Invitation to pitch: Play School

We’re looking to commission one series of 50 x14 minute episodes of the classic BBC pre-school series Play School.

The commission also includes 70 minutes of additional content for CBeebies Parenting, a new YouTube channel supporting parents and carers.

This is a targeted opportunity for production companies with a substantive base in the Nations or English regions.

We anticipate pre-production would need to begin in February 2027, with half the episodes transmitting in 2027/28 and half in 2028/29.

The commission is offered on a work-for-hire basis and the total budget, inclusive of accompanying YouTube Parenting material, is up to £2,500,000.

Editorial

Originally devised to recreate a nursery or playgroup setting for an audience of under-fives watching at home, Play School was a live action studio-based pre-school programme that ran for over twenty years on the BBC and was a cornerstone of our programming for young children.

We’re open to new and modern takes on the classic programme and we’re looking for creative visions about how the series can retain the much-loved elements whilst evolving to meet the needs of the audience today and a shorter episode duration.

We are interested in proposals that provide an update to the original programme’s mix of songs, music, movement, poetry, games and stories all aimed at opening up the everyday world to children, tapping into their inquisitiveness, and encouraging them to learn through imaginative play.

The things which resonated with the audience in the original series were the warm and inviting tone and the way in which the presenters spoke directly to viewers to encourage them to participate.

Proposals should include suggestions for presenting talent to host each episode. Previous presenters – including figures such as Chloe Ashcroft, Johnny Ball, Baroness Floella Benjamin, Brian Cant and Derek Griffiths – all had different backgrounds and interests that they could draw on to inform the programme.

The toys – Humpty, Jemima, Big Ted, Little Ted and Hamble, later replaced by Poppy - remain some of the most cherished elements of Play School and are fondly remembered by generations of viewers. We would like the new version of the programme to bring to life a version of the toys in a contemporary capacity aligned to the expectations of today’s children. We are open to exploring different approaches, whether that involves bringing back the full original line-up or introducing new characters alongside them and representing them through different media including animation.

An episode of Play School would typically include several key format elements, many of which have carried over into other pre-school shows including Playdays, Show Me Show Me and, most recently, CBeebies House: Time to Play on BBC iPlayer and YouTube. Given the shorter episode length, some original format elements may need to be excluded, and we look forward to hearing your views on which elements to retain alongside any new features you may wish to develop.

Consideration should be given to modern on-demand viewing habits, meaning that individual episodes are unlikely to reflect specific days of the week or times of the day.

As part of the commission, we are requesting an additional 70 minutes of content aimed at the parents and carers of preschool aged children which explains, encourages or contextualises play to parents. The intention is for this supporting content to be published on CBeebies Parenting, a new YouTube channel providing expert-led tips, advice and play-based resources to help support parents and carers in all aspects of their parenting journey.

Eligibility criteria

To apply for this opportunity, production companies must demonstrate they meet the following criteria:

• The programme will need to qualify as a regional production qualifying as outside London on at least TWO of the Ofcom Regional criteria including an accepted existing substantive base outside of London.
• Recent experience, within the last five years, of delivering a live-action preschool television series designed to actively engage and encourage participation from its audience.
• Experience of casting and working with both adults and children.

How to apply

The deadline for eligibility information is 8 October at 2pm.

If you are interested in pitching for this opportunity, please first submit initial eligibility information via Microsoft Forms.

Shortlisted suppliers will then be asked to produce a full proposal and attend an interview. Interviews are planned to take place in early December.

Commissioning timetable

• 24 September 2026: Invitation to pitch published
• 8 October 2026, 2pm: Deadline for eligibility form
• Mid-late October 2026: Shortlisted companies notified
• Late October 2026: Paid development of proposals starts
• Mid-November 2026: Producers return full proposals
• Late November 2026: Areas of focus for the interviews
• December 2026: Interviews
• December 2026/January 2027: Award and contracting

NB: all dates are subject to change and producers will be notified of any changes.

Further information

We are open to considering partnerships between UK based production companies.

Play School is a pre-existing brand. The BBC is the beneficial owner of rights in and to the format in the series. The copyright in the format along with any changes to the format will vest with the BBC. As such, the commission is offered to producers by the BBC on a work-for-hire basis.

If you require further assistance with any of the information related to this invitation to pitch, please email us.

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