Comedy Playhouse (series 2)

Definition
Comedy Playhouse (series 2) is the second season of the British BBC anthology television series Comedy Playhouse, consisting of six unrelated one‑off sitcom episodes that were broadcast in early 1963.

Overview
The second series aired from 1 March 1963 to 12 April 1963 on BBC Television. All six episodes were written by the comedy duo Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and were transmitted in black‑and‑white. Each episode featured a distinct cast and storyline, and unlike some earlier or later installments, none of the episodes were developed into a separate series. The episodes were shown on Fridays at various times in the early evening schedule. Of the six programmes, only “Have You Read This Notice?” is currently listed as lost, with no surviving recording known.

Etymology / Origin
The title Comedy Playhouse derives from the series’ original purpose as a “playhouse” for testing new comedy concepts. The programme was conceived by the BBC as a platform for writers to showcase pilot episodes; successful pilots could be commissioned as full series. The series name therefore reflects its anthology format and its role in the development of British sitcoms.

Characteristics

• Broadcast period: 1 March 1963 – 12 April 1963
• Number of episodes: 6, each 25–30 minutes in length
• Production: Black‑and‑white, written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson; produced for the BBC.
• Episode list:
  1. Our Man in Moscow (1 March 1963, 30 min) – Robert Morley as British Ambassador Sir William Hunter.
  2. And Here, All The Way From… (8 March 1963, 25 min) – Eric Barker as District Commissioner Donald Lawrence.
  3. Impasse (15 March 1963, 25 min) – Bernard Cribbins, Yootha Joyce, Leslie Phillips; a standoff between drivers.
  4. Have You Read This Notice? (29 March 1963, 25 min) – Frankie Howerd as Norman Fox; a customs‑related comedy (the only episode currently classified as lost).
  5. A Clerical Error (5 April 1963, 25 min) – John Le Mesurier as con‑man Caleb Bullrush.
  6. The Handyman (12 April 1963, 25 min) – Alfred Marks as Lionel Hogg, an unemployed machine minder.
• Reception & legacy: While none of the second‑series episodes spawned a separate series, the programme contributed to the early careers of several notable British comedians and actors, and reinforced the anthology model that later produced enduring series such as Steptoe and Son and Till Death Us Do Part.

Related Topics

• Comedy Playhouse (the overall series)
• Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (writing partnership)
• British television anthology comedy formats
• Lost television episodes and archival preservation (e.g., “Have You Read This Notice?”)
• BBC television comedy programming of the 1960s
• Notable spin‑offs from Comedy Playhouse (e.g., Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, Are You Being Served?)