Play for Today (a Titles & Air Dates Guide)

Play for Today

(a Titles & Air Dates Guide)

Last updated: Mon, 6 Apr 2026 -2:00

Show Details:

Start date: Oct 1970
End date: Aug 1984
Status: cancelled/ended
Network(s): BBC One (UK)
Run time: 75 min
Episodes: 307 eps
Genre(s): Drama

Down to Latest Season

Printable Guide @TVmaze

Episode list & details from: TVmaze • TV.com

Episode #		Original Air Date	Titles

Season 1

1.	1-1	15 Oct 70	The Long Distance Piano Player (100 min)
2.	1-2	22 Oct 70	The Right Prospectus
3.	1-3	29 Oct 70	The Lie (90 min)
4.	1-4	05 Nov 70	Angels Are So Few (65 min)
5.	1-5	12 Nov 70	The Write-Off
6.	1-6	19 Nov 70	I Can't See My Little Willie
7.	1-7	26 Nov 70	A Distant Thunder (50 min)
8.	1-8	03 Dec 70	Hearts and Flowers
9.	1-9	10 Dec 70	Robin Redbreast
10.	1-10	17 Dec 70	The Hallelujah Handshake
11.	1-11	07 Jan 71	Alma Mater (85 min)
12.	1-12	14 Jan 71	Circle Line (65 min)
13.	1-13	21 Jan 71	Hell's Angel
14.	1-14	28 Jan 71	The Piano (65 min)
15.	1-15	04 Feb 71	Billy's Last Stand (50 min)
16.	1-16	11 Feb 71	The Rainbirds (65 min)
17.	1-17	18 Feb 71	Reddick
18.	1-18	29 Apr 71	The Foxtrot (70 min)
19.	1-19	06 May 71	When the Bough Breaks
20.	1-20	13 May 71	Orkney (90 min)
21.	1-21	20 May 71	The Rank and File
22.	1-22	27 May 71	The Man in the Sidecar
23.	1-23	03 Jun 71	Everybody Say Cheese

Season 2

24.	2-1	14 Oct 71	Traitor (60 min)
25.	2-2	21 Oct 71	Edna, the Inebriate Woman (90 min)
26.	2-3	28 Oct 71	Evelyn (50 min)
27.	2-4	04 Nov 71	O Fat White Woman (70 min)
28.	2-5	11 Nov 71	Thank You Very Much (40 min)
29.	2-6	18 Nov 71	Michael Regan (70 min)
30.	2-7	25 Nov 71	Skin Deep
31.	2-8	02 Dec 71	Pal
32.	2-9	09 Dec 71	The Pigeon Fancier
33.	2-10	06 Jan 72	Home
34.	2-11	13 Jan 72	Still Waters
35.	2-12	20 Jan 72	Stocker's Copper
36.	2-13	27 Jan 72	The House on Highbury Hill
37.	2-14	03 Feb 72	In the Beautiful Caribbean
38.	2-15	10 Feb 72	Ackerman, Dougall and Harker
39.	2-16	17 Feb 72	The Villa Maroc
40.	2-17	24 Feb 72	Cows
41.	2-18	27 Apr 72	A Time to Keep
42.	2-19	01 Jun 72	The Fishing Party

Season 3

43.	3-1	09 Oct 72	The Reporters
44.	3-2	16 Oct 72	A Life Is Forever
45.	3-3	23 Oct 72	Carson Country
46.	3-4	30 Oct 72	Man Friday
47.	3-5	06 Nov 72	Triple Exposure
48.	3-6	13 Nov 72	Better than the Movies
49.	3-7	20 Nov 72	The General's Day
50.	3-8	27 Nov 72	The Bankrupt
51.	3-9	04 Dec 72	Just Your Luck
52.	3-10	11 Dec 72	The Bouncing Boy
53.	3-11	08 Jan 73	Shakespeare or Bust
54.	3-12	15 Jan 73	Land of Green Ginger
55.	3-13	22 Jan 73	Kisses at Fifty
56.	3-14	29 Jan 73	Highway Robbery
57.	3-15	05 Feb 73	Song at Twilight
58.	3-16	12 Feb 73	Only Make Believe
59.	3-17	19 Feb 73	For Sylvia or the Air Show
60.	3-18	26 Feb 73	The Operation
61.	3-19	05 Mar 73	Access to the Children
62.	3-20	12 Mar 73	Hard Labour
63.	3-21	19 Mar 73	Man Above Men
64.	3-22	26 Mar 73	Speech Day
65.	3-23	14 May 73	Steps Back
66.	3-24	04 Jun 73	Three's One
67.	3-25	11 Jun 73	Edward G.--Like the Film Star
68.	3-26	18 Jun 73	Blooming Youth
69.	3-27	25 Jun 73	The Stretch
70.	3-28	02 Jul 73	Making the Play

