7.3/1097 votes#1 - Stronger than the Sun
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 10/18/1977
A worker discovers a radioactive leak at the nuclear power plant where she works and tries to make it public knowledge.
Director: Michael Apted
Writer: Stephen Poliakoff
- 6.1/1011 votes
#2 - Come the Revolution
Season 8 Episode 2 - Aired 10/25/1977
Mike and his commune have a performance of their musical theatre "Diver" at the local pub, and ITV's Beth Bailey is coming along to see it. But will Beth's visions for the play as an incitement to revolution please everyone?
Director: Michael Darlow
Writer: N/A
7.9/102,403 votes#3 - Abigail's Party
Season 8 Episode 3 - Aired 11/1/1977
Comedy of manners focusing on the bourgeois affectation and sexual frustration of a young married couple. Abigail's mother Sue is invited to take refuge from her teenage daughter's party with a neighbouring couple, Beverly and Laurence. They have also invited Angela and Tony, new arrivals in the street. Beverly plies her guests with alcohol as Sue becomes increasingly withdrawn and embarrassed by the pretentious goings-on. Slowly, marital tensions emerge and the evening is breaking up in disarray.
Director: Mike Leigh
Writer: Mike Leigh
- 7.7/1018 votes
#4 - Oy Vay Maria
Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 11/8/1977
The story of the romance between a Jewish boy and an Irish Catholic girl
Director: Richard Loncraine
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/1013 votes
#5 - Nipper
Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 11/15/1977
Teenager Jimmy's life begins to unravel after the death of his father. With his mother promiscuous and his new stepfather and stepbrother difficult to get along with, he begins to fall into a cycle of petty crime and self harm.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1012 votes
#6 - One Day at a Time
Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 11/22/1977
"People coming to their first AA meeting, prosperous people, sometimes, accustomed to the best. They look round the places where we meet, and you can see them thinking: what am I doing here? I owe my life to these rooms!"
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.3/1013 votes
#7 - The Mayor's Charity
Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 11/29/1977
Olive Major is determined that her year of office as Mayor will be a happy and successful one. But her appointment of Ex-Warrant Officer Higham as Attendant and Mace-bearer causes the storm-clouds to gather over Medburgh Town Hall.
Director: Mike Newell
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#8 - Catchpenny Twist
Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 12/6/1977
Three schoolteachers in Belfast give up teaching to become singers/songwriters.
Director: Robert Knights
Writer: N/A
- 6.1/1012 votes
#9 - Charades
Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 12/13/1977
"We've just got to get it right. It'll be our little secret. When all the other servants have gone out, we'll play this little game to amuse ourselves. A sort of private charade."
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#10 - The Thin End of the Wedge
Season 8 Episode 10 - Aired 12/20/1977
"Five days of darkness then. Unless you get it together we will have five days of darkness. And on the sixth day you will say, let there be light, and no doubt it'll be such an effort that on the seventh day you'll have to rest!"
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.4/1022 votes
#11 - Scully's New Year's Eve
Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 1/3/1978
A Liverpool teenager has a hectic night out on New Year's Eve.
Director: Michael Simpson
Writer: Alan Bleasdale
- 7.5/1047 votes
#12 - Licking Hitler
Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 1/10/1978
During World War II, a young woman joins the propaganda department and makes radio broadcasts to Germany from a British country house.
Director: David Hare
Writer: N/A
- 6.6/1080 votes
#13 - Red Shift
Season 8 Episode 13 - Aired 1/17/1978
A stone axehead links three couples living at different times in the same place in Wales.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/1077 votes
#14 - The Spongers
Season 8 Episode 14 - Aired 1/24/1978
The story of a single mother of four living on welfare
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.0/1029 votes
#15 - Destiny
Season 8 Episode 15 - Aired 1/31/1978
A story dealing with racial tensions and fascism during a by-election in a West Midlands town
Director: Mike Newell
Writer: N/A
- 8.0/10251 votes
#16 - Our Day Out
Season 8 Episode 16 - Aired 2/7/1978
When a teacher takes a group of troubled school children on a school trip to Conwy in Wales, the children understand life outside of Liverpool.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 5.5/1012 votes
#17 - The After-Dinner Joke
Season 8 Episode 17 - Aired 2/14/1978
The story of a well-meaning charity worker
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.5/109 votes
#18 - The Legion Hall Bombing
Season 8 Episode 18 - Aired 8/22/1978
The story of the trial of Willie Gallagher, convicted of bombing the Strabane British Legion Hall in 1976.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Play for Today Season 8
Every episode of Play for Today Season 8 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Play for Today Season 8!
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run,...
Genre:Drama
Network:BBC One
Season 8 Ratings Summary
"Stronger than the Sun" is the best rated episode of "Play for Today" season 8. It scored 7.3/10 based on 97 votes. Directed by Michael Apted and written by Stephen Poliakoff, it aired on 10/18/1977. This episode is rated 1.2 points higher than the second-best, "Come the Revolution".