The Men from the Ministry: The Early Years

Selected Episodes from Series 1-3 of the Classic BBC Radio Comedy

By: Edward Taylor

Narrated by: Deryck Guyler, Diana Olsson., Norma Ronald, Richard Murdoch, Ronald Baddiley, Roy Dotrice, Wilfrid Hyde-White

Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

The original ‘Yes Minister’- 32 episodes of the beloved Civil Service sitcom

Featuring the hilarious exploits of the bumbling bureaucrats of the General Assistance Department, the show starred Wilfrid Hyde-White and later Deryck Guyler as the hapless ‘Number One’, with Richard Murdoch as his hare-brained sidekick ‘Number Two’. Together, they muddled their way through Whitehall, creating chaos with their mix-ups, misunderstandings and mismanagement – to the consternation of their boss, the self-serving Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Gregory Pitkin (Roy Dotrice and Ronald Baddiley).

The fantastically funny radio forerunner to 'Yes Minister', The Men from the Ministry ran for 15 years and 13 series between 1962 and 1977, with a final fourteenth series made in 1980 for transmission abroad.

This volume contains 32 specially selected episodes from Series 1-3, in which – among many other misadventures – the panic-stricken pen pushers bungle in Britain’s space race; get bogged down in a building project; tackle traffic trouble and town planning and come face to face with some little green men… Co-starring as their loyal (but incompetent) secretary Mildred Murfin is Norma Ronald, and taking notes for Wilfrid Hyde-White’s ‘Number One’ is April Adams, played by Diana Olsson. Guest stars include John Laurie, Betty Marsden, Joan Sanderson, June Whitfield, Warren Mitchell, Hugh Paddick and Roger Delgado.

NB: Some of the language and humour on this recording reflects the era in which it was first broadcast, and due to the age of the source material, the sound quality may vary. Please note, the final minute of Series 3, Episode 10 (‘Getting the Bird’) is missing.

Cast and credits
Written and produced by Edward Taylor, with contributions from John Graham, Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke
Theme music: Top Dog by Ivor Slaney
With thanks to Keith Wickham

‘Number One’ (Roland Hamilton Jones) – Wilfrid Hyde-White (Series 1-2)
‘Number One’ (Deryck Lennox-Brown) – Deryck Guyler (Series 3)
‘Number Two’ (Richard Lamb) – Richard Murdoch
Mildred Murfin – Norma Ronald
Sir Gregory Pitkin – Roy Dotrice (Series 1-2), Ronald Baddiley (Series 3)
April Adams – Diana Olsson
Mr Dougal – John Laurie
Other parts played by John Graham

With guest stars including: June Whitfield, Patricia Hayes, Edwin Apps, David Graham, Percy Edwards, Betty Marsden, Julian Somers, Joan Sanderson, Rowena Gregory, Frederick Treves, Brian Oulton, Pat Coombs, Fred Yule, Austin Trevor, John Cazabon, Warren Mitchell, David Nettheim, Charlotte Mitchell, Graham Stark, Hugh Paddick, Jack Watson, Brandon Hawkins, Felix Felton, Bruce Beeby, Peter Bartlett, Ronnie Stevens, Gordon Clyde, Clive Dunn, Roger Delgado, Carol Allen, Hugh McDermott, David Healy and David Fallon

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme 30 Oct 1962 – 8 Jan 1963 (series 1), 1 Aug – 17 Oct 1965 (series 2), 25 Dec 1966 – 12 Mar 1967 (series 3).

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