Season 4

71.	4-1	18 Oct 73	Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
72.	4-2	25 Oct 73	Her Majesty's Pleasure
73.	4-3	01 Nov 73	Jack Point
74.	4-4	08 Nov 73	The Emergency Channel
75.	4-5	15 Nov 73	Mummy and Daddy
76.	4-6	22 Nov 73	Private Practice
77.	4-7	29 Nov 73	Shutdown
78.	4-8	06 Dec 73	Baby Blues
79.	4-9	13 Dec 73	Jingle Bells
80.	4-10	17 Jan 74	The Lonely Man's Lover
81.	4-11	31 Jan 74	All Good Men
82.	4-12	14 Feb 74	Joe's Ark
83.	4-13	21 Feb 74	Hot Fat
84.	4-14	07 Mar 74	Easy Go
85.	4-15	14 Mar 74	Headmaster
86.	4-16	21 Mar 74	Penda's Fen
87.	4-17	28 Mar 74	Pigeon--Hawk or Dove?
88.	4-18	11 Apr 74	Three for the Fancy
89.	4-19	06 Jun 74	The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil
90.	4-20	20 Jun 74	Schmoedipus
91.	4-21	27 Jun 74	The Childhood Friend
92.	4-22	04 Jul 74	A Follower for Emily

Season 5

93.	5-1	31 Oct 74	Leeds--United!
94.	5-2	07 Nov 74	Baby Love
95.	5-3	14 Nov 74	Back of Beyond
96.	5-4	21 Nov 74	The Bevellers
97.	5-5	28 Nov 74	Taking Leave
98.	5-6	05 Dec 74	Fugitive
99.	5-7	12 Dec 74	Eleanor
100.	5-8	09 Jan 75	Gangsters
101.	5-9	16 Jan 75	The After Dinner Game
102.	5-10	23 Jan 75	Breath
103.	5-11	30 Jan 75	The Death of a Young, Young Man
104.	5-12	20 Feb 75	Sunset Across the Bay
105.	5-13	27 Feb 75	Funny Farm
106.	5-14	06 Mar 75	Goodbye
107.	5-15	13 Mar 75	Just Another Saturday
108.	5-16	24 Apr 75	A Child of Hope
109.	5-17	01 May 75	The Saturday Party
110.	5-18	08 May 75	Wednesday Love
111.	5-19	15 May 75	The Dandelion Clock
112.	5-20	22 May 75	Brassneck
113.	5-21	29 May 75	The Floater
114.	5-22	05 Jun 75	By Common Consent

Season 6

115.	6-1	14 Oct 75	Plaintiffs and Defendants
116.	6-2	21 Oct 75	Two Sundays
117.	6-3	28 Oct 75	Moss
118.	6-4	04 Nov 75	84 Charing Cross Road
119.	6-5	11 Nov 75	Keep an Eye on Albert
120.	6-6	18 Nov 75	Children of the Sun
121.	6-7	25 Nov 75	After the Solo
122.	6-8	02 Dec 75	Through the Night
123.	6-9	09 Dec 75	A Passage to England
124.	6-10	16 Dec 75	Rumpole of the Bailey
125.	6-11	06 Jan 76	The Other Woman
126.	6-12	13 Jan 76	Nuts in May
127.	6-13	20 Jan 76	Doran's Box
128.	6-14	27 Jan 76	Packman's Barn
129.	6-15	03 Feb 76	A Story to Frighten the Children
130.	6-16	10 Feb 76	The Happy Hunting Ground
131.	6-17	17 Feb 76	The Jumping Bean Bag
132.	6-18	24 Feb 76	Clay, Smeddum and Greenden
133.	6-19	02 Mar 76	Love Letters on Blue Paper
134.	6-20	09 Mar 76	Willie Rough
135.	6-21	16 Mar 76	Tiptoe Through the Tulips
136.	6-22	23 Mar 76	The Peddler
137.	6-23	30 Mar 76	Early Struggles
138.	6-24	06 Apr 76	Double Dare
139.	6-25	28 Jul 76	The House of Bernarda Alba

Season 7

140.	7-1	14 Sep 76	The Bar Mitzvah Boy
141.	7-2	21 Sep 76	Bet Your Life
142.	7-3	28 Sep 76	Rocky Marciano Is Dead
143.	7-4	12 Oct 76	The Elephants' Graveyard
144.	7-5	19 Oct 76	Housewives' Choice
145.	7-6	26 Oct 76	Your Man from Six Counties
146.	7-7	02 Nov 76	Buffet
147.	7-8	04 Jan 77	Love on a Gunboat
148.	7-9	11 Jan 77	The Kiss of Death
149.	7-10	18 Jan 77	Our Flesh and Blood
150.	7-11	25 Jan 77	Do as I Say
151.	7-12	15 Mar 77	Spend, Spend, Spend
152.	7-13	22 Mar 77	A Photograph
153.	7-14	29 Mar 77	The Price of Coal (1)
154.	7-15	05 Apr 77	The Price of Coal (2)
155.	7-16	12 Apr 77	Gotcha
156.	7-17	12 Apr 77	Campion's Interview
157.	7-18	19 Apr 77	A Choice of Evils
158.	7-19	26 Apr 77	The Country Party

