Thirty-Minute Theatre

Thirty-Minute Theatre

Thirty-Minute Theatre is an anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which therefore attracted many writers who later became well known. Thirty-Minute Theatre followed on from a similarly named ITV series, beginning on BBC2 in 1965 with an adaptation of the black comedy Parsons Pleasure. In 1967 BBC2 launched the UK's first colour service, with the consequence that Thirty-Minute Theatre became the first drama series in the country to be shown in colour.

Drama

Seasons

1. Parson's Pleasure

Air Date: 1965-10-07

2. Give the Clown His Supper

Air Date: 1965-10-14

3. Portrait of a Madonna

Air Date: 1965-10-21

4. Pay as You Go

Air Date: 1965-10-28

5. Monica

Air Date: 1965-11-04

6. Love in Triplicate

Air Date: 1965-11-11

7. Application Form

Air Date: 1965-11-18

8. The Late Arrival of the Incoming Aircraft

Air Date: 1965-11-25

9. Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat

Air Date: 1965-12-02

10. Mr. Ponge

Air Date: 1965-12-09

11. That's Not My Name

Air Date: 1965-12-16

12. Family Christmas

Air Date: 1965-12-23

13. The Passenger

Air Date: 1965-12-30

14. The Flipside

Air Date: 1966-01-03

15. The Enchanted Night

Air Date: 1966-01-10

16. Four-Way Incident

Air Date: 1966-01-17

17. Brothers

Air Date: 1966-01-24

18. Janni! Oh Janni!

Air Date: 1966-01-31

19. The Sugar Cubes

Air Date: 1966-02-07

20. Case Suspended

Air Date: 1966-02-14

21. Ships of the Line

Air Date: 1966-02-21

22. Keep on Running

Air Date: 1966-02-28

23. Not for Just an Hour

Air Date: 1966-03-07

24. 'Twas on a Sunday

Air Date: 1966-03-14

25. Magnolia Summer

Air Date: 1966-03-28

26. A Girl's Best Friend

Air Date: 1966-04-04

27. Emergency Ward 9

Air Date: 1966-04-11

28. A Letter from the Country

Air Date: 1966-04-18

29. The Caramel Crisis

Air Date: 1966-04-25

30. Don't Go Down to the Bingo Mother, Father's Coming to Tea

Air Date: 1966-05-02

31. The House Mouse

Air Date: 1966-05-09

32. The Hard Word

Air Date: 1966-05-16

33. Ella

Air Date: 1966-05-23

34. The Window

Air Date: 1966-05-30

35. Friday Night's the Best Night

Air Date: 1966-06-06

36. A Good Reason for Getting Married

Air Date: 1966-06-13

37. The Queen Street Girls

Air Date: 1966-06-20

38. They Put You Where You Are

Air Date: 1966-06-27

1. The Other Fella

Air Date: 1966-10-03

2. The Devil and All His Mischief

Air Date: 1966-10-10

3. The Spoken Word

Air Date: 1966-10-17

4. The Sounds of War

Air Date: 1966-10-24

5. The Excavation

Air Date: 1966-10-31

6. Play to Win

Air Date: 1966-11-07

7. Confession

Air Date: 1966-11-14

8. Wife in a Blonde Wig

Air Date: 1966-11-21

9. O-Gosh!

Air Date: 1966-11-28

10. First Catch Your Hare...

Air Date: 1966-12-05

11. Brainscrew

Air Date: 1966-12-12

12. The Towers of Manhattan

Air Date: 1966-12-19

13. Taste

Air Date: 1967-01-04

14. R.S.V.P.

Air Date: 1967-01-11

15. The Suede Jacket

Air Date: 1967-01-18

16. Oldenberg

Air Date: 1967-01-26

17. Later a Man Was Questioned

Air Date: 1967-02-01

18. Teeth

Air Date: 1967-02-08

19. Turn Off If You Know the Ending

Air Date: 1967-02-15

20. An Absolute Treasure

Air Date: 1967-02-22

21. Go Tell It on Table Mountain

Air Date: 1967-03-01

22. Taffy Came to My House

Air Date: 1967-03-08

23. Who Were You With Last Night?

Air Date: 1967-03-15

24. Two and Two Make Twenty Two

Air Date: 1967-03-22

25. Wanted

Air Date: 1967-03-29

26. The Gun

Air Date: 1967-04-12

27. Failpass

Air Date: 1967-04-19

28. Boa Constrictor

Air Date: 1967-04-26

