{"id":49544,"date":"2024-04-15T10:00:18","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T08:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2021196"},"modified":"2024-04-15T12:37:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T10:37:14","slug":"as-play-school-turns-60-one-of-its-star-presenters-looks-back-on-the-pioneering-preschool-show","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/as-play-school-turns-60-one-of-its-star-presenters-looks-back-on-the-pioneering-preschool-show\/","title":{"rendered":"As Play School turns 60, one of its star presenters looks back on the pioneering preschool show"},"content":{"rendered":"

Derek Griffiths on the thuggish cockatoo, his least favourite toy \u2013 and a show that is remembered with fondness around the world. <\/p>

By Mark Braxton\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 15 April 2024 at 08:00 AM<\/p>

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As the legendary children\u2019s programme Play School turns 60 on 21st April, a pang of nostalgia will touch the hearts of millions. The show ran for 24 years from 1964 and would have been an introduction to television for countless young viewers.<\/p>\n

The weekday BBC2 series, which later earned itself a daily BBC1 repeat, offered simple preschool pleasures such as stories and songs, games with the famous toys (Big and Little Ted, Humpty, Jemima and Hamble) and indelible tunes such as the main theme and the rotating clock.<\/p>\n

Via the square, round or arched window, it also opened up the world for tots by showing short films of biscuits being made in a factory, for example, or kite-flying in China. Creator Joy Whitby introduced her programme to Radio Times<\/strong> readers with the words: \u201cAre you an exhausted parent of a child under the age of five?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Play School began on 21st April and was the first programme to be shown officially on BBC2 after a power failure caused by a fire postponed the channel\u2019s launch by a day.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Although the programme had a robust educational core, Derek Griffiths tells Radio Times<\/strong> that it was a \u201crelaxed format\u201d. The actor and musician, now 77, adds, \u201cI enjoyed entertaining kids and adults, so Play School was a family show for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffiths worked on the show for ten years from 1971. A pair of presenters would guide viewers through each day\u2019s activities \u2013 the hosts were constantly rotated and included many other future stars such as husband-and-wife Eric Thompson and Phyllida Law, Carmen Munroe, Brian Cant, Johnny Ball, Toni Arthur, Carol Chell and Floella Benjamin.<\/p>\n

So how did Griffiths get the gig? \u201cA presenter, Miranda Connell, saw me in panto and told me I was right for Play School. Sadly I didn\u2019t know of it! The producers then saw my show and I was invited to audition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Derek Griffiths in his Play School presenting heyday, and pictured with Les Dennis, both sporting Red Noses, in a Casablanca spoof for Comic Relief in February 1989.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Griffiths brought an impressive range of skills to the show, from amazingly flexible physical acting to comedy and mime \u2013 his influences include Charlie Chaplin, Marcel Marceau, Jerry Lewis and Jacques Tati.<\/p>\n

#NoContextPlaySchool<\/a>Broadcast #OnThisDay<\/a> in 1976 and featuring Derek Griffiths. pic.twitter.com\/W530rdqXrn<\/a><\/p>\u2014 BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) September 17, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>