The Philanthropist (BBC2 1970s)

[John Stewart Miller]

I have a query about a title and some play scenes haunting me for which I wanted to try and ascertain a source and whether they survive?

The date was around early 1976. The scenes were in a one off play. It was introduced as 'a gentle comedy' or 'a comedy of manners'. I was doing something half absorbing it with one eye, but recall suddenly the play moved from being a 'posh' and polite affair to being extremely contraversial and ascerbic, with bad language.

There was something about Charles Gray playing a toff type entering the door of a party and suddenly ranting on about 'having one off the wrist'. I recall I was shocked, expecting a 'gentle comedy' to be along the lines of 'Dads army' or 'Sykes'!

It was definitely satire as I recall it being more shocking than funny - wierd for a comedy!

The second scene seems to be linked to this but may be a one off play transmitted the next week in the same series? In it two secondary school boys in striped blazers are conversing by some lockers, possibly in a gymn. They had public school accents. Again I expected it to be polite but then, one pulls a copy of 'play boy' from a locker, thumbing the pages, with the other remarking 'Cor! - T*ts.. - black!!' I recall finding it embarrasing, but wonder where this scene hails from. One of the boys I think was played by 'Catweazle's Robin Davies, with an afro haircut?

I seem to think it could be a scene from 'the glittering prizes' or 'roads to freedom'.

Any clues anyone? - Do they survive?

[andrew martin]

"The Philanthropist" was shown 29/10/75, and the cast included Ronald Pickup, Helen Mirren, Charles Gray and James Bolam. It was made by the plays department, not shown as part of a strand, and ran for about 90 minutes.

The other scene sounds familiar - I think it might well be "The Glittering Prizes" episode 4 "A Country Life", shown 11/2/76, which is partly set in a public school. Robin Davies may well have been in it, Martin Kemp definitely was! It's definitely not "Roads to Freedom".

[andrew martin]

Oh, and they both still exist.

[John Stewart Miller]

Thanks Andrew, great.

It is higly likely 'glittering prizes' as I recall that as being another sort of public school mannered, sophisticated piece. And that the precedent contrasted against this sudden seemingly out of place scene.

Sure the series was higly acclaimed at the time ?