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Comedy Playhouse was the generic title for a series of unrelated one-off comedies shown on the BBC in the early 1960’s until the early 1970’s that were used to showcase the talents of both writers old and new to television -as well as established and up-and-coming sitcom stars, many of whom would go on to become well known big stars of British comedy for years to come. The series was inaugurated in 1961 by then Head of BBC Light Entertainment, Tom Sloan. It also went on to become the catapult for some of the best-loved sitcoms of all time.
Many of these are in people’s memories today like ‘Steptoe and Son’, ‘Till Death Us Do Part’, ‘Not In Front of the Children’ & ‘The Liver Birds to name just a few. However many of these one-off comedies stayed just that and so are not as strong in people’s memories as the few I mentioned above.

Since series 1 was shown between 15 Dec 1961 - 16 Feb 1962, series 2 between 1 Mar 1963 - 12 Apr 1963 & series 3 between 28 Sep 1963 - 31 Jan 1964 most of these early episodes must be almost forgotten by today’s television audiences as well as most likely falling under heading of ‘Missing Presumed Wiped!’ like so many BBC Television programs do from this period.
Does anyone remember this first time round, know what exists and what is lost from the archives as well as what is available to see today on VHS or DVD formats?

"Seya next time!"

DB7

On a sidenote, Comedy Playhouse is returning on BBC4 this year.

penfold

the Comedy Playhouse episode that became Steptoe and Son definitely exists.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

716Jones

One of my favourites was an episode called (I think) 'The Dirtiest Soldier in the World', based on a short story by George MacDonald Fraser. Had a great cast and was very funny. I'd love to see it again, but it's probably been wiped as no series came out of it.

samkydd

Also the Comedy Playhouse pilot of Porridge "Prisoner and Escort"!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

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Yes that one is on one of the 'Steptoe and Son' DVD releases. Its the less well known episodes that did not make it into a series that I was trying to gain more posts about!

"Seya next time!"

rediffusion

That wasn't part of Comedy Playhouse but Ronnie Barker's 'Seven Of One' series that also launched Open All Hours.

I met Galton & Simpson a few years ago and they told me that the two film scripts that Tony Hancock turned down after The Rebel were eventually used as part of the Comedy Playhouse. One starred Alfred Marx and the other Frankie Howard.

Mr Cosmo

A complete list of episodes is on IMDB atEpisodes for "Comedy Playhouse" (1961) if that helps jog any memories

Steptoes Son

This might help, whats left in BBC archive

BBC - Programme Catalogue - COMEDY PLAYHOUSE

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I have used this site before, however for example if you check on what episodes from the 'Out of the Unknown' series have survived it tells you that episodes like

IMMORTALITY INC
LIAR!
THE LAST LONELY MAN
BEACH HEAD
RANDOM QUEST
THE NAKED SUN
THE LITTLE BLACK BAG
THE YELLOW PILL

exist when only THE LAST LONELY MAN survives complete for example. This means I am some what untrusting checking on programs that I am less knowledgeable on!

"Seya next time!"

716Jones

Had a look and was delighted to see The Dirtiest Soldier in the World still exists. Can always hope for a showing

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This implies that what you read was correct, did you not read my post above???????????????????????????????????

"Seya next time!"

samkydd

I vaguely remember reading something from The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society about Galton and Simpson planning to revive the Hancock character in the early 70s. They were going to use Arthur Lowe as "The Lad Himself" and James Beck as the Sid James character. Apart from Dad's Army Jimmy Beck was already involved with his own sitcom Romany Jones in 1972 with Arthur Mullard and Queenie Watts which I think was on ITV (probably not very good then) , so I don't know how true this story is. Sadly he died suddenly which well and truly put the kibosh on things.

Despite Arther Lowe and James Beck's excellent comedy acting credentials I somehow doubt this experiment would have worked, and as proved when Paul Merton did those horrendous "cover versions" of Hancock's Half Hour a few years ago, there was only one Hancock!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

716Jones

Yes, but I've always been an incurable optimist

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When it comes to the BBC wipping stuff you need to be. I spoke to Andrew Pixley this week and he told me that the public online version of infax still listed shows even if a small clip survived regardless of the full program been retained. This means you can be fooled into thinks something has been kept when it was actual junked in the 1970's

"Seya next time!"