
The Afternoon Play is a British television anthology series of standalone contemporary dramas aired during the afternoons of 2003–07 on BBC One, featuring well-known actors in one-off stories. A daytime drama strand showcasing a variety of genres, from comedy to mystery, it was part of a long tradition of afternoon plays on BBC Radio 4, which would go on to influence the television version.
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A bored housewife finds glamour and excitement when she starts a job belly-dancing in a Turkish restaurant.
An overworked, unhappy widower who suffers from stress ends up with shock-related amnesia when he takes a holiday in Spain. With the help of a woman he meets out there, he then has to rediscover his o…
An undercover store detective, who prides himself on his disguises but longs to solve real crimes, seizes a chance to impress both his estranged wife and investigate a hit-and-run.
On a deprived housing estate, down-and-out Jonny steals some dodgy leather jackets that turn out to have drugs in them. When his girlfriend Marlene sells them on to the locals, she receives a tip-off …
Four old friends take a hen weekend by the sea, where the bride-to-be discovers that the others have all slept with her fiancé. The fiancé, meanwhile, realising something is wrong, abandons his stag w…
Best friends Oliver and Grace begin to ponder why they have never taken their relationship further. After a passionate weekend in the country, they attempt to go back to their normal lives, but Oliver…
Divorcee Hardy Rose finds new love with high-flyer Kate, whilst his son, Ben, falls head over heels for an older woman, Anna. But when Anna is revealed as Kate's mother, father and son realise that th…
Julie, a 29-year-old temp with a steady boyfriend, finds her life is going nowhere, but when she gets a contract at Sunshine Cars, she gets a new lease of life. Suddenly, Julie is forced to compete wi…
Divorcee Kathy is not taking being separated too well, but her situation is further complicated by her ex-husband's new wife trying to bed her best friend's son, and her teenage daughter becoming incr…
Yasmeela and her father, Arob, who live on an isolated, rough Glaswegian council estate, find themselves being avoided and ridiculed on a daily basis – until an unexpected encounter with their enigmat…
Two couples learn that their ten-year marriages were not legal as the priest was a fake reflect on their lives while preparing for a new ceremony.
Rose Lapwood finds that marriage to her sweet-but-dull husband George is becoming intolerable, but as her friendship blooms with neighbour Donna, they soon find themselves planning ways to do away wit…
A man enters a rural police station and announces he is seceding from Britain and starting his own republic. As he is hounded by the press, threatened by the government and exposed by his fame-seeking…
Sonia, a very successful sexual health doctor, is unhappy about her parents' constant interference in her day-to-day life, and decides to speak out. But her father is anything less than happy about th…
14-year-old schoolboy John Reilly, suffering from his father's death, finds escape in his own world with an imaginary 'singing cactus', Native American mysticism, Morris dancers, and an ominous wolf.
Single mum Wendy, bringing up an autistic son and dealing with a challenging ex-husband, faces a constant struggle as she tries to encourage the residents of the housing estate where she lives to main…
Sam, an overworked young student, inherits her grandfather's allotment and finds herself taking on his ghost into the bargain. She finds herself strangely drawn to this peaceful new world, until the a…
A battle of wills between Edith, a steely little old lady, and her new daughter-in-law, Jessica, ensues when hapless hunk Gary arrives on the scene. As Jessica's perfect relationship disintegrates at …
Rachel is devastated when husband Matt insists they divorce and sell the cafe they ran together. Determined to avoid the inevitable, Rachel throws herself into helping elderly employee Charlie fulfil …
To the frustration of her snobbish mother, Molly's never happier than when she's spending time with loser boyfriend Johnny, or tinkering with an engine. But when Molly discovers a self-sustaining, emi…
Johnny, a confident and charismatic but illiterate young man, finds that after life on his estate, the only way is down. But when he meets a drama teacher, he finds the world opening up in a way he'd …
Hospital patient Frank lies silently in a coma as his family gather around him, preparing for the inevitable, until a maverick doctor decides that Frank will be his latest experiment – and that he is …
After being dumped at the altar by text, bride Kate advertises for a man to go with her on her fully booked, all expenses paid dream honeymoon. But will anyone have the confidence to accept her offer?…
Retired vicar Geoffrey takes a stand on his council tax and gets sent to prison for his trouble. Trapped in a cell with a lifer proves to be both a terrifying and life changing experience, but Geoffre…
Smart and cynical solicitor Clare thinks the only place she deals with matters of the heart is at work – in the divorce court. But when she meets Tom, her whole life turns upside down. Is Clare right …