BBC Planning TV Show About Grand Theft Auto Video Game

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is preparing to make a new television show about the Grand Theft Auto gaming series.

The show will form part of a new initiative called “Make It Digital”, which the BBC describes as “a major UK-wide initiative to inspire a new generation to get creative with coding, programming and digital technology”.

Beyond that, the ‘Beeb’ isn’t giving anything away, simply saying in a statement that Make It Digital will include “a new BBC Two drama based on Grand Theft Auto - one of the most extraordinary creative and controversial success stories of our time”.

The show is said to focus on the ‘making of’ the game, rather than its content. While a launch date for the series hasn’t been announced, it may form part of a Make It Digital promotion due to air in the UK autumn.

Engadget reports that the show will be a one-off, feature-length drama running for 90 minutes.

As part of Make It Digital, each child in Year Seven across the UK will be given a coding device - one million devices in total.

The program will target youth unemployment, with up to 5,000 digital traineeships on offer. The BBC is also looking to stem a “significant skills shortage”, predicting more digital professionals will be needed over the next five years.

Existing shows in line for the Make It Digital treatment include Doctor Who, The One Show, BBC Weather and EastEnders, along with the BBC’s Radio 1.

Major partners for the program have also been announced, and they include Google, Microsoft, Samsung and the British Computing Society.

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