Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

[Markxist]

This is my first post on here, so please be gentle! Haha

Anyway, I'm a big fan of the single play that the BBC used to do from the 60s with Wednesday Play right through to the 90s with Screen One and Screen Two and I think it's a shame that they no longer produce these things regularly and that they don't repeat the wealth of incredible drama from yesteryear on a channel like BBC4. Yes some have been repeated and some have even been released on DVD but there's dozens and dozens that haven't seen the light of day in years (besides the odd one or two on YouTube, some of which I've put up myself) and I think that's a real shame.

To that end I have started a petition that I think some members on here may like to sign. It's asking the BBC to repeat these plays once more and if you'd like to see them again please sign and share the petition

https://www.change.org/p/the-bbc-rep...ne-on-bbc4-now

Do you have a favourite of these single plays?

[Twocky61]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

A few more memorable Play for Today's are Up the Junction which was later made into a film starring Suzy Kendal & Dennis Waterman.

Also Our Day Out when the school kids go on a school trip.

Of course the most well known will be Cathy Come Home starring Carol White playing a homeless single mother. This was in docu-drama format highlighting homelessnes.

Consider the petition signed. I will also be writting to BBC Enterprises asking if there were video releases
As well there was Edna the Inebriate Woman played by Patricia Hayes.

[wispa lover]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

Our Day Out. I watched it in school, I even got the book of it.

[Markxist]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

Dunno if anyone on here is a user of Letterboxd but you can find my full and ongoing list of reviews for Play For Today dramas etc here
http://letterboxd.com/man_out_of_tim...ays-the-thing/

[Mulletino]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

I actually went looking for this one the other day, because I always remembered watching it at school after reading the book and they are making a new movie version of it:

[darren]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

This does look familiar i must say.
Cant remember anything about it.

But i remember play for today.

I look forward to the new version u mentioned is on its way.

i actually went looking for this one the other day, because i always remembered watching it at school after reading the book and they are making a new movie version of it:

[Jonn]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

There was also series called Screenplay which ran from the mid 80s to the early 90s on BBC2. One play I remember was a comedy called burning ambition, it was about two friends who bought a bus & ended up doing a coach tour of the M25 Motorway, does anyone remember this?

[agfagaevart]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

Dunno if anyone on here is a user of Letterboxd but you can find my full and ongoing list of reviews for Play For Today dramas etc here
http://letterboxd.com/man_out_of_tim...ays-the-thing/

Didn't know Rumpole started as a PFT. Why was the series (Rumpole) on ITV and not BBC?

[Richard1978]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

Didn't know Rumpole started as a PFT. Why was the series (Rumpole) on ITV and not BBC?

IIRC the BBC didn't want to make it into a regular series, not sure if getting the rights to the books were going to be too much.

[Markxist]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

Yeah, so Verity Lambert who was leaving the beeb anyway, took it to Thames

[Markxist]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

There was also series called Screenplay which ran from the mid 80s to the early 90s on BBC2. One play I remember was a comedy called burning ambition, it was about two friends who bought a bus & ended up doing a coach tour of the M25 Motorway, does anyone remember this?

Yup, I remember Screenplay. There's a couple on YouTube, like Govan Ghost Story, from this strand

[Markxist]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

A few Play For Today's became series; Rumploe, Gangsters, Boys from the Blackstuff, Headmaster

[ann22]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

I watched one one YouTube the other night that I remember watching. "Vampires" it was called. Had a twist to the end that scared the cr*p out of me as a child.

[darren]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

I remember watching one of them z for zechariah 1984.
But need to see it again to remember what its about.

Thats what u want ann something that scares you.

Did it still scare you.

i watched one one youtube the other night that i remember watching. "vampires" it was called. Had a twist to the end that scared the cr*p out of me as a child.

[ann22]

Re: Play For Today, Screen One, Screen Two etc

I remember watching one of them z for zechariah 1984.
But need to see it again to remember what its about.

Thats what u want ann something that scares you.

Did it still scare you.

No it didn't, Darren 😊. I was petrified of vampires when I was little. ..Prob something to do with watching.the BBC Dracula adaption or perhaps it was Salem Lot. The Play for Today episode was a about this wee Liverpool Lad and his fascination with vampires... likely it was escapism from his normal life of school, a single mother and having lost his father in an accident. The last scene in it could've been all in his mind- but I still don't know if it was or not. I enjoyed it nonetheless.