Through the square window...
Top of the class. looks back at how Play School changed the face of children’s television 60 years ago
MARION
THE opening theme music began with, “Here is a house, here is a door. Windows one, two, three four. Ready to knock, turn the lock. It’s Play School”.
Play School was the first programme to be broadcast on the newly launched BBC2 channel on April 21, 1964.
It was aimed at children under five and featured toys such as Humpty, Big Ted and Little Ted, rag doll Jemima and Hamble, who was replaced in the 80s by new doll Poppy.
A massive power failure prevented the planned opening night of BBC2 the day before on April 20, so Play School became the channel’s inaugural programme when it was broadcast at 11am the next day.
The daily show continued until 1988, after more than 5,000 episodes, with adventures being found behind the magic round, square or arched windows.
Producer Joy Whitby introduced Play School in the Radio Times saying it “will use all the advantages of television to do the job of a nursery school in its own exciting way”.
The show’s first presenters were Virginia Stride and Gordon Rollings and over the years Brian Cant, Derek
Griffiths, Toni Arthur, Chloe Ashcroft, Julie Stevens, Floella Benjamin, Johnny Ball and Carol Chell joined the Play School family.
Brian Cant, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 83, was honoured
by Bafta in 2010. He was making schools’ programmes when he was hired as a Play School presenter and remained with the children’s favourite for more than 20 years and was part of the Play Away team, the Play School spin-off aimed at an older audience.
He was also a familiar voice on animated series Trumpton, Camberwick Green and Chigley.
Last year, Floella, now Baroness Benjamin, played a key role in the coronation of King Charles and was tasked with carrying the Sovereign’s Sceptre ahead of his arrival.