A special exhibition celebrating 60 years of the iconic children’s television program Play School has opened in Melbourne, featuring many of the familiar characters, toys and set pieces that have entertained generations of Australian children, according to Australian Associated Press.
Actor Alex Papps, who recently reached 20 years as a presenter on the show, was given an early look at the exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Federation Square. After previewing the interactive displays, he predicted young visitors would be especially excited by the experience.
“I just thought, ‘My goodness, they are going to absolutely love it’. It’s certainly recognisable as a Play School environment,” he said.
Play School first aired on July 18, 1966, originally broadcast in black and white. Nearly six decades later, it remains one of Australia’s most enduring and beloved children’s programs.
Papps recalled watching his first episode as a presenter go to air and said the significance of the show has always been clear to the team behind it.
“It’s not lost on any of us how we are custodians of the show and that it is beloved,” he said.
The exhibition, titled Play School: Come and Play!, was created by ACMI in collaboration with the ABC and is designed for children aged two to five. It includes interactive elements such as a crawl-through rocket clock, a miniature Play School house, and a mock television studio. The exhibition runs at ACMI until July 12.
Source: Australian Associated Press , innereastreview.com.au
