The first series of Comedy Playhouse

Comedy Playhouse

Comedy Playhouse was a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, All Gas and Gaiters, The Liver Birds, Are You Being Served?...

, the long-running BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 series, aired from 15 December 1961 to 16 February 1962. All the episodes were written by Ray Galton

Galton and Simpson

Ray Galton OBE , and Alan Simpson OBE , are British scriptwriters who met in 1948 at a tuberculosis sanatorium, the Surrey county sanatorium near Godalming, on which the sitcom Get Well Soon was based...

 and Alan Simpson

Galton and Simpson

Ray Galton OBE , and Alan Simpson OBE , are British scriptwriters who met in 1948 at a tuberculosis sanatorium, the Surrey county sanatorium near Godalming, on which the sitcom Get Well Soon was based...

.

Background

The first series, which was in black-and-white

Black-and-white

Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...

, consisted of ten episodes, each of which had a different cast and storyline. Only the fourth episode, The Offer, made it to its own series becoming Steptoe and Son

Steptoe and Son

Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...

. All episodes were aired on Friday at 8:45pm, except The Status Symbol which aired at 8:40pm.

Episodes

Title	Airdate	Duration	Overview	IMDb link
Clicquot Et Fils	15 December 1961	30mins	Set in 1926 France, Clicquot Et Fils featured Eric Sykes Eric Sykes Eric Sykes, CBE is an English radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career has spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and/or performed with many other leading comedy performers and writers of the period, including Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter...  as Pierre Clicquot, an undertaker Funeral director A funeral director , also known as a mortician or undertaker, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony... , who comes up with an idea to get more business. Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell is an English actor who rose to initial prominence in the role of bigoted cockney Alf Garnett in the BBC television sitcom Till Death Us Do Part , and its sequels Till Death... and In Sickness and in Health , all of which were written by Johnny Speight...  starred as Alphonse Lagillarde. Clicqot Et Fils was remade for BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the... , starring Richard Griffiths Richard Griffiths Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...  as Clicquot and Roger Lloyd Pack Roger Lloyd Pack Roger Lloyd-Pack is an English actor known for his roles in the TV shows The Vicar of Dibley, Only Fools and Horses and The Old Guys.-Career:...  as Alphonse, and this was aired on 29 December 1998.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398870/
Lunch In The Park	22 December 1961	30mins	Lunch In The Park was the story of two middle-aged office workers, Geoffrey Tupper (played by Stanley Baxter Stanley Baxter Stanley Baxter is a Scottish comic actor and impressionist, best known for his British television shows. He worked in radio, theatre, television and film.-Early life:... ) and Ethel Waring (Daphne Anderson Daphne Anderson -External links:... ). Every Tuesday for a decade they have met for lunch on the same park bench, but they were in for a shock this time. This was remade for Paul Merton In Galton & Simpson's... in 1997.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276303/
The Private Lives of Edward Whiteley	29 December 1961	30mins	This programme was set around Edward Whitley (played by Tony Britton Tony Britton Anthony Edward Lowry "Tony" Britton is an English actor. He is the father of presenter Fern Britton, scriptwriter Cherry Britton and actor Jasper Britton.-Life and career:... ), a bigamist. Raymond Huntley Raymond Huntley Raymond Huntley was an English actor who appeared in dozens of British films from the 1930s through to the 1970s...  played Hargreaves.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276421/
The Offer	5 January 1962	30mins	The Offer featured Wilfrid Brambell Wilfrid Brambell Henry Wilfrid Brambell was an Irish film and television actor best known for his role in the British television series Steptoe and Son. He also performed alongside The Beatles in their film A Hard Day's Night, playing Paul McCartney's fictional grandfather.- Early life :Brambell was born in Dublin...  and Harry H. Corbett Harry H. Corbett Harry H. Corbett OBE was an English actor.Corbett was best known for his starring role in the popular and long-running BBC Television sitcom Steptoe and Son in the 1960s and 70s...  was Albert and Harold Steptoe, a father and son who run a London rag and bone Rag and bone man Rag and bone man is a British phrase for a junk dealer. Historically the phrase referred to an individual who would travel the streets of a city with a horsedrawn cart, and would collect old rags for making fabric and paper, bones for making glue, scrap iron for recycling, and assorted miscellany...  business. Following this pilot, a series was commissioned, and on 14 June 1962, Steptoe and Son Steptoe and Son Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old... was broadcast. It ran for eight series until 1974.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398241/
