The Men From The Ministry

BBC4X Rebroadcasts

Starting from the 2011/12 season BBC7 and and then BBC Radio 4 Extra have given a very welcome opportunity to listen again to some old favourites beyond the episodes rebroadcast in previous years on BBC7. These extensive series of rebroadcasts combined material both from orignal recordings held by the BBC and from amateur off-air recordings made by collectors and enthusiasts. The episodes in the 2011/12 series were broadcast on Thursdays at 8:00, 12:00 and 19:00. The episodes in the 2012/14 series were broadcast on Sundays at 8:30, 15:30 and 20:30. The episodes in the 2014/15 series were broadcast on Fridays at 8:30, 12:30 and 19:30. The episodes in the 2015/16 series are being broadcast on Tuedays at 8:30, 12:30 and 19:30.

Episode 2011/12 2012/14 2014/16 Title
01/0120.01.1130.12.1205.09.14The Great Footwear Scandal
01/02  06.01.1312.09.14The Big Rocket
01/0327.01.1113.01.1319.09.14Strictly for the Birds
01/0403.02.1120.01.1326.09.14French Cricket
01/0510.02.1127.01.1303.10.14The War with the Isle of Wight
02/02  03.02.1310.10.14Something About a Soldier
02/1217.02.1110.02.1317.10.14The Hole
03/13  17.02.1324.10.14A Slight Case of Demolition
04/1024.02.1124.02.1331.10.14Four Men in a Wellington
05/01    07.11.14A Rotten System
05/0410.03.1110.03.1314.11.14A Sticky Business
05/0617.03.1117.03.1321.11.14The Ship That Wagged Its Tail
06/01  24.03.1328.11.14Bye Bye Mildred
06/02  31.03.1305.12.14Bare Necessities
06/0324.03.1107.04.1312.12.14Storm in a Tea Urn
06/0431.03.1114.04.1319.12.14The Moving Target
06/0607.04.1120.04.1302.01.15The Bigger The Better
06/0714.04.1127.04.1309.01.15Trouble in the Air
06/1121.04.1105.05.1316.01.15A Bird in the Hand
06/1228.04.1112.05.1323.01.15Bringing the House Down
06/1305.05.1119.05.1330.01.15Fair Exchange
06/14  26.05.1306.02.15Bill Stickers is Innocent
07/01  02.06.1313.02.15Rolling in It
07/0312.05.1109.06.1320.02.15Thoroughly Modern Ministry
07/0419.05.1116.06.1327.02.15We All Make Mistakes
07/0526.05.1123.06.1306.03.15A Foolproof Fool
07/0702.06.1130.06.1313.03.15Transatlantic Trouble
07/0809.06.1107.07.1320.03.15The Finger of Suspicion
07/0916.06.1114.07.1327.03.15Just the Ticket
08/01  21.07.1305.01.16The Conference Trick
08/0223.06.1128.07.1312.01.16The Night We Crept into the Crypt
08/0330.06.1104.08.1319.01.16How Now Brown Cow
08/05  18.05.1426.01.16The Desk Job
08/0607.07.1111.08.1302.02.16Fowl Play
08/0714.07.1118.08.1309.02.16Something Of Value
08/0821.07.1125.08.1316.02.16Taking Leave Of Their Census
09/0128.07.1101.09.1323.02.16That's My Pigeon
09/0204.08.1108.09.1301.03.16Don't Let Them Needle You
09/0411.08.1115.09.1308.03.16Bridge Under Troubled Water
09/05  22.09.1315.03.16A Private Affair
09/0618.08.1129.09.1322.03.16Food for Thought
09/0825.08.1106.10.1329.03.16Safe and Unsound
09/0901.09.1113.10.1305.04.16The Export Caper
09/10  25.05.1412.04.16Flushed With Success
09/1108.09.1120.10.1319.04.16Under the Weather
09/1215.09.1127.10.1326.04.16Monkey Business
09/1322.09.1103.11.1303.05.16Cheesed Off
10/0129.09.11  10.05.16Plane Madness
10/0206.10.11  17.05.16Vipers in the Bosom
10/0413.10.11  24.05.16I Want My Mummy
10/07    31.05.16Sky High
10/0920.10.11  07.06.16Health and Deficiency
10/12    14.06.16In the Picture
10/1327.10.11  21.06.16She'll Have To Go
11/01    28.06.16Nothing But the Vest
11/02    05.07.16That's My Baby
11/0403.11.11  12.07.16Torn to Shreds
11/0510.11.11  17.07.16Wool Over Their Eyes
11/0617.11.11  26.07.16This VAT and the Other
11/0924.11.11  02.08.16Chain Reaction
11/1001.12.11  09.08.16All Change
11/1108.12.11  16.08.16A Merry Dance
11/1315.12.11  23.08.16Postal Disorder
12/01    30.08.16All Cisterns Go
12/02    06.09.16A Problem Shared
12/03    13.09.16The Whitehall Castaways
12/04    20.09.16Off the Rails
12/05    27.09.16Penny Wise
12/06    04.10.16A Turn for the Nurse
12/07    11.10.16Seal of Office
12/08    18.10.16Birmingham is Revolting
13/01    25.10.16Mission Inedible
13/02    01.11.16Horseplay
14/0122.12.11    Boots
14/0229.12.11    Pardon My French
14/0305.01.12    Traffic Diversions
14/0415.03.12    Watch this Space
14/0512.01.12    Birds of a Feather
14/0619.01.12    Where There's a Will
14/0726.01.12    The Country Caper
14/0802.02.12    Ban the Wotsit
14/0909.02.12    A Testing Time
14/1016.02.12    Pushing the Vote Out
14/1123.02.12    Gone to Earth
14/1201.03.12    Computaclanger
14/1308.03.12    A Great Convenience
14/14    29.12.15The Christmas Spirit

BBC7 Rebroadcasts

Several episodes of The Men From The Ministry, mostly from the later series, were periodically rebroadcast on BBC7, now named BBC Radio 4 Extra. Seven seasons were presented, all with almost identical content. In 2003, the episodes were broadcast on Wednesdays, the first six at 12:30 and 19:30, and the remainder at 14:30 and 21:30. In 2004, the episodes were broadcast on Wednesdays at 14:30, 21:30 and 06:30 (next day), in 2005/6, on Tuesdays at 14:00 and 06:00 (next day), in 2007/8, on Saturdays at 13:30 and 2:30 (next day), in 2009/10, on Sundays at 12:00 and 19:00, and in 2010 on Sundays at 12:30.

