The Wednesday Play 1964
What is The Wednesday Play?
The Wednesday Play is an anthology series of British television plays that aired on BBC1 for six seasons between October 1964 and May 1970. Created by Sydney Newman, the program debuted on October 28, 1964, with the presentation of A Crack In The Ice, written by Nikolai Leskov and directed by Ron.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1964
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 207
- Runtime
- 75 minutes
- First aired
- Sep 30, 1964
- Last aired
- May 27, 1970
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- GB
- Networks
- BBC One
- Genres
- Drama
- Updated
Where to watch
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 207 episodes and an average 75-minute runtime.
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Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
The Wednesday Play is an anthology series of British television plays that aired on BBC1 for six seasons between October 1964 and May 1970. Created by Sydney Newman, the program debuted on October 28, 1964, with the presentation of A Crack In The Ice, written by Nikolai Leskov and directed by Ron. The series featured a collection of one-off dramatic productions, primarily consisting of original works written specifically for television, though it also included adaptations of stage plays and other literary sources. The show developed a reputation for presenting groundbreaking and controversial stories that addressed various social issues, including homelessness and abortion. Notable works featured in the series include Cathy Come Home and Up the Junction. The production is credited with helping to launch the careers of writers and directors such as Potter, Loach, Mercer, and Hopkins. The cast of the series included actors such as Edwin Brown, Neville Smith, Tony Selby, and Ken Jones.
Should you watch it?
“This anthology series presented a diverse collection of original and adapted plays on BBC1.”
- diverse storytelling
- original television scripts
- varied quality across episodes
Watch it if you enjoy classic British television anthology formats.
The series features dramatic themes typical of 1960s television broadcasting.
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Episode guide
Season 1 · 34 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide →- E1 Catch As Catch Can Sep 30, 1964
- E2 A Crack in the Ice Oct 28, 1964
- E3 In Camera Nov 4, 1964
- E4 Pale Horse, Pale Rider Nov 11, 1964
- E5 The Big Breaker Nov 18, 1964
- E6 Mr. Douglas Nov 25, 1964
- E7 Malatesta Dec 2, 1964
- E8 The July Plot Dec 9, 1964
- E9 First Love Dec 16, 1964
- E10 Tap on the Shoulder Jan 6, 1965
- E11 Sir Jocelyn, the Minister Would Like a Word... Jan 13, 1965
- E12 The Navigators Jan 20, 1965
- E13 Fable Jan 27, 1965
- E14 Dan, Dan the Charity Man Feb 3, 1965
- E15 Ashes to Ashes Feb 10, 1965
- E16 Wear a Very Big Hat Feb 17, 1965
- E17 The Confidence Course Feb 24, 1965
- E18 Campaign for One Mar 3, 1965
- E19 Horror of Darkness Mar 10, 1965
- E20 A Little Temptation Mar 17, 1965
- E21 Moving On Mar 24, 1965
- E22 Cat's Cradle Mar 31, 1965
- E23 Three Clear Sundays Apr 7, 1965
- E24 The Interior Decorator Apr 14, 1965
- E25 Auto-Stop Apr 21, 1965
- E26 The Good Shoe Maker and the Poor Fish Peddler Apr 28, 1965
- E27 Cemented with Love May 5, 1965
- E28 A Knight in Tarnished Armour May 12, 1965
- E29 For the West May 26, 1965
- E30 And Did Those Feet? Jun 2, 1965
- E31 The Man Without Papers Jun 9, 1965
- E32 The Pistol Jun 16, 1965
- E33 Women in Crisis: With Love and Tears Jun 23, 1965
- E34 The Seven O'Clock Crunch Jun 30, 1965
Season 2 · 37 episodes
- E1 The War Game Oct 6, 1965
- E2 Alice Oct 13, 1965
- E3 The Girl Who Loved Robots Oct 20, 1965
- E4 A Designing Woman Oct 27, 1965
- E5 Up The Junction Nov 3, 1965
- E6 The Trial and Torture of Sir John Rampayne Nov 10, 1965
- E7 The End of Arthur's Marriage Nov 17, 1965
- E8 Tomorrow, Just You Wait Nov 24, 1965
- E9 The Bond Dec 1, 1965
- E10 Stand Up, Nigel Barton Dec 8, 1965
- E11 Vote, Vote, Vote For Nigel Barton Dec 15, 1965
- E12 The Coming Out Party Dec 22, 1965
- E13 The Bone Yard Jan 5, 1966
- E14 A Man On Her Back Jan 12, 1966
- E15 Rodney, Our Intrepid Hero Jan 19, 1966
- E16 Calf Love Jan 26, 1966
- E17 Silent Song Feb 2, 1966
- E18 Who's A Good Boy Then? Feb 9, 1966
- E19 A Game - Like - Only A Game Feb 16, 1966