The Reunion	12 January 1962	30mins	This episode focused on a reunion of old friends, and the resulting consequences. It feaured Lee Montague Lee Montague Lee Montague is an English actor noted for his roles on film and television, usually playing tough guys.Film credits include: Moulin Rouge, The Camp on Blood Island, The Savage Innocents, Billy Budd, The Secret of Blood Island, Deadlier Than the Male, The Legacy and Brother Sun, Sister...  (as Maurice Woolly), J. G. Devlin (Paddy O'Hanahan), Dick Emery Dick Emery Richard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...  (Arthur Clench), Patrick Cargill Patrick Cargill Patrick Cargill was a British actor known for his role on the British television sitcom Father, Dear Father.-Career:...  (Bow-Tie Bertie), Jerold Wells Jerold Wells Jerold Wells was an English actor. He appeared primarily in British comedies. Some of his best-known roles were in Time Bandits, where he played Benson, a mentally disturbed follower to Evil, and in Jabberwocky, where he played a footless man known as Wat Dabney.He starred in films including '...  (Sammy Burton), Bernard Goldman (Johnny Burton), David Gregory (Tommy Whitelaw) and Cameron Hall Cameron Hall (actor) -Selected filmography:* The Lilac Domino * Adventure's End * Yes, Madam? * Neutral Port * Spellbound * I Thank You * My Brother Jonathan * Man on the Run * Madeleine...  (Colonel Yateley).	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262731/
The Telephone Call	19 January 1962	30mins	Peter Jones Peter Jones (actor) Peter Jones was an English actor, screenwriter and broadcaster.-Early life and career:Jones was born in Wem, Shropshire and he was educated at the Wem Grammar School and Ellesmere College. He made his first appearance as an actor in Wolverhampton at the age of 16 and then appeared in repertory...  starred as Lionel Baxter, who decides to do something about the problems of the World Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...  with the help of his telephone. June Whitfield June Whitfield June Rosemary Whitfield, CBE is an English actress, well known in the United Kingdom since the 1950s for roles in radio and television comedy series....  starred as Sandra Baxter, Richard Caldicot Richard Caldicot Richard Caldicot was a British actor famed for his role of Commander Povey in the BBC radio series The Navy Lark. He also appeared often on television, memorably as the obstetrician delivering Betty Spencer's baby in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.His father was a civil servant and he attended Dulwich...  as Mr Croxley, Derek Bond Derek Bond Derek William Douglas Bond MC was a British actor.-Life and career:Derek Bond was born 26 January 1920 in Glasgow, Scotland. He attended Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in Hampstead, London. He saw active service with the Grenadier Guards in North Africa during the Second World War, for which he...  as Mr Gore-Willougby MP and Harold Lang Harold Lang Harold Lang was an American dancer and actor.-Biography:Lang began his professional career as a ballet dancer, making his professional debut with the San Francisco Ballet in 1938 and then going on to perform with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo two years later and American Ballet Theatre in 1943...  as a BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...  producer.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276553/
The Status Symbol	26 January 1962	35mins	The Status Symbol centred around Wilfred Swann (played by Alfred Marks Alfred Marks Alfred Edward Marks OBE was a comic actor and comedian.-Biography:Marks was born as Ruchel Kutchinsky in Holborn, London. He left Bell Lane School at 14 and started in entertainment at the Windmill Theatre. He then served in the RAF as a Flight Sergeant in the Middle East where he arranged... ) and his Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Limited Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904.... . The car is in the garage of Cyril Bradley (Graham Stark Graham Stark Graham Stark is an English comedian, actor, writer and director.Stark was born in Wallasey on the Wirral in Cheshire, England. He first came to prominence on BBC Radio, making his debut in Happy Go Lucky and going on to Ray's A Laugh, Educating Archie and substitute on The Goon Show... ), who instead of fixing it puts it on show on his forecourt.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276528/