Season 8

159.	8-1	18 Oct 77	Stronger Than the Sun
160.	8-2	25 Oct 77	Come the Revolution
161.	8-3	01 Nov 77	Abigail's Party
162.	8-4	08 Nov 77	Oy Vay Maria
163.	8-5	15 Nov 77	Nipper
164.	8-6	22 Nov 77	One Day at a Time
165.	8-7	29 Nov 77	The Mayor's Charity
166.	8-8	06 Dec 77	Catchpenny Twist
167.	8-9	13 Dec 77	Charades
168.	8-10	20 Dec 77	The Thin End of the Wedge
169.	8-11	03 Jan 78	Scully's New Year's Eve
170.	8-12	10 Jan 78	Licking Hitler
171.	8-13	17 Jan 78	Red Shift
172.	8-14	24 Jan 78	The Spongers
173.	8-15	31 Jan 78	Destiny
174.	8-16	14 Feb 78	The After Dinner Joke
175.	8-17	22 Aug 78	The Legion Hall Bombing

Season 9

176.	9-1	17 Oct 78	Nina
177.	9-2	24 Oct 78	Victims of Apartheid
178.	9-3	31 Oct 78	A Touch of the Tiny Hacketts
179.	9-4	07 Nov 78	Dinner at the Sporting Club
180.	9-5	14 Nov 78	Donal and Sally
181.	9-6	21 Nov 78	Sorry
182.	9-7	28 Nov 78	Butterflies Don't Count
183.	9-8	05 Dec 78	Soldiers Talking Cleanly
184.	9-9	12 Dec 78	One Bummer Newsday
185.	9-10	02 Jan 79	The Out of Town Boys
186.	9-11	09 Jan 79	Vampires
187.	9-12	16 Jan 79	The Chief Mourner
188.	9-13	23 Jan 79	Waterloo Sunset
189.	9-14	30 Jan 79	Blue Remembered Hills
190.	9-15	06 Feb 79	Who's Who
191.	9-16	13 Feb 79	The Last Window Cleaner
192.	9-17	27 Feb 79	Ploughman's Share
193.	9-18	06 Mar 79	Degree of Uncertainty
194.	9-19	13 Mar 79	Light
195.	9-20	10 Apr 79	Coming Out
196.	9-21	24 Jul 79	Don't Be Silly

Season 10

197.	10-1	11 Oct 79	Long Distance Information
198.	10-2	18 Oct 79	Cries from a Watchtower
199.	10-3	25 Oct 79	Comedians
200.	10-4	01 Nov 79	Even Solomon
201.	10-5	08 Nov 79	Just a Boy's Game
202.	10-6	15 Nov 79	Billy
203.	10-7	29 Nov 79	A Hole in Babylon
204.	10-8	06 Dec 79	The Slab-Boys
205.	10-9	13 Dec 79	Katie
206.	10-10	20 Dec 79	The Network
207.	10-11	03 Jan 80	Chance of a Lifetime
208.	10-12	10 Jan 80	Keep Smiling
209.	10-13	17 Jan 80	Dreams of Leaving
210.	10-14	24 Jan 80	Thicker Than Water
211.	10-15	31 Jan 80	Murder Rap
212.	10-16	07 Feb 80	Instant Enlightenment Including VAT
213.	10-17	14 Feb 80	No Defence
214.	10-18	21 Feb 80	That Crazy Woman
215.	10-19	28 Feb 80	A Gift from Nessus
216.	10-20	06 Mar 80	Kate, the Good Neighbour
217.	10-21	13 Mar 80	Buses
218.	10-22	20 Mar 80	Shadows on Our Skin
219.	10-23	27 Mar 80	Ladies
220.	10-24	03 Apr 80	The Vanishing Army
221.	10-25	10 Apr 80	Not for the Likes of Us
222.	10-26	17 Apr 80	The Executioner
223.	10-27	24 Apr 80	The Imitation Game
224.	10-28	14 May 80	A Walk in the Forest

