1. Birth Of A Legend

It’s one of the most controversial and critically acclaimed video game series of all time: Grand Theft Auto. The games feature stealing, shooting, joyriding and criminality – but also immersive, mind-blowing creativity.

It’s been the best part of a decade – and the fans are growing restless. A sumptuous update pack features Dr Dre, showing once again just how important GTA is to the wider pop culture. But at the same time, a re-release of the classic titles is heavily criticised for bugs and glitches. The fans want GTA VI. Then out of clear blue sky – the announcement that its coming. The fans rejoice. Not long later however, a massive hack leaves development shots of the game all over the internet, robbing fans of part of their magical surprise. There are big questions over what GTA VI will be. Many say its time to have a female lead character after years in the background of the series. And that’s something that looks almost sure to come. But another big question is whether it can still shock and appall in the way that made it so hugely popular in the first place. Whatever happens, GTA remains an entertainment colossus – the defining creation of both a huge team, and an elusive mastermind. WARNING: This podcast contains adult language and adult themes. This podcast was first published in November 2022, and has been edited and updated in October 2026. -- CREDITS: Written by Ciaran Tracey and Chris Warburton Presenter: Bugzy Malone Presenter: Chris Warburton Mixing and Mastering: James Bradshaw Assistant Producer: Gabrielle Gatti Additional journalism by Jo Newsholme, Helen Ledwick and Laura Conder Executive Commissioners for BBC: Richard Maddock and Dylan Haskins Assistant Commissioner: Natalie Mace The Executive Producer is Ciaran Tracey for Big City Nights

Like so many fans, Bugzy has spent hours and hours on GTA V. It was a game so big it no longer had one lead character – it needed three. They were performances acted with authority, anger and humour. This is the tale of what it takes to act such a nuanced and complex role, from an actor at the peak of his powers. Steven Ogg provided the performance for the unforgettable Trevor – a haunted criminal prone to extreme violence. Having done a few films himself, it’s a role that Bugzy finds inspiring. But there was even more to come with GTA V, as its world expanded into an online metaverse all of its own. Three players from this weird and exciting world explain what gives them their in-game kicks. At the same time, it’s a world that can cost money, if you want it to: and that’s something that’s led to growing criticism from some online users. Expectation is growing for a new title in the series. WARNING: This podcast contains adult language and descriptions of violence. This podcast was first published in November 2022, and has been edited and updated in October 2026. -- CREDITS: Written by Ciaran Tracey and Chris Warburton Presenter: Bugzy Malone Presenter: Chris Warburton Mixing and Mastering: James Bradshaw Assistant Producer: Gabrielle Gatti Additional journalism by Jo Newsholme, Helen Ledwick and Laura Conder Executive Commissioners for BBC: Richard Maddock and Dylan Haskins Assistant Commissioner: Natalie Mace The Executive Producer is Ciaran Tracey for Big City Nights.

The sex scene locked away in San Andreas’ code has been discovered and the politicians in America urgently want to know how it got there. The agency that oversees age ratings on America’s games says its system has been undermined. And that carries huge consequences for Rockstar Games. The code is fixed, at huge expense, as its makers support the ratings agency’s decision. But a bigger problem is to come. America’s Federal Trade Commission is investigating and they also want to know how the scene made it to the disc. In the end, the FTC decide that there was no deliberate deception. But it was a bruising episode for the games maker. Undeterred, Rockstar set about with a comeback that would reaffirm their role as gaming’s sharpest cultural commentators – GTA IV – a gritty, and dark tour de force of storytelling and action. WARNING: This podcast contains descriptions of violence and sexual themes. This podcast was first published in November 2022, and has been edited and updated in October 2026. -- CREDITS: Written by Ciaran Tracey and Chris Warburton Presenter: Bugzy Malone Presenter: Chris Warburton Mixing and Mastering: James Bradshaw Assistant Producer: Gabrielle Gatti Additional journalism by Jo Newsholme, Helen Ledwick and Laura Conder Executive Commissioners for BBC: Richard Maddock and Dylan Haskins Assistant Commissioner: Natalie Mace The Executive Producer is Ciaran Tracey for Big City Nights.

In 2004, a new GTA was ready. It was called San Andreas and would take the world by storm with its daring signature of location and music. The game was set in a fictional LA ‘hood', and featured an array of gang members like no other title before. It was one of the very first to feature a black lead character in its storytelling and won instant plaudits. Bugzy opens up on the time he spent playing the game and how its vivid caricatures of day-to-day gang life actually found a mirror in what he was going through in his own life. He tells the story of how he grew up surrounded by crime. He reflects on his experiences in a song he named after the game itself ‘San Andreas Mentality’. San Andreas would become notorious not for its violence however but for a sex scene that was buried in its data files. One that was never supposed to be found. But one that was discovered by a group of ‘modders’ who couldn’t believe what they’d stumbled upon - one of whom tells his story in this episode. The find became known as ‘hot coffee’. But it was a find that would land GTA in some seriously hot water. WARNING: This podcast contains themes of a sexual nature and adult language. This podcast was first published in November 2022, and has been edited and updated in October 2026. -- CREDITS: Written by Ciaran Tracey and Chris Warburton Presenter: Bugzy Malone Presenter: Chris Warburton Mixing and Mastering: James Bradshaw Assistant Producer: Gabrielle Gatti Additional journalism by Jo Newsholme, Helen Ledwick and Laura Conder Executive Commissioners for BBC: Richard Maddock and Dylan Haskins Assistant Commissioner: Natalie Mace The Executive Producer is Ciaran Tracey for Big City Nights