Play for Today generic title sequences

And so we plumb new depths of pointlessness, with a collection of the generic introductory sequences used at the start of BBC1's long-running single-play series, Play for Today.

Actually, it's because I like the original piano/organ/tambourine version of the theme music. The titles here are from 1972, Jan 1973, March 1973, 1974, 1977 and 1978.

Odd that the sequence changed in March 1973 and then reverted to the original music and visual style. The less said about 1977 the better.

The original, simple approach is by far the best and shows how effective well chosen stills can be when cut to a piece of good music. Certainly, it makes me want to find out what some of the plays were all about, though if I'm honest my overriding memory of the sequence from back in the 1970s is an introduction to boredom.

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[RobinCarmody]

With respect, Rory, I think you were a bit young at the time to "get" them, just as I (born 1980) was too young to "get" the better bits of ScreenPlay/Screen One/Screen Two/Film on Four. I've got a lot of pleasure, *and* learnt a lot about the era, from the examples I've recently seen in the BFI's Mediatheque.

Whatever you think of the (presumably Radiophonic) music on the March 73 version, it has an almost Soviet look which fits with some of the plays' politics (ditto the plainness of 78).

[RAX118G]

@RobinCarmody Absolutely. I love some of the PFTs now though and realise how lucky I am to have grown up when British TV was at its best.

The March 1973 reminds me of the animations that appeared in early editions of Rainbow. I was wondering if it was a one-off - the play in question was Mike Leigh's Hard Labour.

[MsBkirk]

The start with the green font must have influenced the titles of series 2 of Look Around You!

[stupidrubbish]

This is the only time I've seen City Stencil used for anything, ever. I really enjoyed all of these, even the two awful ones!