- E20 Why Aren't You Famous? Feb 23, 1966
- E21 Macready's Gala Mar 2, 1966
- E22 A Walk In The Sea Mar 9, 1966
- E23 Boy In The Smoke Mar 16, 1966
- E24 Barlowe of the Car Park Mar 23, 1966
- E25 The Portsmouth Defence Mar 30, 1966
- E26 Pity About The Abbey Apr 6, 1966
- E27 The Big Man Coughed and Died Apr 13, 1966
- E28 The Snow Ball Apr 20, 1966
- E29 A Cheery Soul Apr 27, 1966
- E30 The Connoiseur May 4, 1966
- E31 The Retreat May 11, 1966
- E32 Ape and Essence May 18, 1966
- E33 Toddler on the Run May 25, 1966
- E34 The Executioner Jun 1, 1966
- E35 Way Off Beat Jun 8, 1966
- E36 A Soiree at Blossom's Hotel Jun 15, 1966
- E37 Cock, Hen and Counting Pit Jun 22, 1966
Season 3 · 31 episodes
- E1 Photo Finish Sep 21, 1966
- E2 A Hero of our Time Sep 28, 1966
- E3 The Frighteners Oct 12, 1966
- E4 A Piece of Resistance Oct 19, 1966
- E5 Where the Buffalo Roam Oct 26, 1966
- E6 The Head Waiter Nov 17, 1965
- E7 Cathy Come Home Nov 16, 1966
- E8 The Private Tutor Nov 23, 1966
- E9 A Pyre for Private James Nov 30, 1966
- E10 A Tale of Two Wives Dec 7, 1966
- E11 Little Master Mind Dec 14, 1966
- E12 The Mayfly and the Frog Dec 21, 1966
- E13 Person To Person Jan 4, 1967
- E14 The Order Jan 11, 1967
- E15 Everybody's Rich Except Us Jan 18, 1967
- E16 The Lump Jan 25, 1967
- E17 Who's Going to Take Me On? Feb 1, 1967
- E18 Death of a Teddy Bear Feb 8, 1967
- E19 Days in the Trees Feb 15, 1967
- E20 In Two Minds Feb 22, 1967
- E21 Another Day, Another Dollar Mar 1, 1967
- E22 Public Inquiry Mar 8, 1967
- E23 A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer's Assistant Mar 15, 1967
- E24 A Breach in the Wall Mar 22, 1967
- E25 The Voices in the Park Mar 29, 1967
- E26 Dismissal Leading to Lustfulness Apr 5, 1967
- E27 A Brilliant Future Behind Him Apr 12, 1967
- E28 Message for Posterity Apr 19, 1967
- E29 A Way with the Ladies Apr 26, 1967
- E30 The Playground May 3, 1967
- E31 Drums Along the Avon May 10, 1967
Season 4 · 25 episodes
- E1 Sleeping Dog Oct 11, 1967
- E2 Wanted: Single Gentleman Oct 18, 1967
- E3 A Black Candle for Mrs. Gogarty Oct 25, 1967
- E4 The Devil a Monk Would Be Nov 8, 1967
- E5 Fall of the Goat Nov 15, 1967
- E6 The Profile of a Gentleman Nov 22, 1967
- E7 Dial Rudolph Valentino One One Nov 29, 1967
- E8 Kippers and Curtains Dec 6, 1967
- E9 Death of a Private Dec 13, 1967
- E10 An Officer of the Court Dec 20, 1967
- E11 The Fat of the Land Dec 27, 1967
- E12 Toggle Jan 3, 1968
- E13 House of Character Jan 10, 1968
- E14 Jamie, On a Flying Visit Jan 17, 1968
- E15 Monsieur Barnett Jan 24, 1968
- E16 The Drummer and the Bloke Jan 31, 1968
- E17 Rebel in the Grave Feb 7, 1968
- E18 Coincidence Feb 21, 1968
- E19 Light Blue Apr 3, 1968
- E20 Let's Murder Vivaldi Apr 10, 1968
- E21 The Golden Vision Apr 17, 1968
- E22 The Man Behind You May 1, 1968
- E23 Infidelity Took Place May 8, 1968
- E98 Episode 98
- E99 Episode 99
Season 5 · 27 episodes
- E1 Mrs Lawrence Will Look After It Aug 21, 1968
- E2 Spoiled Aug 28, 1968
- E3 The Gorge Sep 4, 1968
- E4 A Night with Mrs. Da Tanka Sep 11, 1968
- E5 Charlie Sep 18, 1968
- E6 Anyone For Tennis? Sep 25, 1968
- E7 Mooney and his Caravans Oct 2, 1968
- E8 The Lower Largo Sequence Oct 9, 1968
- E9 Hello, Good Evening and Welcome Oct 16, 1968
- E10 A Bit of Crucifixion, Father Oct 23, 1968
- E11 Nothing Will be The Same Oct 30, 1968
- E12 A Beast With Two Backs Nov 6, 1968
- E13 On the Eve of Publication Nov 27, 1968
- E14 The Fabulous Frump Jan 8, 1969
- E15 Smoke Screen Jan 15, 1969
- E16 Dr. Aitkinson's Daughter Jan 21, 1969
- E17 The Apprentices Jan 29, 1969
- E18 Birthday Feb 5, 1969
- E19 The Big Flame Feb 12, 1969
- E20 A Serpent in Putney Feb 19, 1969
- E21 Bami Powl Zapl Mar 5, 1969
- E22 Cathy Come Home Mar 28, 1969
- E23 Sling Your Hook Apr 2, 1969
- E24 A Child and a Half Apr 9, 1969
- E25 Son of Man Apr 16, 1969
- E26 The Exiles Apr 23, 1969
- E27 Blodwen, Home from Rachel's Marriage Apr 30, 1969
Frequently asked questions
What is The Wednesday Play?
It is an anthology series consisting of individual television plays.
When did it air?
The series aired on BBC1 from October 1964 to May 1970.
Are the plays original?
The plays were usually written for television, though some were adaptations from other sources.
How many episodes are there?
The provided information does not specify an episode count.
Where was it broadcast?
The series was broadcast on BBC1.