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Play for Today

1970 – 1985Show14 seasons · 314 episodesEnded

Drama
72
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.8
72
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.8

Summary

Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted. The individual episodes were between fifty and a hundred minutes in duration.

Good for

  • Drop-in friendly
  • Thought-provoking
  • Adults

Where to watch

Set your services

Not streaming in United States. Where it is:

Fingerprint

  • Holds up a mirror.
  • Feels like real life.
  • Hits close to home.

Not for laughs, scares or adrenaline.

The whole fingerprint· the print and its 12 scales

At a glance

Tropes

Spin-Offin 809 titlesRumpole of the Bailey began as a one-off episode of this show.Ripped from the Headlinesin 1,405 titles"The Falklands Factor" was produced shortly after, and in response to, The Falklands War.All 4 tropes

Play for Today episodes

14 seasons · 314 episodes

  1. S1 E1 The Long Distance Piano Player, 6.4
  2. S1 E2 The Right Prospectus, 6.3
  3. S1 E3 The Lie, 7.4
  4. S1 E4 Angels Are So Few, 7.8
  5. S1 E8 Hearts and Flowers, 6.5
  6. S1 E9 Robin Redbreast, 7.2
  7. S1 E10 The Hallelujah Handshake, 7.4
  8. S1 E14 The Piano, 7.5
  9. S1 E16 The Rainbirds, 5.4
  10. S1 E18 The Fox Trot, 5.6
  11. S1 E19 When the Bough Breaks, 7.8
  12. S1 E20 Orkney, 6.8
  13. S1 E21 The Rank and File, 6.8
  1. S2 E1 Traitor, 7.6
  2. S2 E2 Edna The Inebriate Woman, 7.8
  3. S2 E3 Evelyn, 6.9
  4. S2 E4 O Fat White Woman, 7.2
  5. S2 E5 Thank You Very Much, 5.8
  6. S2 E10 Home, 7.8
  7. S2 E11 Still Waters, 7.4
  8. S2 E12 Stocker's Copper, 7.4
  9. S2 E16 The Villa Maroc, 7.4
  10. S2 E18 The Fishing Party, 8.4
  1. S3 E1 The Reporters, 7.0
  2. S3 E3 Carson Country, 6.7
  3. S3 E7 The General's Day, 7.7
  4. S3 E8 The Bankrupt, 5.2
  5. S3 E9 Just Your Luck, 7.6
  6. S3 E10 The Bouncing Boy, 6.8
  7. S3 E11 Shakespeare or Bust, 7.9
  8. S3 E12 Land of Green Ginger, 7.5
  9. S3 E13 Kisses at Fifty, 7.4
  10. S3 E15 Song at Twilight, 7.7
  11. S3 E16 Only Make Believe, 7.5
  12. S3 E18 The Operation, 7.9
  13. S3 E19 Access to the Children, 7.0
  14. S3 E20 Hard Labour, 7.3
  15. S3 E22 Speech Day, 6.8
  16. S3 E26 Blooming Youth, 6.9
  1. S4 E1 Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, 8.1
  2. S4 E3 Jack Point, 6.0
  3. S4 E7 Shutdown, 7.2
  4. S4 E8 Baby Blues, 5.5
  5. S4 E10 The Lonely Man's Lover, 7.4
  6. S4 E11 All Good Men, 7.3
  7. S4 E12 Joe's Ark, 7.3
  8. S4 E14 Easy Go, 7.3
  9. S4 E15 Headmaster, 6.1
  10. S4 E16 Penda's Fen, 7.1
  11. S4 E17 Pidgeon - Hawk or Dove?, 6.5
  12. S4 E19 The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black Black Oil, 8.5
  13. S4 E20 Schmoedipus, 7.2
  14. S4 E21 The Childhood Friend, 7.8
  15. S4 E22 A Follower for Emily, 6.8
  1. S5 E1 Leeds United!, 8.1
  2. S5 E3 Back of Beyond, 7.5
  3. S5 E4 The Bevellers, 6.6
  4. S5 E5 Taking Leave, 7.1
  5. S5 E7 Eleanor, 6.9
  6. S5 E8 Gangsters, 8.1
  7. S5 E9 The After Dinner Game, 7.4
  8. S5 E10 Breath, 6.0
  9. S5 E11 The Death of a Young Young Man, 6.9
  10. S5 E12 Sunset Across the Bay, 7.7
