The Afternoon Play poster

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 (74 votes)
Seasons: 3
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Browse all u-shaped seasons in the explorer → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Jul 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