Film 186 for '26

▶️ On the eve of his Bar Mitzvah, young Elliot finds that all the grown men in his life are somewhat wanting:

#NowWatching "Bar Mitzvah Boy" (1977)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #Bluray #PlayForToday

Film 183 for '26

▶️ It's the day of the Orange Parade in Glasgow, but for John, the thrill of leading the parade and swinging the mace takes a dark turn, leading him to question his purpose

#NowWatching "Just Another Saturday" (1975)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #Bluray #PlayForToday

Film 180 for '26

▶️ Edna is a drunk, and a homeless one, who goes through the streets, police station, psychiatric ward and a women's hostel, until it's shut down by nimbys:

#NowWatching "Edna the Inebriate Woman" (1971)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #Bluray #PlayForToday

Film 178 for '26

▶️ On his last day at school, a ‘no hope’ 16-year-old pupil holds his teachers hostage using a motor-bike petrol tank as a bomb:

#NowWatching "Gotcha/Campion’s Interview" (1977)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #Bluray #PlayForToday #GarethThomas

Film 176 for '26

▶️ Jake McQuillan is brought up trying to emulate his dying grandfather, whom he sees as a living legend and was known as Greenock's hardest man:

#NowWatching "Just A Boy's Game" (1979)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #Bluray #PlayForToday

Film 175 for '26

▶️ Bunny spends all his day hiding in the woods, too frightened to tell his wife he's unemployed. There he meets Jody, a man with a frighteningly similar outlook on life:

#NowWatching "The Elephants' Graveyard" (1976)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #Bluray #PlayForToday

Film 173 for '26

▶️ The hardships of a single mother struggling to bring up children amidst welfare cuts and social hostilities:

#NowWatching "The Spongers" (1978)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #PlayForToday

Film 172 for '26

▶️ George, a black South African, finds it hard to settle down in London after his experiences in South Africa:

#NowWatching "Victims of Apartheid" (1978)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #PlayForToday

Film 171 for '26

▶️ It's not easy being a striker with a strike-breaking policeman billeted in your home but Stocker and Griffith
make a go of it. Until events turn violent:

#NowWatching "Stocker's Copper" (1972)

#Film #PhysicalMedia #PlayForToday #GarethThomas #JaneLapotaire #TonyCaunter

Play For Forever The place for free British television plays and social realist cinema. Intellectual property is theft.

A channel i highly recommend on #YouTube - An enjoyable step back in time. A time when i was never allowed to watch these plays on TV .

#PlayForToday #UK #FoodForThought #Life
Fascinating to see so many Actors who started their journey here... 👇

youtube.com/@playforfore...

#playfortoday 🎥💽🌆💾🔥🍀
youtu.be/i3wir8dBDb0?...

Radio Times Wednesday: From the week of 27.01.73 John Le Mesurier weighs in on his choice this week. #RadioTimes #JohnLeMesurier #DadsArmy #SgtWilson #BBC #PlayforToday

In Our Time - Henry IV Part 1 - BBC Sounds Shakespeare's powerful exploration of power and succession with Hotspur, Hal and Falstaff.

Very much #InOurTime, the day's best commentary on contemporary political life. #Judgement #Honour #Power #Leadership #Friendship #CivilStrife #Foresight #Hindsight #HenryIV #History #PlayForToday
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Watched Traitor from the BBC's #PlayForToday - John Le Mesurier playing Kim Philby with the serial numbers filed off in a script by Dennis Potter. It's a perfect coming together of script and performance to create something truly marvellous.

Alison Steadman as Candice Marie and Roger Sloman as Keith in Mike Leigh’s iconic tale of camping holidays and all the hazards involved - Nuts in May (Play for Today)

I can't believe it's 50 years since this first aired #NutsInMay #PlayForToday #BBC4 Mike Leigh’s iconic tale of camping holidays and all the hazards involved.

Here's my review of the latest of the new series of Play for Today on Channel 5, Lee Thompson's 'Special Measures':
youtu.be/WbM-KMdLU2o?... #PlayForToday

PLAY FOR TODAY RENEWED FOR SECOND SERIES ON CHANNEL 5 FOLLOWING RELAUNCH OF DRAMA ANTHOLOGY STRAND Channel 5 have ordered a second run of drama anthology strand Play For Today following its relaunch earlier this year. The second run, due to air next year, will consist of six new stories. The recomm...

Drama anthology #PlayForToday renewed for second series on Channel 5 following successful relaunch this Autumn. More details:

www.tvzoneuk.com/post/playfor...

Watching today’s #PlayForToday, about a struggling school and an Ofsted inspection. It’s quite a difficult watch.

I'd recommend SPECIAL MEASURES on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight, the last of the first series of Play for Today 2.0. It really captures the pressure cooker environment of a Merseyside school facing an OSFTED inspection. #PlayForToday

Really made up with this. Special Measures tonight at 9 on 5. #PlayForToday

5 really did save its best Play for Today for last. Special Measures is on tonight at 9.00pm. My pick of the day for @radiotimes.bsky.social #PlayForToday

Channel 4 & 5 Top 10 (10 - 16 November):
#PlayForToday kicks off with a solid audience, bringing in just over 1.4m viewers making it the second most-watched offering from 5 as #Gogglebox tops the chart overall.

My write-up of tonight's Play for Today on 5 #PlayForToday

& (2) Martha Watson Allpress's BIG WINNERS.

Yes, it is very clear I preferred one to the other! (Yet, of course, I'm not every viewer, to paraphrase Chaka Khan)
youtu.be/_MeJSBH4hmw?... (2) #PlayForToday

Paul Copley (Leonard) and Sue Johnston (Sheila Grant) in a Play for Today called ‘Big Winners’, broadcast on Channel 5 on 20 November 2025.

Ruth: “Still seeing other soap characters behind Jill’s back, Leonard?”
Leonard: “I’m afraid so. I was in a #PlayForToday with Sheila Grant last week.” #TheArchers #Brookside

We're feeling festive in our latest issue as we preview the tree-mendous TV treats in this year's Christmas schedules! 🎄 Plus the best of the coming week's telly including #PlayForToday #TinselTown and more!

On sale now in shops and digitally. Subscribe here: magazinesdirect.com/xtv/dl88c

Our new issue is out today, and #AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall leads our tree-mendous Christmas preview! Plus #PlayForToday #Mammoth #OhWhatFun #TinselTown and lots more!

On sale now in print, and digitally from App Store, Zinio & Kindle. Subscribe and save: magazinesdirect.com/xtv/dl88c

What have you been watching this week? Maybe #PlayForToday, #ChristmasCraftOff, #StrictlyBlackpool, #DaddyIssues or #TheGreatEscapers? Or perhaps new Christmas films like #TheFamilyPlan2 or #ChampagneProblems?

Share your thoughts with us at tvtimes_letters@futurenet.com!

We missed the first #PlayForToday (it failed to record), but are watching “Big Winners” with Sue Johnston and Paul Copley. It is excellent.

Celebrity #raceacrosstheworldvwins 8pm slot with 3.2m live audience

#ImACeleb wins 9pm slot, peak audience 5.6m ... closest live TV channel show in same 9pm slot celebrity #MasterChef 1.3m bbc1
#PlayForToday Big Winners on 5... 910k 3rd most watched show at 9pm