Channel 5 revives Play For Today to 'help shape future of British drama'

Daily Mirror

8 hours ago

Play for Today is being revived on Channel 5, to give young writers, actors and producers from lower-income backgrounds a way into TV, helped by established talent
Following the previously announced pilot, 5 has announced the first four commissions and casting that will form its new Play for Today slate.
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The single dramas were greenlit by Deputy Chief Content Officer and Head of Scripted, Paramount UK, Sebastian Cardwell and Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, 5.
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Special Measures, from new screenwriter and playwright Lee Thompson kicks off the double order from LA Productions, is a state of the nation drama looking at the growing pressures facing schools in the UK. Jack McLoughlin (Kate & Jake, The Death of the House Party) will be making his directorial debut.
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Former EastEnders actress Jessica Plummer will lead the drama; set in the heart of Liverpool. Manor Lane High is a school on the edge - underfunded and overwhelmed, the school's staff are stretched thin.
Just before the school day begins, Drew, the exhausted head of English, abruptly resigns for good. Left reeling, Amy, the deputy head of English, must step in and steady the ship.
But she barely has time to gather her thoughts— Chris, the frantic deputy head, breaks the news: Ofsted inspectors are arriving in 15 minutes for a surprise inspection. Caught between burnout and bureaucracy, can this fractured school survive the day?
The second production Never Too Late from Vertigo Films is an irreverent take on ageing, following a rebellious woman forced to start over in a retirement village.
Set in a deceptively peaceful retirement village, this darkly comic drama follows sharp-tonged, fiercely independent Cynthia as she's reluctantly moved in by her daughter.
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Cynthia clashes with eccentric residents, oppressive rules, and the surprise reappearance of her old rockstar fling from the 1970s. What begins as a mission to get kicked out becomes something more complicated, as she's forced to confront long-buried secrets, strained family ties, and the unexpected possibility of starting over. It's a story about second chances, unlikely friendships, and how the messy, defiant reality that life – and love – don't end with retirement.
EastEnders legend Anita Dobson will lead the cast as Cynthia, former Coronation Street actor Nigel Havers will star as Frank, It's A Sin star Tracy-Ann Oberman (It's a Sin, EastEnders, Friday Night Dinner) as Cynthia's daughter Amanda.
Inspired by the iconic Play for Today format, each production will champion new voices and focus on bringing low-income talent into the spotlight behind the scenes in writing, directing and production roles.
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Commenting on the Play for Today initiative Commissioning Editor, 5, Paul Testar said: "Play for Today is synonymous with high quality standalone television dramas and we're incredibly excited to be reviving it with a new slate of single films on 5.
"What makes this particularly important for us as a public service broadcaster is the opportunity to support emerging talent behind the scenes – from writers and directors to production teams – especially those from lower-income backgrounds who haven't always had clear pathways into the industry. It's a chance to tell great stories while helping to shape the future of British drama."
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The next offering from LA Productions is Big Winners. It's a story about Edith and Arthur Thistle – for 53 years, they have managed to get by—never rich, never extravagant, but always together.
That all changes in an instant when they win fourteen million pounds in the lottery. Arthur dreams of spending big, finally tasting the high life. But before the celebrations can begin, Edith drops a bombshell: she wants a divorce. Big Winners is about opportunity, who gets to seize the day and who gets left behind. A thrilling, funny, deeply emotional exploration of lives lived, and lives missed.
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Sue Johnston (Truelove, The Responder, The Royle Family) and Paul Copley (Downton Abbey, Last Tango in Halifax, The Archers) will lead the cast as Edith and Arthur. Alexa Davies (Cobra, Funny Woman and Raised by Wolves). and Mia Tormey will star as Jade and Kaylee.
Finally, from Vertigo Films is Intruder a real-time, single-location psychological thriller with the tension of a ticking bomb.
Lenny Bray was once a national treasure - now he's just a man in a mansion, hiding from headlines and haunted by whispers. But when a young man shows up at his door late one night—barefoot, bleeding, and carrying a story Lenny hoped was buried—everything unravels. Across one harrowing night, Lenny and his wife Maggie must confront a stranger's explosive accusations—and their own complicity in a past steeped in power, silence, and manipulation. Darkly comic and emotionally raw, this is a story about guilt, truth, and what happens when survivors come knocking.
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Alan Davies (McDonald & Dodds, Flack, Jonathan Creek) and Nikki Amuka-Bird (I, Jack Wright, Knock at the Cabin) will star as husband and wife Lenny and Maggie with newcomer Logan Mersh as Ben.
Directed by Daniel Rands, NFTS graduate and winner of the BBC and Toledo scholarships. His latest short film Tapeworm premiered at the NFTS 2024 showcase, earning acclaim for its bold storytelling, striking cinematography, and a BSC Emerging Cinematographer Award for Edward Hamilton Stubber , who is also the DOP on The Intruder. David Whitehouse is onboard as writer.
Production has begun across all titles with the first drama set to air on 5 at the end of the 2025.