  11. S5 E13 Funny Farm, 7.0
  12. S5 E14 Goodbye, 7.6
  13. S5 E15 Just Another Saturday, 7.8
  14. S5 E17 The Saturday Party, 8.1
  15. S5 E18 Wednesday Love, 7.7
  16. S5 E20 Brassneck, 6.6
  17. S5 E21 The Floater, 7.7
  1. S6 E1 Plaintiffs and Defendants, 6.7
  2. S6 E2 Two Sundays, 7.2
  3. S6 E3 Moss, 8.5
  4. S6 E4 84, Charing Cross Road, 7.7
  5. S6 E7 After the Solo, 6.8
  6. S6 E8 Through the Night, 8.0
  7. S6 E9 A Passage to England, 7.7
  8. S6 E10 Rumpole of the Bailey, 8.2
  9. S6 E11 The Other Woman, 7.5
  10. S6 E12 'Nuts in May', 7.8
  11. S6 E15 A Story to Frighten the Children, 6.4
  12. S6 E16 The Happy Hunting Ground, 6.6
  13. S6 E17 Jumping Bean Bag, 7.3
  14. S6 E18 Clay, Smeddum and Greenden, 7.3
  15. S6 E19 Love Letters on Blue Paper, 7.2
  16. S6 E20 Willie Rough, 7.3
  17. S6 E21 Tiptoe Through the Tulips, 7.7
  18. S6 E22 The Peddler, 7.0
  19. S6 E23 Early Struggles, 7.0
  20. S6 E24 Double Dare, 7.8
  1. S7 E1 Bar Mitzvah Boy, 7.6
  2. S7 E2 Bet Your Life, 6.9
  3. S7 E3 Rocky Marciano Is Dead, 8.1
  4. S7 E4 The Elephants' Graveyard, 7.4
  5. S7 E5 Housewives' Choice, 7.2
  6. S7 E6 Your Man from Six Counties, 7.8
  7. S7 E7 Buffet, 5.8
  8. S7 E9 The Kiss of Death, 6.6
  9. S7 E10 Our Flesh and Blood, 6.5
  10. S7 E11 Do As I Say, 7.0
  11. S7 E12 Spend Spend Spend, 8.2
  12. S7 E13 A Photograph, 7.4
  13. S7 E14 The Price of Coal: Part 1 - Meet the People, 7.8
  14. S7 E15 The Price of Coal: Part 2 - Back to Reality, 7.7
  15. S7 E16 Gotcha/Campion's Interview, 7.7
  16. S7 E17 A Choice of Evils, 7.3
  17. S7 E18 The Country Party, 7.3
  1. S8 E1 Stronger Than the Sun, 7.4
  2. S8 E2 Come the Revolution, 6.6
  3. S8 E3 Abigail's Party, 7.9
  4. S8 E4 Oy Vay Maria, 7.7
  5. S8 E5 Nipper, 7.9
  6. S8 E6 One Day at a Time, 8.0
  7. S8 E7 The Mayor's Charity, 6.4
  8. S8 E9 Charades, 6.4
  9. S8 E10 The Thin End of the Wedge, 6.7
  10. S8 E11 Scully's New Year's Eve, 7.4
  11. S8 E12 Licking Hitler, 7.6
  12. S8 E13 Red Shift, 6.5
  13. S8 E14 The Spongers, 8.5
  14. S8 E15 Destiny, 8.1
  15. S8 E16 Our Day Out, 8.0
  16. S8 E17 The After Dinner Joke, 5.8
  17. S8 E18 The Legion Hall Bombing, 6.8
  1. S9 E1 Nina, 6.4
  2. S9 E2 Victims of Apartheid, 6.8
  3. S9 E3 A Touch of the Tiny Hacketts, 6.4
  4. S9 E4 Dinner at the Sporting Club, 7.2
  5. S9 E5 Donal and Sally, 7.2
  6. S9 E6 Sorry..., 7.6
  7. S9 E7 Butterflies Don't Count, 6.6
  8. S9 E8 Soldiers Talking, Cleanly, 6.6
  9. S9 E9 One Bummer News Day, 6.8
  10. S9 E10 The Out of Town Boys, 7.7
  11. S9 E11 Vampires, 7.1
  12. S9 E12 The Chief Mourner, 7.6
  13. S9 E13 Waterloo Sunset, 8.4
  14. S9 E14 Blue Remembered Hills, 7.6
  15. S9 E15 Who's Who, 6.5
  16. S9 E16 The Last Window Cleaner, 4.9
  17. S9 E18 Degree of Uncertainty, 6.8
  18. S9 E19 Light, 6.8
  19. S9 E20 Coming Out, 7.5
  20. S9 E21 Don't Be Silly, 8.0
  1. S10 E1 Long Distance Information, 7.3
  2. S10 E2 Cries from a Watchtower, 7.9
  3. S10 E3 Comedians, 8.1
  4. S10 E4 Even Solomon, 8.2
  5. S10 E5 Just a Boys' Game, 8.0
  6. S10 E6 Billy, 8.0
  7. S10 E7 A Hole in Babylon, 7.0
  8. S10 E8 The Slab Boys, 7.2
  9. S10 E9 Katie: The Year of a Child, 7.0
  10. S10 E10 The Network, 7.4