Season 11

225.	11-1	21 Oct 80	Pasmore
226.	11-2	28 Oct 80	C2H5OH
227.	11-3	04 Nov 80	The Adventures of Frank: Everybody's Fiddling Something
228.	11-4	11 Nov 80	The Adventures of Frank: Seeds of Ice
229.	11-5	18 Nov 80	Minor Complications
230.	11-6	25 Nov 80	Number on End
231.	11-7	02 Dec 80	Jude
232.	11-8	09 Dec 80	The Flipside of Dominick Hyde
233.	11-9	16 Dec 80	Name for the Day
234.	11-10	23 Dec 80	Jessie
235.	11-11	06 Jan 81	Beyond the Pale
236.	11-12	13 Jan 81	The Muscle Market
237.	11-13	20 Jan 81	A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado
238.	11-14	27 Jan 81	Dear Brutus
239.	11-15	03 Feb 81	The Cause
240.	11-16	10 Feb 81	Beloved Enemy
241.	11-17	17 Feb 81	The Kamikaze Ground Staff Reunion Dinner
242.	11-18	24 Feb 81	The Union
243.	11-19	03 Mar 81	Sorry
244.	11-20	10 Mar 81	The Garland
245.	11-21	17 Mar 81	The Sin Bin
246.	11-22	24 Mar 81	Before Water Lillies
247.	11-23	31 Mar 81	Bavarian Night
248.	11-24	07 Apr 81	The Good Time Girls
249.	11-25	14 Apr 81	Baby Talk
250.	11-26	28 Apr 81	A Turn for the Worse
251.	11-27	12 May 81	Psy-Warriors

Season 12

252.	12-1	20 Oct 81	Country
253.	12-2	27 Oct 81	London Is Drowning
254.	12-3	03 Nov 81	A Room for the Winter
255.	12-4	17 Nov 81	No Visible Scar
256.	12-5	24 Nov 81	Iris in the Traffic, Ruby in the Rain
257.	12-6	01 Dec 81	Protest
258.	12-7	08 Dec 81	United Kingdom
259.	12-8	15 Dec 81	PQ17
260.	12-9	22 Dec 81	The Factory
261.	12-10	05 Jan 82	England's Green and Pleasant Land
262.	12-11	12 Jan 82	A Cotswold Death
263.	12-12	19 Jan 82	Under the Skin
264.	12-13	26 Jan 82	Commitments
265.	12-14	02 Feb 82	Life After Death
266.	12-15	09 Feb 82	The Silly Season
267.	12-16	16 Feb 82	Too Late to Talk to Billy
268.	12-17	23 Feb 82	Willie's Last Stand
269.	12-18	09 Mar 82	Tishoo
270.	12-19	16 Mar 82	Home Sweet Home
271.	12-20	23 Mar 82	A Sudden Wrench
272.	12-21	30 Mar 82	Eve Set the Balls of Corruption Going
273.	12-22	06 Apr 82	Whistling Wally

Season 13

274.	13-1	19 Oct 82	Soft Targets
275.	13-2	26 Oct 82	Three Minute Heroes
276.	13-3	02 Nov 82	The Remainder Man
277.	13-4	09 Nov 82	Intensive Care
278.	13-5	16 Nov 82	A Mother Like Him
279.	13-6	23 Nov 82	John David
280.	13-7	30 Nov 82	Aliens
281.	13-8	14 Dec 82	Another Flip for Dominick
282.	13-9	01 Mar 83	Last Love
283.	13-10	08 Mar 83	Gates of Gold
284.	13-11	15 Mar 83	Wayne and Albert
285.	13-12	22 Mar 83	Atlantis
286.	13-13	05 Apr 83	The Last Term
287.	13-14	12 Apr 83	Reluctant Chickens
288.	13-15	19 Apr 83	Shall I Be Mother?
289.	13-16	26 Apr 83	The Falklands Factor
290.	13-17	10 May 83	A Matter of Choice for Billy
291.	13-18	24 Aug 83	Floating Off

Season 14

292.	14-1	25 Oct 83	Stan's Last Game
293.	14-2	14 Feb 84	Young Shoulders
294.	14-3	21 Feb 84	A Coming to Terms for Billy
295.	14-4	28 Feb 84	Z for Zachariah
296.	14-5	06 Mar 84	Moving on the Edge
297.	14-6	13 Mar 84	Desert of Lies
298.	14-7	20 Mar 84	Hard Feelings
299.	14-8	27 Mar 84	Under the Hammer
300.	14-9	03 Apr 84	King
301.	14-10	10 Apr 84	Rainy Day Women
302.	14-11	17 Jul 84	Dog Ends
303.	14-12	24 Jul 84	The Groundling and the Kite
304.	14-13	31 Jul 84	The Cry
305.	14-14	14 Aug 84	It Could Happen to Anybody
306.	14-15	21 Aug 84	Only Children
307.	14-16	28 Aug 84	The Amazing Miss Stella Estelle

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