The Arabs – A Living History, 1979-1983, BBC and PBS

 

Watch this fine series here.

More information on it here.

Albert Hourani is one of the main historical advisors, and Edward Said is in one film. It's really more a sociological study of then-contemporary Arabs, but with a constant emphasis on their complex history and also what is believed about that history. Very well done (I've seen the first three episodes).