The BBC are reported to be in the early stages of adapting the 1963 Steve Mc Queen movie, The Great Escape, into a TV series.

The classic film which was loosely based on the book by Paul Brickhill, follows Allied soldiers who escape from a a German prisoner of war camp during World War II. The film, a stable on TV over Christmas, was based on the real life mass escape of troops from the German camp Stalg Luft II and starred Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough.

BBC are developing the new series with American company Open Circle, who have bought the rights for the film. The agreement is also said to be part of a wider agreement between the two companies, which will also include an adaptation of the Ann Holt detective novels.