Play for Today is back - on Channel 5. Here's what's really going on
A widow flirts in a care home. A couple stares at a lottery ticket in disbelief. A "national treasure" opens the door to a young man with an accusation. A teacher braces for Ofsted.
That's the hook: four new one-off dramas, airing under the revived Play for Today banner on Channel 5, starting 13 November. If you grew up with the BBC original, it feels both familiar and… different.
The vibe: classic anthology, modern mood
Back when there were three channels, Play for Today was appointment TV. It gave us Abigail's Party and The Black Stuff, launched heavyweight writers, and wasn't shy about politics. It could be blunt, brave, messy. It felt alive.
Channel 5's version nods to that spirit but swaps ideology for intimacy. The focus is on personal stakes - money, sex, fear, work - told in tight, watchable hours. Think pressure-cooker stories rather than soapbox speeches.
If you want a refresher on the original, the BFI has a solid overview of its history and impact.
The four new plays - quick briefings
- Never Too Late (13 Nov): Anita Dobson leads a warm, sharp story about late-life desire in a rest home. It echoes the tenderness of 70s-era tales about second chances, but with years of life lived behind every line.
- Big Winners: A couple hits the jackpot and then the hard part begins. It's a modern cousin to Spend, Spend, Spend - updated from football pools to the lottery and all the fallout that money brings.
- A Knock at the Door: Alan Davies plays a beloved public figure confronted at home by a young man with a grievance. It sits in that uneasy space between fame, power and private guilt. Tight, tense, talky - in the best way.
- Special Measures: A teacher, an Ofsted visit, a day where everything that can go wrong… does. It's the classroom as frontline, with Jessica Plummer juggling duty, care and bureaucracy.
What's changed since the 70s?
Look, the old strand had teeth. Some instalments took clear, left-leaning shots at the state of things. That's not what this run is doing. The new plays lean apolitical, digging into the lives of mostly comfortable people under stress.
Is that safer? Probably. Is it still compelling? From the episodes we've seen, yes - because the writing lands and the performances feel lived-in.
Why Channel 5 - and why now?
Channel 5's programming has been warming to classic revivals for a while - All Creatures Great and Small, Dalgliesh, Challenge Anneka. This fits that lane: recognisable title, fresh stories, low-friction viewing.
It's also smart business. Anthologies let you try things. Cast familiar faces. Attract older viewers who actually watch live TV. And if an episode clicks? You've got the seed of a series.
Will these stay as one-offs?
Maybe. But a couple of scripts feel like stealth pilots. Never Too Late ends in a way that begs for a follow-up. Big Winners and Special Measures could easily stretch to six parts without breaking a sweat.
Does that betray the format? Not really. The original strand birthed series too - Rumpole of the Bailey, The Black Stuff, Gangsters. One-offs can be both complete stories and test beds. That's the magic trick.
The casting tells a story too
Two octogenarians, two septuagenarians among the leads. That's no accident. It's good TV and a quiet stand against ageism, letting older actors play more than patients or grandparents trotted out for a plot point.
And the camera doesn't flinch. Bodies look like real bodies. There's some skin, some awkwardness, and a gentle joke or two that lands because, well, we've all been there.
Here's what this could mean
If viewers show up, we might get a small run of prestige one-offs every year - a space for risky ideas that don't need to fuel three seasons. That would be healthy for British TV, which could use a few more creative swings in prime time.
And if the plays morph into series? Fine. As long as the stories stay sharp and human. The point of Play for Today was never the label - it was the feeling that anything could happen at 9pm.
Watch this: Play for Today - Never Too Late airs on Channel 5 on 13 November.
