Play Away
Play Away was a sister programme to Play School in the UK, aimed at slightly older children. It ran from 1971 until 1984. While Play School had a more gentle, intimate feel, featuring just two presenters in a studio with the usual collection of toys and pets, Play Away was much more lively, with a live audience and a format a little like a music-hall variety show.
Presenters throughout the thirteen-year run included familiar Play School presenters such as Brian Cant, Toni Arthur, Derek Griffiths, Floella Benjamin, Chloe Ashcroft, Johnny Ball, and Julie Stevens, as well as lesser known presenters including Janine Sharp. Play Away also played host to such future stars as Anita Dobson, Jeremy Irons and Tony Robinson.
Some episodes of the series were wiped as recently as the early 1990s.[citation needed]