"Play For Today" Returns
New Score by Ian Livingstone
Play for Today – the iconic, provocative anthology strand that defined British social drama for almost three decades – returns to screens this week. And the new series will be scored by Ivor-Novello winning composer Ian Livingstone.
Originally running from 1970 to 1984 on the BBC, Play for Today shaped generations of British film and television – seeding directors, writers, actors and composers who went on to dominate independent film and high-end UK drama for decades.
This new revival, to air on Channel 5, is the first time any UK broadcaster has attempted a proper modern relaunch.
Channel 5’s reboot will continue the original ethos: one writer, one story, one film. But this time with contemporary urgency – tackling work, class, identity, AI, deprivation, healthcare, migration, and the contradictions of modern Britain.
Ian wrote original scores across two of the films. He is no stranger to popular TV, with credits ranging from the BBC's hit series The Repair Shop to Nat Geo's recent series Top Guns: The Next Generation.
Play for Today launches on Channel 5 this Thursday. Each film will also land on My5.
