Play School returns after 40 years as BBC calls for maker to reimagine 'much-loved' TV show

• See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source

By JENNIFER RUBY

Published: 00:43 BST, 25 September 2026 | Updated: 00:46 BST, 25 September 2026

A generation of children grew up wondering which window they were going to look through today.

And nearly 40 years after it was taken off air, the BBC is reviving beloved children's classic Play School for a modern era.

The BBC's Children's and Education department is inviting producers to pitch for a reboot of the programme which ran from 1964 to 1988.

The new version will be a 'live-action series inspired by the much-loved original', with potential producers called on to 'reimagine its blend of songs, stories, movement, music, poetry and imaginative play for today's audiences'.

It will have companion content made for the CBeebies YouTube channel, which was launched as part of the BBC's new 'Parenting Promise' – a commitment to help children and parents learn through play.

'Play School has always embodied so much of what CBeebies stands for: creativity, curiosity, imagination and learning through play,' said Patricia Hidalgo at the BBC.

Brian Cant with Chloe Ashcroft, Humpy Dumpty and Jemima on the BBC children's favourite Play School 

'Bringing it back for a new generation is a meaningful opportunity to build on that legacy, while continuing to support parents and carers through CBeebies Parenting and the wider commitment set out in our Parenting Promise.'

Play School had a rotating roster of presenters including Brian Cant, who appeared on the show for 21 years, Paul Danquah, the first black presenter on UK children's TV, Johnny Ball and Baroness Floella Benjamin.

Its cast of characters included Big Ted, Little Ted, Humpty and Jemima, while popular parts of the show included the rocket clock and the windows segment, in which the presenter would take viewers through the square, circle or arch window.