Cast
- "One" (Roland Hamilton-Jones) - Wilfrid Hyde-White (1962–65)
- "One" (Deryck Lennox-Brown) - Deryck Guyler (1966–77)
- "Two" (Richard Lamb) - Richard Murdoch
- "Mildred Murfin" - Norma Ronald
- Under-Secretary "Sir Gregory Pitkin", CBE - Roy Dotrice (1962–65), Ronald Baddiley (1966-77)
- "April Adams" - Secretary to Roland Hamilton-Jones - Diana Olsson (1962–65)
Other occasionally recurring characters include "Lord Stilton", Sir Gregory's equally pompous boss, "Mr. 'Whizzer' Wilkins", Lennox-Brown and Lamb's aged and absent-minded colleague, and "Mr. Stack" - "Mr. Stack of 'Records'" - in charge of the Ministry's Records department and prone to taking naps in one of his filing cabinets. In the 1970 episode, Bye-bye Mildred, Sir Gregory does not appear and we hear instead "Sir Hector Gunn". Also appearing in some episodes are Mr. "Creepy" Crawley, a rather ingratiating member of the Department, and Miss Lusty, an elderly lady in the Pensions Department who lives up to her name. One of Sir Gregory's later paramours was 'Daphne Bentwater' from the typing pool. The Ministry building's hall porter was the ancient and lazy 'Mr Matthews' - "Old Matthews". Other named but non-appearing characters include 'Mrs Bratby', Lamb's landlady.
The antics of Lennox-Brown and Lamb would sometimes be reported in newsclips within the programme by "Forth Robertson", a parody of the then well-known reporter, Fyfe Robertson. Other 'news' items would be read out by the real BBC newsreaders Jon Curle and Bryan Martin. In the 1977 episode, Not on Your Telly, Sir Gregory is interviewed for the BBC Panorama programme by "Robin Gay" a thinly-disguised parody of the broadcaster Robin Day.
Actors who appeared in episodes of the series include Clive Dunn, Pat Coombs, Warren Mitchell, Bill Pertwee, Joan Sanderson and Nicolette McKenzie.
In three episodes John Laurie, playing Mr. Dougal, stood in for Deryck Guyler who was temporarily unable to take part.
Read more about this topic: The Men From The Ministry
Famous quotes containing the word cast:
“You may melt your metals and cast them into the most beautiful moulds you can; they will never excite me like the forms which this molten earth flows out into. And not only it, but the institutions upon it are plastic like clay in the hands of the potter.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“It was always the work that was the gyroscope in my life. I don’t know who could have lived with me. As an architect you’re absolutely devoured. A woman’s cast in a lot of roles and a man isn’t. I couldn’t be an architect and be a wife and mother.”
—Eleanore Kendall Pettersen (b. 1916)
“Like a bad doctor who has fallen down sick you are cast down, and cannot find what sort of drugs would cure your ailment.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)