The Falklands Play

The Falklands Play is a dramatic account of the political events leading to and during the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina. The play was written by Ian Curteis, who had started his television career in drama but had increasingly come to specialise in dramatic reconstructions of history. It was originally commissioned by the BBC in 1983 for production and broadcast in 1986, but was subsequently shelved by controller of BBC One Michael Grade due to its supposed support for the prime minister Margaret Thatcher and jingoism. This prompted a press furore over media bias and censorship. The play was not staged until 2002, when it was broadcast in separate adaptations on BBC Television and Radio. It was aired again on BBC4 on 1 December 2020, over 18 years after it was last transmitted.