The Afternoon Play (2003)

Comedy · Drama · Mystery

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.

IMDb rating: 7.4 (75 votes)
Episode average: 7.3 -0.1 vs IMDb
Seasons: 3
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 3 seasons indexed

Seasons

Season 1 (2003)

7.03 avg 4 episodes 7.1 → 6.8 55 min avg

Front-loaded

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Turkish Delight	7.1	13
2	Coming Up for Air	7.8	14
4	Heroes and Villains	6.4	6
5	Girls' Weekend	6.8	10

Season 4 (2006)

7.62 avg 4 episodes 7.2 → 7.2

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Tea with Betty	7.2	9
2	The Last Will and Testament of Billy Two-Sheds	8.5	24
4	Are You Jim's Wife?	7.6	10
5	Molly	7.2	7

Season 5 (2007)

7.27 avg 3 episodes 8.2 → 7.3

U-shaped

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Johnny Shakespeare	8.2	14
2	Death Becomes Him	6.3	8
4	Pieces of a Silver Lining	7.3	7