The second 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 1 March 1963 to 12 April 1963. 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 second 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 six episodes, each of which had a different cast and storyline. None of the episodes made it to its own series. All episodes were aired on Friday; Our Man in Moscow at 8.45pm, And Here, All The Way From... and A Clerical Error at 8.50pm, Impasse at 8pm, Have You Read This Notice at 8.20pm and The Handyman at 7.50pm.

Episodes

Title	Airdate	Duration	Overview	IMDb link
Our Man in Moscow	1 March 1963	30 mins	Robert Morley Robert Morley Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE was an English actor who, often in supporting roles, was usually cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment...  played Sir William Hunter, the British Ambassador to Russia, who faces a problem when Nicolai (played by Patrick Wymark Patrick Wymark Patrick Wymark , was a British, stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Born Patrick Carl Cheeseman in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England... ), a Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... n tuba Tuba The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...  player, applies for asylum. Hunter's secretary Mortimer is played by 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:...  while the Russian Culture Minister Kulkinoff is played by Anthony Newlands Anthony Newlands Anthony Newlands was a British actor, most famous for his supporting guest roles in British television series of the 1960s. These included two roles in ABC Weekend's adventure drama The Avengers and a role in the ITC Entertainment series Danger Man... .	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276380/
And Here, All The Way From...	8 March 1963	25 mins	District Commissioner Donald Lawrence (played by Eric Barker Eric Barker Eric Leslie Barker born in Thornton Heath, Surrey, was an English comedy actor. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British Carry On films.-Career:... ) goes all the way to Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush -Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....  from Borneo Borneo Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....  to meet his brother Rodney (not seen) who is being honoured with a This Is Your Life This Is Your Life This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards... show. However, when Donald finally gets there he discovers it has been called off because his brother disapproved. Also starring Erica Rogers as Pamela Lawrence and Terence Alexander Terence Alexander Terence Joseph Alexander was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama Bergerac.-Early life and career:...  as Robin Ampleforth.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408490/
Impasse	15 March 1963	25 mins	Two drivers, one in a Bentley Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...  the other in a small, rundown car, meet each half-way down a narrow country lane. Both refuse to give way, and the situation becomes worse when both the AA The Automobile Association The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...  and RAC RAC plc RAC Limited is a breakdown company in the United Kingdom supplying products and services for motorists. Initially formed as the "Associate Section" of the Royal Automobile Club, it was incorporated as R.A.C. Motoring Services Ltd. in 1978. It was then sold by the members of the Royal Automobile...  arrive and begin to defend their respective members. 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...  plays Mr Spooner, Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce was an English actress, best known for playing Mildred Roper in Man About the House and George and Mildred.-Early life:...  plays his wife, Leslie Phillips Leslie Phillips Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...  plays Mr Ferris, Georgina Cookson Georgina Cookson Antoinette Georgina Cookson was a British film, stage and television actress. She died in Sydney, aged 92, on 1 October 2011.-Family:...  plays Mrs Ferris, Harry Locke Harry Locke Harry Locke was a British character actor.He was born and died in London. He was a familiar face in three decades of British cinema, with appearances including Passport to Pimlico , Reach for the Sky , Carry On Nurse , The Devil-Ship Pirates and The Family Way .In 1969 he appeared in Randall...  plays the AA man, Duncan Macrae plays the RAC man and Campbell Singer Campbell Singer Campbell Singer was a British character actor who featured in a number of film and television roles during his long career....  plays the Police Constable. This was remade as the Pride segment in the anthology film The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins is a 1971 British comedy film directed and produced by Graham Stark. Its title is a conflation of The Magnificent Seven and the seven deadly sins. It comprises a sequence of seven sketches, each representing a sin and written by an array of British comedy-writing... , and again for Paul Merton In Galton & Simpson's... in 1996.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276214/
Have You Read This Notice?	29 March 1963	25 mins	Frankie Howerd Frankie Howerd Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...  plays Norman Fox, who is coming back from a holiday in Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....  and is plagued by conscience when going through Customs due to the watch Watch A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...  he bought there. Also starring Bill Kerr Bill Kerr William 'Bill' Kerr is an Australian film and television actor. He was born into a performing arts family in Cape Town, South Africa, but grew up in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia....  as the first Customs officer and Edwin Apps as the aeroplane passenger.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276188/
A Clerical Error	5 April 1963	25 mins	John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier was a BAFTA Award-winning English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army.-Career:...  plays a con man recently released from Wormwood Scrubs Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison) HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs is a Category B men's prison, located in the Wormwood Scrubs area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in inner west London, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service....  called Caleb Bullrush. Bullrush dresses up as a Vicar and goes to a pub Public house A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...  to try and collect money for charity. Also starring Russell Napier Russell Napier Russell Gordon Napier was an Australian actor.Russell Napier was born in Perth, Western Australia. Originally a lawyer, Napier was active as an actor from 1947 to 1974, playing both comedic and dramatic roles in both cinema and television. Notably, he starred in a live BBC television production...  as the Police Inspector and Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce was an English actress, best known for playing Mildred Roper in Man About the House and George and Mildred.-Early life:...  as Rita. A Clerical Error was remade for The Galton & Simpson Radio Playhouse and broadcast on 12 January 1999 on 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...  and starred Keith Barron Keith Barron Keith Barron is an English actor and television presenter, well-known from numerous roles on British television from the 1960s to the present day.-Career:...  as Bullrush and 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....  as Rita.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398869/
The Handyman	12 April 1963	25 mins	Lionel Hogg (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... ) is an unemployed, but highly qualified machine minder who is given a temporary job as handyman at a health clinic. Also starring Anthony Sharp Anthony Sharp Anthony Sharp was an English actor cast for roles on television and film principally from the 1950s onwards....  as Dr Dennison, Damaris Hayman Damaris Hayman Damaris Hayman is an actress best known for character roles on television. She was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College....  as Matron, Frank Williams Frank Williams (actor) Frank Williams is an English actor.Williams was educated at Ardingly College. He starred in The Army Game and as the Vicar in Dad's Army. In 1970, he starred in the short-lived sitcom As Good Cooks Go...  as the Labour Exchange clerk, Edwin Apps as the first card player and Julian Orchard Julian Orchard Julian Dean C. Orchard was an English comedy actor.-Biography:Orchard was educated at Shrewsbury School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama... as the second card player.	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494705/