29. The Isle is Full of Noises

Air Date: 1967-05-03

30. Silver Wedding

Air Date: 1967-05-10

31. The Sufferings of Peter Obiznov

Air Date: 1967-05-17

32. Haven't You People Got Homes?

Air Date: 1967-05-24

33. That Woman

Air Date: 1967-05-31

34. The Other Side

Air Date: 1967-06-07

35. The Wake

Air Date: 1967-06-14

36. Child Marlene

Air Date: 1967-06-21

37. Another Moon Called Earth

Air Date: 1967-06-28

1. Leave Me Alone

Air Date: 1967-10-02

2. The Timekeepers

Air Date: 1967-10-09

3. You Meet All Sorts

Air Date: 1967-10-16

4. The Tape Recorder

Air Date: 1967-10-23

5. The Top Bunk

Air Date: 1967-10-30

6. Have It On The House

Air Date: 1967-11-06

7. Notice! Meeting In Progress

Air Date: 1967-11-27

8. A Time of Wolves and Tigers

Air Date: 1967-12-06

9. The Keys on the Streets

Air Date: 1967-12-13

10. Come Death

Air Date: 1967-12-20

11. The Metal Martyr

Air Date: 1967-12-27

12. A Private Place

Air Date: 1968-01-03

13. The News-Benders

Air Date: 1968-01-10

14. Diary of an Encounter

Air Date: 1968-01-17

15. Lovely In Black

Air Date: 1968-01-24

16. Happiness Is E Shaped

Air Date: 1968-01-31

17. Child's Play

Air Date: 1968-02-07

18. Snakes and Reptiles

Air Date: 1968-02-14

19. The Unquiet Man

Air Date: 1968-02-21

20. The Interview

Air Date: 1968-02-28

21. Eveline

Air Date: 1968-03-06

22. A Personal Affair

Air Date: 1968-03-13

23. No Trams To Ethiopia

Air Date: 1968-03-20

24. Father's Day

Air Date: 1968-03-27

25. Pleasant Dreams, Fernando

Air Date: 1968-04-03

26. The Sinner

Air Date: 1968-04-10

27. It's On You, John

Air Date: 1968-04-24

28. Standing By For Santa Claus

Air Date: 1968-05-01

29. Empty Bottles

Air Date: 1968-05-08

30. Thank God for U.D.I.!

Air Date: 1968-05-15

31. Still Death

Air Date: 1968-05-22

32. Walk In The Dark

Air Date: 1968-05-29

33. The Boy's Room

Air Date: 1968-06-05

34. Number 30, Approximately

Air Date: 1968-06-19

35. A Question of Honour

Air Date: 1968-06-26

1. Baby

Air Date: 1968-09-09

2. A Matter of Principle

Air Date: 1968-09-16

3. The Flag

Air Date: 1968-09-23

4. The Chequers Manoeuvre

Air Date: 1968-09-30

5. Something To Hide: The First Floor

Air Date: 1968-10-07

6. Something To Hide: The Studio

Air Date: 1968-10-14

7. Something To Hide: The Caretaker's Flat

Air Date: 1968-10-21

8. Of Public Concern

Air Date: 1968-11-04

9. Cause of Death

Air Date: 1968-11-11

10. The Last Victim

Air Date: 1968-11-18

11. Loving Israel

Air Date: 1968-11-25

12. The Bishop and the Actress

Air Date: 1968-12-02

13. Before Breakfast

Air Date: 1968-12-09

14. Cross Examine

Air Date: 1968-12-16

15. Swallowing the Anchor

Air Date: 1968-12-23

16. Game, Set and Match

Air Date: 1968-12-30

17. Where Have They Gone, All The Little Children

Air Date: 1969-01-06

18. Absolute Aggers and Torters

Air Date: 1969-01-13

19. These Men Are Dangerous: Mussolini

Air Date: 1969-01-20

20. These Men Are Dangerous: Hitler

Air Date: 1969-01-27

21. These Men Are Dangerous: Stalin

Air Date: 1969-02-03

22. Stake Money

Air Date: 1969-02-13

23. First Confession

Air Date: 1969-02-20

24. The Boat To Addis Ababa

Air Date: 1969-02-27

25. A Hot Day

Air Date: 1969-03-06

26. Roses, Roses, All The Way

Air Date: 1969-03-20

27. The Victims: A Degree of Stress

Air Date: 1969-03-20

28. The Victims: Frontier

Air Date: 1969-03-27

29. The Victims: Progressive Blues

Air Date: 1969-04-03

30. Invasion

Air Date: 1969-04-10

31. A Nice Cool Pad in the Sky

Air Date: 1969-04-24

32. Anything You Say

Air Date: 1969-05-01

