90-minute Grand Theft Auto drama coming to BBC Two

The BBC is working on a 90-minute drama that will tell the story of the making of Grand Theft Auto.

Develop has obtained extra details on the show, announced earlier today as part of the BBC’s Make it Digital campaign which will see the media organisation hand out one million computing devices to children across the country.

The Grand Theft Auto drama will tell the story of how the game was conceived and created, as well as the controversy the series garnered for its violent gameplay.

A statement read: “Unlike many coding success stories, Grant Theft Auto was not created in Silicon Valley – it was the brainchild of a bunch of British gaming geniuses who had known each other since their school days. In autumn 2013 its latest iteration – GTA:V – earned $1bn in its first three days, becoming the fastest selling entertainment product in history.

“GTA offered gamers the chance to step into a fantasy world where they could behave like criminals, gun down rival gangsters and cops, hijack cars and venture deeper into an imaginary American gangland underworld.

“But the violent gameplay coupled with its outstanding success led to fierce opposition: from parents worried about children immersing themselves in such a violent world; from politicians, alarmed at the values it encourages; and above all from moral-campaigners, who have fought passionately to stop it.

“Grand Theft Auto tells the story of how the game was conceived and created and the subsequent fallout as various groups objected to its violent gameplay.”

You can read more about the BBC’s Make it Digital campaign here.