Play School

The first episode of Play School went out on BBC Two on the morning of 21 April 1964. Its target audience of under-fives were unaware that it was a double first – being the debut programme transmitted on the new channel, following the disastrous opening night. Producer Joy Whitby introduced the programme in the Radio Times, saying it "will use all the advantages of television to do the job of a nursery school in its own exciting way".

In Play School the world outside the studio was glimpsed through the magic windows. Every day the viewers were invited to guess whether this would be through the square, the round or the arched window. The first presenters were Virginia Stride and Gordon Rollings.

Presenters over the years included Brian Cant, Toni Arthur, Julie Stevens, Floella Benjamin and Johnny Ball. Carol Chell was the longest serving presenter, staying with the programme for 22 years. They were joined by the toys Humpty, Jemima, Hamble, Big Ted and Little Ted. Hamble was replaced by Poppy in the final two years of the programme, which finished in 1988 after more than 5000 episodes.

When Play School started it stood alone on BBC Two at 11am, and the channel then went off the air until the evening. Today young children have their own dedicated channel, CBeebies, and the presenters can be seen interacting with the audience much as they did in 1964. Elements of Play School, including the windows, were revived in Tikkabilla in 2002.