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Miniseries – The Dictator's Playbook

Play trailer Poster for Miniseries – The Dictator's Playbook Jan 2019 Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
The rise and fall of some of history's most ruthless dictators, from Mussolini to Saddam Hussein.
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The Dictator's Playbook — Miniseries

Critics Reviews

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Melanie McFarland Salon.com 01/14/2019
It's an important history to absorb. Go to Full Review Dorothy Rabinowitz Wall Street Journal 01/11/2019
It's an absorbing, richly documented work. If the series has a flaw, it's the frequency of the academic commentaries -- messages that expend a good deal of time in emphatic explanations of the obvious. Go to Full Review Brian Lowry CNN.com 01/10/2019
[It] might look like history, with much of the imagery in grainy black and white. But this PBS documentary series also provides modern-day resonance. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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02/14/2019 Americans know mindless sitcoms better than they know politics & civics. I contemplate if Civics taught any longer in the education systems. This miniseries should open your eyes. Dictators Playbook Tactics are as old as ancient Greeks and still used in modern times. Even by narcissistic buffoon wanna be Dictators. See more 02/10/2019 Episode 1, Kim II Sung briefly mentions that the U.S. bombed N. Korea from 1950-53, killing approx. 20% of the entire population. The program then seems to indicate that it is a mystery as to why Kim II Sung, or anyone in N. Korea for that matter, would fear the U.S.! Kim II Sung is a dictator. However, I hope that the formulaic nature of explaining a dictator using a simple set of rules does not continue in future episodes. Providing a formulaic biography of each dictator using a reductionist "playbook" with minimal attention paid to unique historical events is not worthy of the PBS brand. See more Read all reviews
The Dictator's Playbook — Miniseries

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Cast & Crew

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Natasha Ezrow

Self

Tim Beckmann

Narrator

Mark Stevenson

Director

Pamela Aguilar

Executive Producer

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jan 9, 2019 Kim II Sung Kim Il Sung's transformation from guerrilla fighter to North Korea's dictator. Details Episode 2 Aired Jan 16, 2019 Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein rules Iraq for more than 30 years, using fear, intimidation and violence to maintain control. Details Episode 3 Aired Jan 23, 2019 Benito Mussolini Benito Mussolini creates fascism, an ideology that plunges Europe into darkness. Details Episode 4 Aired Jan 30, 2019 Manuel Noriega Manuel Noriega rises through the Panamanian military to become military dictator, but he experiences a sudden downfall. Details Episode 5 Aired Feb 6, 2019 Francisco Franco Francisco Franco wins the Spanish Civil War and becomes dictator of Spain, using torture, murder and incarceration to transform Spanish society. Details Episode 6 Aired Feb 13, 2019 Idi Amin Idi Amin builds a powerful dictatorship in Uganda, ruling for eight years until strategic blunders bring him down. Details

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The Dictator's Playbook — Miniseries

The Dictator's Playbook The Dictator's Playbook The Dictator's Playbook The Dictator's Playbook View more photos

Season Info

Director
Mark Stevenson
Executive Producer
Pamela Aguilar
Network
PBS
Rating
TV-14 (L|V)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jan 9, 2019