Comedy Playhouse 1971) starring Nicky Henson and Angela Scoular The Importance of Being Hairy (6 May 1971) starring John Cater and James Copeland The first episode of "Are You Being Served?" was broadcast as an episode. Of Funerals and Fish (4 January 1973). The pilot episode of the World's longest-running sitcom, "Last of the Summer Wine". The Rescue (11 January 1973) starring Moyra Fraser, Peter Jones and Nicholas Parsons. Elementary, My Dear Watson: The Strange Case of the Dead Solicitors (18 January 1973) starring John Cleese, Willie Rushton and Bill Maynard. The Birthday (25 January 1973) starring Gordon Peters, Frank Thornton and
Comedy Playhouse (series 1) which was broadcast at 8:40pm. Comedy Playhouse (series 1) The first series of Comedy Playhouse, that continued to be a long-running BBC series, broadcast from 15 December 1961 to 16 February 1962. All the episodes were written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The first series, which was in black and white, consisted of ten episodes, each of which had a different cast and storyline. Only the fourth episode, "The Offer", made it to its own series becoming "Steptoe and Son"; all other episodes of this series of "Comedy Playhouse" are lost. The episodes were broadcast on Friday at 8:45pm,