Play School

Play School was a New Zealand educational television show for children. It was based on the British Play School show. The series first aired in 1972, and ended in 1990. Synopsis Play School was first broadcast in New Zealand on Tuesday 22 March 1972 for a 26-week trial period, with a group of six hosts chosen, one pair for each week. Series one and two continued to be broadcast twice weekly, Tuesday and Thursday at around 4.30pm. Its first producer was David Istance, an ex-BBC TV floor manager, who had worked on the British Play School, as well as comedies All Gas and Gaiters and Hugh and I Spy during the 1960s. He later returned to the UK and worked as a production assistant on Juliet Bravo (1980) and then as a production manager on Bergerac, Juliet Bravo, All Creatures Great and Small (1983), Malestrom and Tenko Reunion (1985) and in the mid-80s worked at BBC TV Training at Elstree Studios. It was originally recorded at AKTV2's Shortland Street studios in Auckland, and in January 1975 moved to TVNZ's Dunedin studios being screened twice a day at around 10am and then 2:30pm. For a brief period in 1986, the programme was recorded at TVNZ's Christchurch studios. The final edition, recorded in March 1989 was number 440, presented by Pauline Durning and John Mann. The last series screened on television in 1990.