STRIKE BACK

Friday, 10 p.m., Cinemax