Visiting Day	2 February 1962	30mins	Visiting Day was set in a hospital, with the patients both looking forward to and dreading visiting day. It starred Bernard Cribbins Bernard Cribbins Bernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...  as Cakebread, Betty Marsden Betty Marsden Betty Marsden was an English comedy actress.Originally from Liverpool, she attended the Italia Conti Stage School and ENSA.In the radio series Beyond Our Ken, she played Fanny Haddock, a takeoff of Fanny Cradock...  as Mother, Wilfrid Brambell Wilfrid Brambell Henry Wilfrid Brambell was an Irish film and television actor best known for his role in the British television series Steptoe and Son. He also performed alongside The Beatles in their film A Hard Day's Night, playing Paul McCartney's fictional grandfather.- Early life :Brambell was born in Dublin...  as Father, Hugh Lloyd Hugh Lloyd Hugh Lewis Lloyd, MBE was an English actor who made his name in television and film comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in Hugh and I and other sitcoms of the 1960s.-Life:...  as the first patient and Molly Weir Molly Weir Mary Weir, better known as Molly Weir, was a Scottish stage actress, most notable for her role as the long-running character Hazel the McWitch in the BBC TV series Rentaghost. She was the sister of naturalist and broadcaster Tom Weir.Born in Glasgow and brought up in the Springburn area of the...  as Nurse Forbes.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276608/
Sealed with a Loving Kiss	9 February 1962	30mins	Arnold, played by Ronald Fraser Ronald Fraser Ronald Fraser was an English character actor, who appeared in numerous British films of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s whilst also appearing in many popular TV shows.-Background:... , and Freda, played by Avril Elgar Avril Elgar Avril Elgar is an English stage, radio and television actress.She trained at the London Old Vic Theatre School... , have been having a relationship by correspondence and when they meet for the first time they discover neither has been totally truthful. Also starring Gladys Henson Gladys Henson Gladys Henson was a British actress whose career lasted from 1932 to 1976 and included roles on stage, radio, films and television series...  as Arnold's mother, Vic Wise as the Station porter and Rita Webb Rita Webb Rita Webb was an English character actress, mainly in comedy roles.Born Olive Webb in Willesden, Middlesex, England, she is best known for her appearances as a stooge for Benny Hill in his long-running Thames Television series...  as the trolley lady.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276476/
The Channel Swimmer	16 February 1962	30mins	This episode focused on the fortunes of Clive (played by Michael Brennan Michael Brennan (actor) Michael Brennan was an English film and television actor.Born in London, Brennan was married to actress Mary Hignett. He appeared in such films as Nicholas Nickleby, Thunderball, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, Tom Jones, and The 39 Steps... ), a channel English Channel The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...  swimmer and those around him. Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler , was a British film and television actor, first appearing in London's West End in 1936, after two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, with Sir Seymour Hicks in The Man in Dress Clothes....  played Lionel, Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell is an English actor who rose to initial prominence in the role of bigoted cockney Alf Garnett in the BBC television sitcom Till Death Us Do Part , and its sequels Till Death... and In Sickness and in Health , all of which were written by Johnny Speight...  played Austin, Frank Thornton Frank Thornton Frank Thornton is an English actor who is best known for playing Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served? and its sequel Grace & Favour and as Truly in Last of the Summer Wine.-Early life:...  played the Official, Bob Todd Bob Todd Bob Todd was an English comedy actor, mostly known for appearing as a straight man in the sketch shows of Benny Hill and Spike Milligan. For many years he lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent....  played the Boat pilot and Joe Gibbons played the manager of the other swimmer.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276004/