33. Conversation at Night

Air Date: 1969-05-08

34. Roly Poly

Air Date: 1969-05-15

35. ...And Was Invited to Form a Government

Air Date: 1969-05-22

36. A Borderline Case

Air Date: 1969-05-29

1. Remote Control

Air Date: 1969-09-14

2. Gangster

Air Date: 1969-09-28

3. Trial

Air Date: 1969-10-05

4. A Formula for Treason

Air Date: 1969-10-12

5. Someone's Knocking at Me Door

Air Date: 1969-10-19

6. Trespassers

Air Date: 1969-10-26

7. Aggers and Torters: Back to Nature

Air Date: 1969-11-09

8. Aggers and Torters: Psy-Fi

Air Date: 1969-11-16

9. Aggers and Torters: Hickory Dickory

Air Date: 1969-11-23

10. Lecture to an Academy

Air Date: 1969-12-07

11. The Switch

Air Date: 1969-12-14

12. The Discharge of Trooper Lusby

Air Date: 1969-12-28

13. Laffin' Gas

Air Date: 1970-01-10

14. The Chief Whip Sends His Compliments

Air Date: 1970-01-17

15. Reparation

Air Date: 1970-01-24

16. The Scarecrows

Air Date: 1970-01-31

17. Laying It Off For Spangle

Air Date: 1970-02-07

18. Home Is Where You Hang Your Hat

Air Date: 1970-02-14

19. What a Pity You Can't Stay Longer

Air Date: 1970-02-21

20. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Air Date: 1970-02-28

21. Meanwhile Back at the Office

Air Date: 1970-03-14

22. All My Own Army

Air Date: 1970-03-28

23. Whispers

Air Date: 1970-04-04

24. Revolutions: Cromwell

Air Date: 1970-04-11

25. Revolutions: Lenin

Air Date: 1970-04-18

26. Revolutions: Fidel Castro

Air Date: 1970-04-25

27. Is That Your Body, Boy?

Air Date: 1970-05-09

28. The Tidewatchers

Air Date: 1970-05-16

29. Twenty-Six Efforts at Pornography

Air Date: 1970-05-23

30. Lilly: Part 1

Air Date: 1970-06-06

31. Lilly: Part 2

Air Date: 1970-06-13

32. Ben

Air Date: 1970-06-20

33. An Uncertain Sound

Air Date: 1970-06-27

34. Hope

Air Date: 1970-07-04

35. Good Times

Air Date: 1970-07-25

36. Tropical Wednesdays

Air Date: 1970-08-01

1. The Raid

Air Date: 1970-09-18

2. The Year of the Crow

Air Date: 1970-10-02

3. Did Your Nanny Come from Bergen?

Air Date: 1970-10-09

4. Tribunal

Air Date: 1970-10-16

5. Helen

Air Date: 1970-10-30

6. The Warmonger

Air Date: 1970-11-13

7. The Editor Regrets

Air Date: 1970-11-27

8. Waugh on Crime: In Which Inspector Waugh Settles an Account

Air Date: 1970-12-04

9. Waugh on Crime: In Which Inspector Waugh Meets a Man Going to St. Ives

Air Date: 1970-12-11

10. Waugh on Crime: In Which Inspector Waugh Encounters the English Class System

Air Date: 1970-12-18

11. Waugh on Crime: In Which Inspector Waugh Observes the Truth of an Old Music Hall Song

Air Date: 1970-12-25

12. Waugh on Crime: In Which Inspector Waugh Plays Cops and Robbers

Air Date: 1971-01-01

13. Waugh on Crime: In Which Inspector Waugh Knows the Criminal but not the Crime

Air Date: 1971-01-08

14. But Now They Are Fled

Air Date: 1971-01-11

15. Faith

Air Date: 1971-01-18

16. Terrible Jim Fitch

Air Date: 1971-01-25

17. The Bequest

Air Date: 1971-02-01

18. Me MacKenna

Air Date: 1971-02-08

19. The Proposal

Air Date: 1971-02-15

20. Asquith in Orbit

Air Date: 1971-02-22

21. Happy Days Are Here Again

Air Date: 1971-03-01

22. The Railway Man's New Clothes

Air Date: 1971-03-08

23. No Charge for the Extra Service

Air Date: 1971-03-15

24. A Distinct Chill

Air Date: 1971-03-22

25. The Waiting Room

Air Date: 1971-03-29

26. Listen to the Drums

Air Date: 1971-04-05

27. Death's Head

Air Date: 1971-05-24

28. Jilly

Air Date: 1971-05-31

29. Something for the Children

Air Date: 1971-06-07

30. The Room They Left

Air Date: 1971-06-14

