A DANGEROUS DYNASTY: HOUSE OF ASSAD
BBC2, 9pm
The compelling story of a Syrian dynasty entrenched in brutality and violence is told in this documentary series that could rival any drama.
It delves into the saga of the Assad family, a mafia-esque clan which has ruled Syria for over 40 years.
At the centre of it are President Bashar and his British-born wife Asma, who met in London while he was training as an eye doctor at St Mary’s Hospital and she was in investment banking.
The couple were at first seen as a modernising force for Syria, but ended up running a regime accused of war crimes, including gassing their own people. The film asks how a mild-mannered doctor could end up killing hundreds of thousands of people.
Told through rarely seen footage and testimony of those who knew them, worked with them and studied them, this begins with a look at how Bashar became President when his older brother died in a car accident.