The Play on One

1. S01E01Down Where the Buffalo GoJanuary 19, 1988—Based at the Holy Loch naval base, the holy union of US Marine Carl and local girl Rachel is on the rocks, as she wants to leave Scotland an
2. S01E02The Dark RoomJanuary 26, 1988—A reclusive couple live on a Scotland block with their infant son. But it soon becomes apparent there's something strange about their situat
3. S01E03Normal ServiceFebruary 2, 1988—It's General Election Day 1964, and the resources of Forth and Clyde Television are under stress. Too many shows want too many things done t
4. S01E04The Dunroamin' RisingFebruary 9, 1988—A former firebrand socialist finds himself in a care home after a fall renders him unable to look after himself. But after learning that the
5. S01E05A Wholly Healthy GlasgowFebruary 16, 1988—A new, idealistic gym instructor threatens the seedy lifestyle of the current employees of the Adonis Health Club in Glasgow.
6. S01E06Unreported IncidentFebruary 23, 1988—Once enemies at opposite ends of a gun on the Irish border, Jack Lawrence and Jimmy Dunne wound up with lives inextricably entwined. Chat sh
7. S01E07AirbaseMarch 1, 1988—Madeline Kohler, a young female American Air Force officer, is posted to the all-male world of a U.S. airbase in Britain.
8. S01E08The PartyMarch 8, 1988—While Paris students protest in May 1968, television producer Joe Shawcross hosts a discussion of Socialist beliefs and actions in his fashi

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

1. S02E01HeartlandFebruary 21, 1989—In West Wales, Jack and his farming family have built up their dairy herd with vast loans and are then told they must cut back on milk produ
2. S02E02These Foolish ThingsFebruary 28, 1989—Gutrune's hunt for a husband among the wealthy and aristocratic circles of London is hampered by the fact that her chosen man Nick, a London
3. S02E03Govan Ghost StoryMarch 7, 1989—Old memories are awakened in a terrifying and dangerous way when Jock encounters a strange little girl in the high-rise block of flats where
4. S02E04The ShawlMarch 14, 1989—John performs as a spiritual medium, using the visits of a troubled woman to introduce a young man to the mysteries and skills of the clairv
5. S02E05A View of Harry ClarkMarch 21, 1989—Harry Clark is a social worker on the verge of cracking up. His job is to help other people but who's there to help him?
6. S02E06The GiftMarch 28, 1989—Robert and Gordon, two talented teenage footballers from Wick, are invited to Glasgow for a week's trial with a big club. It is their first
7. S02E07ClownsApril 4, 1989—Arthur is about to celebrate his 80th birthday and his family is gathering for a party. It is a time for celebration, but also for family te
8. S02E08Biting the HandsApril 11, 1989—Two Scottish women doing a feminist cabaret act in a seedy pub have to choose between principle and profit when success on the alternative c
9. S02E09A Master of the MarionettesApril 18, 1989—Teddy Rose is a committed and successful salesman, allaying suburban insecurity with domestic alarm systems. But one evening, violence confr
10. S02E10Unexplained LaughterApril 25, 1989—Unlucky in love Lydia retreats to the Welsh hills for a consoling visit to her old friend Betty. But things may not be as amiable as they se

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

1. S03E01Changing StepJuly 26, 1990—Spring 1917: the privileged world of Sorn Castle is upside down, its stately rooms full of amputees from the Western Front. While the local
2. S03E02The Wreck on the HighwayAugust 2, 1990—Washed up country-and-western singer John McGuire is broke and his family is emigrating. He and grandson Billy share the same dreams. They r
3. S03E03Killing TimeAugust 9, 1990—DHSS clerk Martin meets 17-year-old Harry, who is sleeping rough, and invites him to stay for the weekend. Martin begins to trust Harry. Cou
4. S03E04ObituariesAugust 16, 1990—In a nursing home, 'Chalky' White and Timothy Apcar compete for the privilege of shaking the Royal hand. The Daily Telegraph is the battlegr
5. S03E05SeparationAugust 23, 1990—When New York actress Sarah Weiss calls London playwright Joe, they begin a special relationship conducted through trans-Atlantic phone call
6. S03E06YellowbacksAugust 30, 1990—In a very near-future Britain, when draconian powers have been given to the authorities under the new Secret Emergency Provisions of the Dan

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

1. S04E01MisteriosoJuly 25, 1991—On the death of her mother, a young Northern England woman learns that her father is actually her step-father. She embarks on a search for h
2. S04E02Gas and CandlesAugust 1, 1991—Two pensioners strike back as they struggle to survive in a high-rise flat. A tin of salmon triggers a chain of life-altering events. The ke
3. S04E03Escape from KampalaAugust 8, 1991—Wycliffe Kato, Director of Civil Aviation in Idi Amin's Uganda, is catching a flight to Canada for a conference when he's arrested by Amin's
4. S04E04And the Cow Jumped Over the MoonAugust 15, 1991—Wisecracking hospital DJ Eddie brightens the daily routine for former nightclub singer Andrea and her fellow patients in a women's cancer wa
5. S04E05Out of the BlueAugust 22, 1991—Alan makes films in the warehouse studio where he lives, with the help of friends Rudy and Liz. Even Rudy's girlfriend, Julie, finds herself
6. S04E06Effie's BurningAugust 29, 1991—The medical burns unit sees a lot of strange cases, but none stranger than Effie, who claims her burns are the result of spontaneous combust

Season 4 ranked & reviewed