Drama Playhouse (BBC-1 1969-1972)

Drama Playhouse was a collection of one off dramas intended to act as pilots for future series (six of which managed to do so).

The full list is as follows:-
SEASON ONE (17 Jul – 7 Aug 1969)
1. BARRISTER AT LAW:Winner Take Nothing
2. TOWER OF LONDON: The Innocent
3. CODENAME: Portcullis

SEASON TWO (23 Nov – 7 Dec 1970)
1. THE REGIMENT: Father of the Regiment
2. THE BEFRIENDERS: Drink A Toast to Dear Old Dad
3. THE ONEDIN LINE: The Wind Blows Free

SEASON THREE (23 Aug – 2 Oct 1972)
1. SUTHERLAND’S LAW: Man Overboard
2. THE VENTURERS: The Chancer
3. THE INCREDIBLE ROBERT BALDICK: Never Come Night

The only ones not to become series were Barrister At Law, Tower of London and The Incredible Robert Baldrick. The first three episodes were not actually known as Drama Playhouse but were in essence just that. The Robert Baldrick production was due to air 6 September 72 but this was postponed because of the Black September attacks at the Munich Olympics, there was much discussion at the BBC about this (Robert Baldrick) becoming a series but it eventually came to nothing. Robert Hardy in The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night

Barrister at Law, The Befrienders and Onedin Line no longer exist and most of the others only exist as black and white 16mm telerecorded editions (they were all filmed in colour). The first episode of the Onedin Line was a refilmed version of the Drama Playhouse pilot and the second episode of Sutherland’s Law was a refilming of Man Overboard.

production details
UK / BBC1 / 9x50m-e / 1969-72