  11. S10 E11 Chance of a Lifetime, 7.0
  12. S10 E12 Keep Smiling, 6.4
  13. S10 E13 Dreams of Leaving, 7.1
  14. S10 E15 Murder Rap, 7.1
  15. S10 E16 Instant Enlightenment Including VAT, 6.3
  16. S10 E17 No Defence, 7.2
  17. S10 E19 A Gift from Nessus, 6.8
  18. S10 E20 Kate the Good Neighbour, 8.0
  19. S10 E21 Buses, 6.1
  20. S10 E22 Shadows on Our Skin, 7.6
  21. S10 E23 Ladies, 6.5
  22. S10 E24 The Vanishing Army, 7.2
  23. S10 E25 Not for the Likes of Us, 7.6
  24. S10 E26 The Executioner, 7.8
  25. S10 E27 The Imitation Game, 7.5
  26. S10 E28 A Walk in the Forest, 6.7
  1. S11 E1 Pasmore, 6.6
  2. S11 E2 C2H5OH, 7.4
  3. S11 E5 Minor Complications, 8.4
  4. S11 E6 Number on End, 6.7
  5. S11 E7 Jude, 6.9
  6. S11 E8 The Flipside of Dominick Hide, 8.1
  7. S11 E9 Name for the Day, 6.8
  8. S11 E10 Jessie, 7.6
  9. S11 E11 Beyond the Pale, 6.5
  10. S11 E12 The Muscle Market, 8.4
  11. S11 E13 A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado, 8.4
  12. S11 E14 Dear Brutus, 6.4
  13. S11 E16 Beloved Enemy, 6.6
  14. S11 E17 The Kamikaze Ground Staff Reunion Dinner, 8.7
  15. S11 E19 Sorry, 7.1
  16. S11 E20 Shai Mãlã Khani: The Garland, 7.2
  17. S11 E21 The Sin Bin, 5.4
  18. S11 E23 Bavarian Night, 8.0
  19. S11 E24 The Good Time Girls, 6.5
  20. S11 E25 Baby Talk, 6.6
  21. S11 E26 A Turn for the Worse, 7.5
  22. S11 E27 Psy-Warriors, 7.3
  1. S12 E1 Country, 6.9
  2. S12 E2 London Is Drowning, 6.3
  3. S12 E3 A Room for the Winter, 6.2
  4. S12 E4 No Visible Scar, 6.7
  5. S12 E5 Iris in the traffic... ...Ruby in the rain., 7.8
  6. S12 E6 Protest, 6.0
  7. S12 E7 United Kingdom, 8.6
  8. S12 E8 P.Q. 17, 6.7
  9. S12 E9 The Factory, 6.2
  10. S12 E10 England's Greens and Peasant Land, 7.2
  11. S12 E11 A Cotswold Death, 6.1
  12. S12 E12 Under the Skin, 5.5
  13. S12 E13 Commitments, 6.0
  14. S12 E14 Life After Death, 6.6
  15. S12 E15 The Silly Season, 7.0
  16. S12 E16 Too Late to Talk to Billy, 8.0
  17. S12 E17 Willie's Last Stand, 7.6
  18. S12 E18 "Tishoo", 6.6
  19. S12 E19 Home Sweet Home, 7.2
  20. S12 E20 A Sudden Wrench, 7.5
  21. S12 E21 Eve Set the Balls of Corruption Rolling, 7.0
  22. S12 E22 Whistling Wally, 6.9
  1. S13 E1 Soft Targets, 7.3
  2. S13 E2 3 Minute Heroes, 7.4
  3. S13 E4 Intensive Care, 7.4
  4. S13 E7 Aliens, 7.2
  5. S13 E8 Another Flip for Dominick, 7.2
  6. S13 E9 Last Love, 7.9
  7. S13 E10 Gates of Gold, 6.8
  8. S13 E11 Wayne and Albert, 7.6
  9. S13 E12 Atlantis, 6.6
  10. S13 E13 The Last Term, 6.4
  11. S13 E15 Shall I Be Mother?, 7.1
  12. S13 E17 A Matter of Choice for Billy, 7.5
  1. S14 E1 Young Shoulders, 7.6
  2. S14 E2 A Coming to Terms for Billy, 7.7
  3. S14 E3 Z for Zachariah, 6.3
  4. S14 E4 Moving on the Edge, 6.8
  5. S14 E5 Desert of Lies, 6.6
  6. S14 E6 Hard Feelings, 6.6
  7. S14 E7 Under the Hammer, 7.0
  8. S14 E8 King, 8.2
  9. S14 E9 Rainy Day Women, 7.2
  10. S14 E10 Dog Ends, 7.1
  11. S14 E11 The Groundling and the Kite, 6.2
  12. S14 E12 The Cry, 6.4
  13. S14 E13 It Could Happen to Anybody, 7.3
  14. S14 E14 Only Children, 6.4
  15. S14 E15 The Amazing Miss Stella Estelle, 6.8

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