BBC announces a making-of Grand Theft Auto television drama
The UK based public broadcasting company BBC is set to release a drama focusing on the development of the hugely successful series Grand Theft Auto. The announcement was made as part of the BBC’s new major initiative Make It Digital, which aims to get people interested in coding and digital creation. While no firm broadcast date has been revealed it is likely that it will be shown on BBC Two in the fall, when the Make It Digital initiative officially launches.
According to engadget, the making-of drama will be a one-off feature length drama that will run for 90 minutes (that’s without any commercials). The broadcaster has not yet given out any details of whether it will see the light of day in other countries, although the BBC do have a commercial arm in the form of BBC Worldwide and a US channel called BBC America so it’s safe to assume that it will eventually make its way to other markets.
A BBC documentary drama about the making of Grand Theft Auto makes sense considering that the developer behind the hit series, Rockstar North, is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The new film is being spearheaded by Guy Cocker, a gaming journalist who has provided work for Wired, Stuff.tv, BBC, Sky and Bafta, and has been in the works for several months already.
The Make It Digital campaign will look to inspire youngsters and teenagers to get into coding, programming and other digital creation in an attempt to get more people involved in technology focused professions. The BBC has history in this area, having previously released the BBC Micro computer to get people in schools coding during the 1980s. The initiative will also see 11-year-old school children receiving 1 million ‘Micro Bit’ coding devices.
“BBC Make it Digital could help digital creativity become as familiar and fundamental as writing,” said BBC Director-General Tony Hall. “I’m truly excited by what Britain, and future great Britons, can achieve.”
As well as the Grand Theft Auto drama, there will be a variety of other television shows, radio programs, training sessions and written pieces that look at things such as an iWonder guide looking at the story of the British games industry by Ian Livingstone.