Sure, Beirut used to be the Paris of the East, but these days it's not on most modern vacationers list of fun hotspots. But Lebanon's tourism minister thinks it could be, if a certain American television show, Homeland would stop portraying Beirut as a den of armed militias. And he's threatening legal action against the show Homeland. Today, we're talking about branding Beirut.

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Rebranding Beirut: TV Homeland's false depiction of Beirut under fire - Minister for Tourism for Lebanon

Lots of screaming, shooting and excitement in the Beirut is Back episode from Showtime's award-winning series, Homeland. The series depicts the covert world of counter-terrorism and US President Barack Obama says he's a big fan.

There aren't a lot of fans however sitting around the cabinet table of the Lebanese government. Some politicians are angry with the portrayal of Beirut and have even threatened a lawsuit.

Fadi Abboud is calling for a legal showdown with Homeland. He is the Tourism Minister for Lebanon and he joined us from Beirut.

Rebranding Beirut: TV Homeland's false depiction of Beirut under fire - Immigration Lawyer

So, some people in the Lebanese government think U.S. television made Beirut look sick and want some kind of remedy. But could the Minister of Tourism make a good case in the courtroom? Could he actually sue the makers of Homeland?

Our next guest should know. Joseph Peter Drennan is an American lawyer, based in Virginia. One of his most recent clients was a Palestinian grocer who sued a U.S. film and television company for defamation, following an unflattering portrayal in the movie, Bruno. Mr. Drennan was in our Washington studio this morning.

Rebranding Beirut: TV Homeland's false depiction of Beirut under fire - Branding Expert

So, can the reputation of Beirut be salvaged with a lawsuit? Karen Post knows a lot about second chances. She has spoken with business and government leaders around the world about branding and her new book is called Brand Turnaround: How Brands Gone Bad Returned to Glory and the 7 Game Changers that Made the Difference. Karen Post was in Tampa, Florida.

This segment was produced by The Current's Idella Sturino, Howard Goldenthal and Jessica DeMello.

Other segments from today's show:

Sexy Breast Cancer campaigns: Are we saving breasts or women's lives?

Checking-In: Listener Response