The BBC is bringing back classic children's show Play School after 38 years. The broadcaster has asked production companies to pitch ideas for a revamp aimed at modern children. New episodes will run just 14 minutes, a significant cut from the original 25-minute format.
The show originally aired from 1964 until 1988 and featured beloved characters including Poppy, Jemima, Humpty, Little Ted and Big Ted. The pitch states: "The toys remain some of the most cherished elements of Play School and are fondly remembered by generations of viewers."
Revamp details and character plans
The BBC's pitch adds: "We would like the new version of the programme to bring to life a version of the toys in a contemporary capacity aligned to the expectations of today's children. We are open to exploring different approaches, whether that involves bringing back the full original line-up or introducing new characters alongside them and representing them through different media including animation."
Each original episode followed a broad theme and featured activities and songs with presenters. Play School was later replaced by Playbus following its cancellation in the late 80s, followed by Playdays in the 90s.
Legacy and famous presenters
The show helped launch the careers of several stars, including presenter Baroness Floella Benjamin, who became the first Trinidadian woman elevated to the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat Peer in June 2010. During her time on Play School, she campaigned for stronger representation for ethnic minorities. She told the BBC in 2024: "All the illustrations when I told the stories were of white children. I said to the producer, 'Why can't we have some black and Asian and Chinese faces in the illustrations rather than all white faces?'"
She added: "When I did Play School, the number of people who said 'You just being there opened doors for me, made me know, as I was growing up, four or five years old watching you, that anything is possible.'" Floella received a damehood in 2020 and has been made a member of the British Board of Film Classification's (BBFC) advisory panel on children's viewing.
Brian Cant and the toys' legacy
Brian Cant, known as 'Mr Play School', appeared on the show for over two decades and was one of its longest-serving hosts. He died in June 2017 after living with Parkinson's for nearly two decades. He previously said of the show's effect on nostalgic adults: "It's obviously very kind and very rewarding to have that effect but I can't believe it was that important to everyone."
The stuffed toys from the show are now kept at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Play School was one of the first children's shows where presenters spoke directly to the camera, helping build a close bond with the toys. Cant said in 2010: "One of the main rules of those Play School days was that we should play to the camera as though we were talking to one child. It could be somebody in a tower block, a nice semi-detached somewhere, or a royal palace. You had to phrase everything so that, whoever was watching it, they felt you were talking to them."
Other long-serving presenters included Johnny Ball, Toni Arthur, Derek Griffiths and Carol Chell, who appeared for 22 years. Spin-off show Play Away, aimed at slightly older children, began airing in 1971 with Cant and Arthur, and featured presenters including Jeremy Irons, Patricia Hodge, Tony Robinson and Julie Covington. It was cancelled in 1984. Cant defended such programmes, saying: "No-one would suggest sitting there doing nothing but watching television, that's obvious. But programmes like Play School were always done with the idea that when it finished, the children could go away and try things themselves."
