BBC to create TV drama based on GTA [Update]

The BBC is making a TV show based on Grand Theft Auto as part of a new initiative.

Update: Develop has obtained more details about the nature of the show. The show will tell the story of GTA's creation and tackle the controversy the series always generated.

"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," reads a BBC statement.

"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."

Original story: The BBC announced earlier that it's to produce a TV drama based on Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto.

The show will air on BBC 2 as part of a new "Make it Digital" initiative that aims to highlight Britain's role in the digital world, as well as encourage young audiences to get into coding.

The initiative is aimed at young audiences which makes the association with GTA, a game intended for mature audiences, a little bizarre.

No details are known about the show yet, but a "big audience moment" in this program's life is scheduled for September, so maybe we'll hear more then.

Other brands will also receiving content, such as Doctor Who and EastEnders.