Don Spencer reacts to one of his first Play School episodes | Play School | ABC iview

Don Spencer has presented over 500 Play School episodes at the ABC and BBC. In this video, Don watches one of his very first ABC Play School episodes from 1968. #PlaySchool
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Get ready to time travel as Play School goes to the past and looks to the future. Play School rediscovers how music was played, retro fashion, games and more - and what the future may look like with gadgets and gizmos galore.
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[@rhysbyt]

Don Spencer is so great, especially Feathers, Fur or Fins (an album of Australian wildlife-themed songs). Highly recommended!

[@anthonysullivan5197]

Gee, wishing iView would add classic B&W Play School episodes from the 60’s and 70’s.

[@sp19822]

Just imagine John Hamblin doing the bath segment!!! I remember loving it when Don played the guitar and trying to emulate it on a toy guitar. Remember the episode when he tried to play the piano alongside Warren Carr and stuffing it up, and he, Warren, and Benita cracking up in laughter.

[@loverlyme]

I was born in 1967 in Australia and LOVED watching Don and Lorraine Bailey on Playschool. I had no idea it was an English program until now. I bought my nephew some of Don's albums in the 1990s. I would have loved them as a kid. As a teacher of more than 30 years, I could have used that segment on how to tell the time on an analog clock! No one born after the 2000s seems to have any idea how these work.

[@FionaEm]

Don Spencer was my favourite PlaySchool presenter as a kid in the 70s. Loved his gentle communication style.

[@tjnewton71]

Don Spencer....legend of my childhood here in the UK. Wonderful to see him looking so well. And let's not forget, he sang the theme song to Fireball XL5 :)

[@petersmith9785]

Ah the memories I remember the original presenter's from the 70s, there was Jan Kingsbury, John Hamblin, Alistair Smart, Benita Collings, John Waters , Lorraine Bayley and Noni Hazelhurst to name a few and always entertaining and educational for young children and the young at heart.

[@MrShieldsy100]

It's fascinating how in Australian Playschool, the majority of presenters for at least the first 4-5 years of the show spoke with an RP British accent, but with Don, his Australian accent is so pronounced and obvious, that I imagine the producers didn't even bother to ask him to change it.

[@loverlyme]

Thatt was the same with almost all the shows on the ABC at the time. Especially the news! I had no idea what they were meant to be. It was such an odd pronunciation.

[@Pepepiememe]

I always watched this when I was a younger

[@samanthahardy9903]

In England Playschool was a great learning opportunity for pre school kids to learn about shapes, numbers, how to tell the time on an analogue clock and learning something about the world around us. I remember watching it in the 1970's alongside my mother who helped me to learn to read and write my own name before attending school back when 1 wage could sustain a household and mothers could stay home and spend time with their children to teach them the basics.

[@humphreyjohnstone6783]

Indeed. I know Play School is Australian culture now, I just don't think the original gets recognised a lot. Even when it's brought up in Australian documentaries or reports, it's just brushed aside.

[@andreww6769]

Not just England, the rest of the UK too!

[@stuartharris2165]

Slight correction, Don said he was the only one to do Play School in both Australia & England, actually Diane Dorgan did both as well.

[@taylorbrown6318]

Beauty, Don! 👍 Well done. I wonder who'll be next.

[@humphreyjohnstone6783]

Don Spencer, Brian Cant, Derek Griffiths, Johnny Ball, Julie Stevens, Lionel Morton, Floella Benjamin, Diane Dorgan, Carol Chell, Fred Harris, Chloe Ashcroft, Rick Jones, Eric Thompson, Phyllida Law, Jon Glover, Carol Leader, Carole Ward, etc. All these legends are what made Play School. The original version, at least. I was surprised that Don and Diane didn't host the original BBC show together, even though they were a part of it.

[@tjnewton71]

All those names....even as a 5 or 6 year old in the mid 70s, I recognised them. Legends all.

[@humphreyjohnstone6783]

@@tjnewton71 Absolutely. Don was a legendary host. Brian Cant and Derek Griffiths were my dad's favourites. Johnny Ball and Lionel Morton too. Quite frankly nothing says 1970s children's television like a man with great big sideburns and flannel shirts and a woman with a beehive haircut wearing newspaper hats and singing "My Hat It Has Three Corners".

[@Iggywiggywoo]

Go Don!

[@mitchellbarnard4285]

Couldn’t believe that.

[@warrenbowen6223]

He hasn't changed very much. I think I'd still recognise him if I saw him in the street.

[@mitchellbarnard4285]

Right behind him.

[@rawyld]

Awe cute, I grew up with the 90s Play School as a child.

[@taylorbrown6318]

Me too. My favourite Play School presenters were David James and Angela Moore.

[@anthonysullivan5197]

The classic harp glissando at 3:06 and 3:07.

[@mornaslocum8376]

There’s a bear in there and a chair as well, people with games and stories to tell, come inside, let’s all hide, it’s Play School. 😍 Hope I got it right Don, my kids loved Play School and so did I 🤔 never forget the Play School song 🎶 you were awesome and so was Lorraine 🤩🫶🇦🇺

[@jacktori5946]

Can we see some full episodes from the 90s?

[@taylorbrown6318]

Oh, yes. Please? That'd be great, considering Play School's birthday is now only two days away.

[@user-eq6ml6yh6q]

0:01 0:01 0:02 0:02 Lol