31. Seven Days in the Life of Andrew Pelham: Crisis

Air Date: 1971-07-05

32. Seven Days in the Life of Andrew Pelham: Suspect

Air Date: 1971-07-12

33. Seven Days in the Life of Andrew Pelham: Inquiry

Air Date: 1971-07-19

34. Seven Days in the Life of Andrew Pelham: Retreat

Air Date: 1971-07-26

35. Seven Days in the Life of Andrew Pelham: Deadlock

Air Date: 1971-08-02

36. Seven Days in the Life of Andrew Pelham: Breakthrough

Air Date: 1971-08-09

37. Seven Days in the Life of Andrew Pelham: Decision

Air Date: 1971-08-16

1. Walt, King of the Dumper

Air Date: 1971-09-20

2. Soldier Ants

Air Date: 1971-09-27

3. Gun Play

Air Date: 1971-10-04

4. Combing Down His Yellow Hair

Air Date: 1971-10-11

5. The Moonlighters

Air Date: 1971-10-18

6. Getting In

Air Date: 1971-10-25

7. Psychological Warfare

Air Date: 1971-11-01

8. A Settled Sort of Life

Air Date: 1971-11-08

9. The Gardeners of My Youth

Air Date: 1971-11-15

10. Blues in the Morning

Air Date: 1971-11-22

11. Jenkins

Air Date: 1971-11-29

12. Allotment

Air Date: 1971-12-06

13. Farewell Performance

Air Date: 1971-12-13

14. Footprints

Air Date: 1971-12-20

15. A Wen

Air Date: 1971-12-27

16. Not Counting the Savages

Air Date: 1972-01-03

17. Uncle Rollo

Air Date: 1972-01-10

18. They Don't All Open Men's Boutiques

Air Date: 1972-01-17

19. The Penthouse Apartment

Air Date: 1972-01-24

20. An Affair of Honour

Air Date: 1972-01-31

21. An Arrow for Little Audrey

Air Date: 1972-02-21

22. That Quiet Earth

Air Date: 1972-02-28

23. Said the Preacher

Air Date: 1972-03-06

24. That Time of Life

Air Date: 1972-03-13

25. Under the Age

Air Date: 1972-03-20

26. Bypass

Air Date: 1972-03-27

27. And For My Next Trick

Air Date: 1972-04-03

28. The Sit In

Air Date: 1972-04-10

29. Mill Hill

Air Date: 1972-05-22

30. King's Cross Lunch Hour

Air Date: 1972-05-29

31. Swiss Cottage

Air Date: 1972-06-05

32. Knightsbridge

Air Date: 1972-06-12

33. Bermondsey

Air Date: 1972-06-19

1. Hands

Air Date: 1972-08-14

2. Lushly

Air Date: 1972-08-21

3. Too Far

Air Date: 1972-08-28

4. Thrills Galore

Air Date: 1972-09-04

5. The Argument

Air Date: 1972-09-11

6. The Seventh Juror

Air Date: 1972-09-18

7. I Spy a Stranger

Air Date: 1972-09-25

8. The Judge's Wife

Air Date: 1972-10-02

9. Scarborough

Air Date: 1972-10-12

10. Tonight We Meet Arthur Pendlebury

Air Date: 1972-10-19

11. Ronnie's So Long at the Fair

Air Date: 1972-10-26

12. Ten Torrey Canyons

Air Date: 1972-11-02

13. I Wouldn't Tell on You, Miss

Air Date: 1972-11-09

14. You're Free

Air Date: 1972-11-16

15. Dialogue

Air Date: 1972-11-22

16. Krapp's Last Tape

Air Date: 1972-11-29

17. The Chauffeur and the Lady

Air Date: 1972-12-06

18. You've Been a Long Time, Alfred

Air Date: 1972-12-13

19. The Japanese Student

Air Date: 1973-01-03

20. The Punchy and the Fairy

Air Date: 1973-01-10

21. Playthings

Air Date: 1973-01-17

22. Is Nellie Dead?

Air Date: 1973-01-24

23. A Chance Encounter

Air Date: 1973-01-31

24. You and Me and Him

Air Date: 1973-02-22

25. The Great Acrobile

Air Date: 1973-03-01

26. Atrocity

Air Date: 1973-03-15

27. Beginning To End

Air Date: 1973-03-29

28. Swamp Music

Air Date: 1973-04-12

29. Croust

Air Date: 1973-04-19

30. The Baby's Name Being Kitchener

Air Date: 1973-04-26

31. Kamikaze in a Coffee Bath

Air Date: 1973-05-03

32. About a Bout

Air Date: 1973-05-10

33. Shakespeare Country

Air Date: 1973-05-17

Select an episode to start watching

Rating

3.8/10

Release Date

1965-10-07

Episodes

285 (8 seasons)

Status

Ended

Cast