BBC to Revive 'Play School' After 40-Year Hiatus

The BBC is reviving the beloved children's television program "Play School," nearly 40 years after it concluded its original run. The BBC's Children's and Education department has issued a call for producers to submit pitches for a reboot of the show, which originally aired from 1964 to 1988.

The new iteration is envisioned as a "live-action series inspired by the much-loved original." Potential producers are being asked to reimagine the program's blend of songs, stories, movement, music, poetry, and imaginative play for contemporary audiences. The revival will also include companion content for the CBeebies YouTube channel, as part of the BBC's "Parenting Promise" initiative aimed at supporting children and parents through play-based learning.

Patricia Hidalgo, speaking for the BBC, stated that "Play School has always embodied so much of what CBeebies stands for: creativity, curiosity, imagination and learning through play." She added that bringing the show back for a new generation offers a "meaningful opportunity to build on that legacy, while continuing to support parents and carers."

The original "Play School" featured a rotating cast of presenters, including Brian Cant, who hosted for 21 years, and Paul Danquah, noted as the first Black presenter on UK children's television. Other notable hosts included Johnny Ball and Baroness Floella Benjamin. The show's memorable characters included Big Ted, Little Ted, Humpty, and Jemima. Iconic segments of the program involved a rocket clock and a windows segment, where presenters would interact with viewers through square, circle, or arch-shaped windows.