Play for Today

Season 8

BBC anthology series featuring original plays, theatrical and literary adaptations. Over 300 episodes of varying lengths aired from 1970-1984, with some later developed into series, including Rumpole of the Bailey and Gangsters.

Where to Watch Play for Today • Season 8

18 Episodes

Stronger than the Sun
E1
Stronger than the SunA worker discovers a radioactive leak at the nuclear power plant where she works and tries to make it public knowledge.
Come the Revolution
E2
Come the RevolutionMike and his commune have a performance of their musical theatre "Diver" at the local pub, and ITV's Beth Bailey is coming along to see it. But will Beth's visions for the play as an incitement to revolution please everyone?
Abigail's Party
E3
Abigail's PartyComedy of manners focusing on the bourgeois affectation and sexual frustration of a young married couple. Abigail's mother Sue is invited to take refuge from her teenage daughter's party with a neighbouring couple, Beverly and Laurence. They have also invited Angela and Tony, new arrivals in the street. Beverly plies her guests with alcohol as Sue becomes increasingly withdrawn and embarrassed by the pretentious goings-on. Slowly, marital tensions emerge and the evening is breaking up in disarray.
Oy Vay Maria
E4
Oy Vay MariaThe story of the romance between a Jewish boy and an Irish Catholic girl
Nipper
E5
NipperTeenager Jimmy's life begins to unravel after the death of his father. With his mother promiscuous and his new stepfather and stepbrother difficult to get along with, he begins to fall into a cycle of petty crime and self harm.
One Day at a Time
E6
One Day at a Time"People coming to their first AA meeting, prosperous people, sometimes, accustomed to the best. They look round the places where we meet, and you can see them thinking: what am I doing here? I owe my life to these rooms!"
The Mayor's Charity
E7
The Mayor's CharityOlive Major is determined that her year of office as Mayor will be a happy and successful one. But her appointment of Ex-Warrant Officer Higham as Attendant and Mace-bearer causes the storm-clouds to gather over Medburgh Town Hall.
Catchpenny Twist
E8
Catchpenny TwistRoy and Martyn want to write the next Irish winner for the Eurovision Song Contest. So who thinks they are working for British Army Intelligence? Why has someone sent them two bullets through the post?
Charades
E9
Charades"We've just got to get it right. It'll be our little secret. When all the other servants have gone out, we'll play this little game to amuse ourselves. A sort of private charade."
The Thin End of the Wedge
E10
The Thin End of the Wedge"Five days of darkness then. Unless you get it together we will have five days of darkness. And on the sixth day you will say, let there be light, and no doubt it'll be such an effort that on the seventh day you'll have to rest!"
Scully's New Year's Eve
E11
Scully's New Year's EveA Liverpool teenager has a hectic night out on New Year's Eve.
Licking Hitler
E12
Licking HitlerDuring World War II, a young woman joins the propaganda department and makes radio broadcasts to Germany from a British country house.
Red Shift
E13
Red ShiftA stone axehead links three couples living at different times in the same place in Wales.
The Spongers
E14
The SpongersThe story of a single mother of four living on welfare
Destiny
E15
DestinyA story dealing with racial tensions and fascism during a by-election in a West Midlands town
Our Day Out
E16
Our Day OutWhen a teacher takes a group of troubled school children on a school trip to Conwy in Wales, the children understand life outside of Liverpool.
The After-Dinner Joke
E17
The After-Dinner JokeThe story of a well-meaning charity worker
The Legion Hall Bombing
E18
The Legion Hall BombingThe story of the trial of Willie Gallagher, convicted of bombing the Strabane British Legion Hall in 1976.