‘British 55th Division gas casualties 10 April 1918’, courtesy of the United Kingdom Government

BBC plans for Centenary drama attract controversy

The BBC has commissioned a First World War Centenary drama, which has attracted controversy from some British newspapers for “plans to give British and German troops equal prominence” (The Daily Mail).

Tony Jordan who has written the drama for the BBC said: “The Great War follows two young men as they struggle to adapt to life on the front line and fight to survive the terrifying events of war. The story looks at all aspects of the war – from the families left behind to the strategic decisions by generals that led to unimaginable bloodshed and the men fighting in the trenches – no one is unaffected by this global war.”

The drama is set to be aired around the time of Armistice Week in 2014.

However, British newspaper The Daily Mail reports that veterans have been “infuriated” at the BBC’s plans to give “equal prominence to British and German soldiers” and quotes a BBC “insider”, who said that the BBC is concerned about “not offending the Germans”.

To read the BBC’s announcement of the Centenary drama, click here.

To read the article on The Daily Mail website, click here.

Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News