Play Away: the lost sketches

Well, not all of them, obviously, but an hour-long compilation made from recordings rescued from the showreel of someone who worked behind the scenes on the programme. As so many Play Away episodes subsequently had their master tapes wiped, there's a very real chance that at least some of these sketches don't exist anywhere else, so this could be the only place to see them. (And this isn't just a rehash of episodes already on my channel, either - although there are a couple of overlaps.)

Besides Brian Cant, Floella Benjamin, and all the usual crew, we're treated here to somewhat unexpected appearances from the likes of Tony "Baldrick" Robinson, "Blue" Peter Purves, Anita "Brian Cant? Brian May" Dobson, Alex "DCI Matt Burke in Taggart" Norton, and Fred "Chockablock" Harris, amongst others. There's also a bizarre reveal at the end of one sketch of George Chisholm, famous jazz trombonist, comedian, and occasional Goon Show guest. They don't make kids' TV like that any more.

All in all, I think this is great fun and a nice reminder of simpler times. My favourite sketch is possibly the Gas Meter Man one (almost certainly from 20/11/82, incidentally, and therefore missing), which - along with a couple of others, such as Lost Property - occasionally veers into almost Pythonesque territory. I like a good bit of wordplay, and there's plenty of that throughout - I'll give an honourable mention to the Weather Forecaster one with its laundry puns. (Tony Robinson must have had one seriously ugly portrait of himself in his attic or something as, despite his youthful looks, he was unbelievably already in his mid-to-late 30s at this point.) One of the funniest and most endearing moments comes in the Bike Repair Shop sketch, as Brian Cant spoonerises his tongue-twister line, looks at the camera, and everyone struggles not to crack up. And what's with all the cowboys? I suspect there must have been a themed episode, possibly solely for Brian to break out his very best Jimmy Stewart voice.

I still can't believe the cultural vandalism that's led to so many of these fondly-remembered classics being wiped, so with that in mind, many thanks indeed to Lee for providing these recordings.

(This is a transfer from an old videotape, so please don't expect full HD quality. To the best of my knowledge, this material is not available commercially anywhere in the world, and has been uploaded for its historic interest. That said, if you are a copyright holder and object, please don't hesitate to contact me.)