Episode guide: 1978

SCULLY’S NEW YEAR’S EVE (3 Jan 1978)

wr. Alan Bleasdale
pr. David Rose
dr. Michael Simpson

LICKING HITLER (10 Jan 1978)

wr. David Hare
pr. David Rose
dr. David Hare

RED SHIFT (17 Jan 1978)

Essay by David Rolinson (for BFI DVD release of Red Shift)
wr. Alan Garner
pr. David Rose
dr. John Mackenzie
Red Shift was released on DVD by the BFI in 2014

THE SPONGERS (24 Jan 1978)

Essay by David Rolinson (for Screenonline)
wr. Jim Allen
pr. Tony Garnett
dr. Roland Joffé
The Spongers was released on blu ray by the BFI in 2021 (as part of Play for Today: Volume 2)

DESTINY (31 Jan 1978)

Essay by Tom May in 3 parts – Part 1; Part 2; Part 3
wr. David Edgar
pr. Margaret Matheson
dr. Mike Newell

THE AFTER DINNER JOKE (14 Feb 1978)

wr. Caryl Churchill
pr. Margaret Matheson
dr. Colin Bucks

THE LEGION HALL BOMBING (22 Aug 1978)

Essay by David Rolinson (for Screenonline)
wr. Caryl Churchill [no on-screen credit]
pr. Margaret Matheson
dr. Roland Joffé

NINA (17 Oct 1978)

wr. Jehane Markham
pr. Margaret Matheson
dr. Alan Clarke Essay by David Rolinson; Alan Clarke section.
Nina was released on DVD and blu ray by the BFI in 2016 (as part of Alan Clarke at the BBC)

VICTIMS OF APARTHEID (24 Oct 1978)

wr. Tom Clarke
pr. Richard Eyre
dr. Stuart Burge
Victims of Apartheid was released on blu ray by the BFI in 2021 (as part of Play for Today: Volume 2)

A TOUCH OF THE TINY HACKETTS (31 Oct 1978)

wr. John Esmonde, Bob Larbey
pr. James Cellan Jones
pr. James Cellan Jones

DINNER AT THE SPORTING CLUB (7 Nov 1978)

wr. Leon Griffiths
pr. Kenith Trodd
dr. Brian Gibson
Dinner at the Sporting Club was released on DVD by DD Video in 2003

DONAL AND SALLY (14 Nov 1978)

wr. James Duthie
pr. Anne Head
dr. Brian Parker

SORRY… PRIVATE VIEW and AUDIENCE [double-bill] (21 Nov 1978)

wr. Vera Blackwell (play Vaclav Havel)
pr. Innes Lloyd
dr. Claude Whatham

BUTTERFLIES DON’T COUNT (28 Nov 1978)

wr. Wally K Daly
pr. Innes Lloyd
dr. Kenneth Ives

SOLDIERS TALKING, CLEANLY (5 Dec 1978)

wr. Mike Stott
pr. Richard Eyre
dr. Alan Dossor

ONE BUMMER NEWS DAY (12 Dec 1978)

wr. Andy McSmith
pr. Richard Eyre
dr. Michael Darlow

Go to 1979.

For researchers interested in these plays and their archival status, we strongly recommend the BBC drama research guide available here from Kaleidoscope.

Updates:
1 Jun 2015: simplified layout; added producer credits; checked archival status; added DVD availability.
10 July 2016: updated release information.
25 February 2017: checked latest BBC Store release information: no additions required since 2016 update.
12 June 2018: replaced ‘Episodes’ with ‘Episode guide’.
14 October 2020: added Amazon note.
16 October 2020: added Red Shift DVD link; added link to Alan Clarke section.
3 March 2023: updated blu ray release information.