MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has commissioned a drama series The House of Saddam.

Focussing on the lives of Saddam's closest family and an elite few, this intimate portrait into the world of Saddam's inner circle charts the rise and fall of one of the world's most terrifying regimes.

The series takes place against the backdrop of the larger tragedy of the Iraqi people, and draws out the story of the Middle East's relationship with the West.

BBC Two controller Roly Keating says,"The story of Saddam Hussein's family is one of the key epic dramas of our time. It is part of BBC Two's mission to develop bold, contemporary, fact-based drama which brings current issues to its audience."

BBC controller of drama commissioning Jane Tranter says, "Alex Holmes' and BBC in-House Drama's credentials are impeccable, and their take on this subject will be illuminating and informative. Although this project is very much at the development stage, the ambition is one that chimes well with a bold and confident BBC TWO Drama output."