BBC Drama to Tell Saddam Hussein's Story

BBC2 is developing a major fact-based drama about the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein, focusing on how the Iraqi dictator and his inner circle of family and trusted lieutenants managed to seize power and hold it for so long.

The drama, which has a working title House of Saddam, will begin with his rise to power in Iraq in the late 70s and follow the story through until his ignominious capture by US troops, hiding in a hole in the ground, after the overthrow of his regime in December 2003.

House of Saddam will feature actors portraying key figures in Saddam's inner circle, including the Iraqi leader's sons Uday and Qusay, who died in a gun battle with American forces in July 2003, as well as his wives and daughters.

Other senior players in Saddam's regime such as Chemical Ali (Ali Hassan al-Majid) and his deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, will also be portrayed.

The fact-based drama will tell Saddam's story "from the inside out", from the point of view of the Iraqi president's inner circle, rather than a western perspective, according to writer Alex Holmes.

"It's more to do with the fall and why he failed. He had a vision, which was to create a great Arab nation and write himself into the history books as a great leader who would be remembered in hundreds of years time," Mr Holmes said.

"But his own flaws and the tactics these failings forced him to rely on meant he never came near to achieving this vision, and instead dragged his country into misery and pain.

"I want to tell the story from the perspective of the people inside his inner circle and understand how they saw the world and why they did what they did."

Mr Holmes said he and his team had already spent nine months researching the project, talking to people who were "privy to what was going on in that world".

He added that it was a "challenge" to get to former members of Saddam's regime, such as Aziz, who were in US or Iraqi custody.

"We haven't talked to Tariq Aziz directly, but we have communicated with him indirectly," he said.

"It's surprising how many aren't [in custody]. We've been working on this for nine months, building relationships with people, building their trust.

"We are trying to understand their world and reassure them that we want to tell the story from their perspective - from the inside out, not a western viewpoint."

The development of House of Saddam has been given the green light by the BBC2 controller, Roly Keating, and the BBC controller of drama commissioning, Jane Tranter.

Mr Holmes said the plan was for a four-parter with 60-minute episodes, which is not likely to be ready for transmission before late 2006 at the earliest.

He added that because the story ends with Saddam's arrest, the BBC would not have to wait for the end of the dictator's trial in Iraq before it could be broadcast.

The writer is scripting the drama and will take on directing duties when it goes into production. His previous credits include Dunkirk, Coup and Every Time You Look At Me.

House of Saddam is BBC drama and serials co-production with Discovery Channel, US.