Episode Title
       2003         2004      2005/6      2006/7      2007/8     2009/10         2010
01/02The Big Rocket
02.03.03   07.04.04   30.08.05   10.09.06   06.10.07   02.08.09   29.08.10
02/02Something About A Soldier
09.03.03   14.04.04   06.09.05   17.09.06   13.10.07   09.08.09   05.09.10
03/13A Slight Case Of Demolition
16.03.03   21.04.04   13.09.05   24.09.06   20.10.07   16.08.09   12.09.10
06/01Bye Bye Mildred
23.03.03   28.04.04   20.09.05   01.10.06   27.10.07   23.08.09   19.09.10
06/02Bare Necessities
30.03.03   05.05.04   27.09.05   08.10.06   03.11.07   30.08.09   26.09.10
06/14Bill Stickers Is Innocent
09.07.03   12.05.04   04.10.05   15.10.06   10.11.07   06.09.09   03.10.10
07/01Rolling In It
16.07.03   19.05.04   11.10.05   22.10.06   17.11.07   13.09.09   10.10.10
08/01The Conference Trick
23.07.03   26.05.04   18.10.05   29.10.06   24.11.07   20.09.09   17.10.10
09/05A Private Affair
23.02.03   02.06.04   25.10.05   05.11.06   01.12.07   27.09.09   24.10.10
10/07Sky High
30.07.03                     01.11.05   12.11.06   08.12.07   04.10.09   31.10.10
10/12In The Picture
06.08.03   09.06.04   08.11.05   19.11.06   15.12.07   11.10.09   07.11.10
11/01Nothing But The Vest
13.08.03   16.06.04   15.11.05   26.11.06   22.12.07   18.10.09   14.11.10
11/02That's My Baby
20.08.03   23.06.04   22.11.05   03.12.06   29.12.07   25.10.09   21.11.10
12/01All Cisterns Go
27.08.03   30.06.04   29.11.05   10.12.06   05.01.08   01.11.09   28.11.10
12/02A Problem Shared
03.09.03   07.07.04   06.12.05   17.12.06   12.01.08   15.11.09   12.12.10
12/03The Whitehall Castaways
10.09.03   14.07.04   13.12.05   24.12.06   19.01.08   22.11.09   19.12.10
12/04Off The Rails
17.09.03   21.07.04   27.12.05   31.12.06   26.01.08   29.11.09
12/05Penny Wise
24.09.03   28.07.04   03.01.06   07.01.07   02.02.08   06.12.09
12/06A Turn For The Nurse
01.10.03   04.08.04   10.01.06   14.01.07   09.02.08   13.12.09
12/07Seal Of Office
08.10.03   11.08.04   17.01.06   21.01.07   16.02.08   08.11.09   05.12.10
12/08Birmingham Is Revolting
15.10.03   18.08.04   24.01.06   28.01.07   23.02.08   27.12.09
13/01Mission Inedible
22.10.03   25.08.04   04.02.06   04.02.07   01.03.08   03.01.10
13/02Horse Play
29.10.03   01.09.04   07.02.06   11.02.07   08.03.08   10.01.10
13/03The Big Big Big Ben Bungle
05.11.03   08.09.04   14.02.06   18.02.07   15.03.08   17.01.10
13/04A Motley Crew
12.11.03   15.09.04   21.02.06   25.02.07   22.03.08   24.01.10
13/05Not On Your Telly
19.11.03   22.09.04   28.02.06   04.03.07   29.03.08   31.01.10
13/06One Way Only
26.11.03   29.09.04   07.03.06   11.03.07   05.04.08   07.02.10
13/07Take Your Pick
03.12.03   06.10.04   14.03.06   18.03.07   12.04.08   14.02.10
13/08Claws
10.12.03   13.10.04   21.03.06   25.03.07                     21.02.10
14/14The Christmas Spirit
                  20.12.05                                                           20.12.09

Radio Rebroadcasts

In the years since the end of production of The Men From The Ministry, there have been occasional nostalgic rebroadcasts of various episodes on the World Service and on Radios 2 and 4. The following are known rebroadcasts. The author would appreciate receiving details of other rebroadcasts not listed here.

Episode Title Rebroadcast
6/2Bare Necessities The Late Show
16.03.74 11:00pm Radio 4
3/13A Slight Case of Demolition Smash of the Day
05.08.79 12:00pm Radio 4
9/5A Private Affair Smash of the Day
21.10.79 12:00pm Radio 4
9/5A Private Affair Comedy Classics
19.02.84 6:00pm Radio 2
10/7Sky High Comedy Classics
26.02.84 6:00pm Radio 2
7/1Rolling In It Comedy Classics
04.03.84 6:00pm Radio 2
8/1The Conference Trick Comedy Classics
11.03.84 6:00pm Radio 2
11/1Nothing But The Vest Comedy Classics
18.03.84 6:00pm Radio 2
6/2Bare Necessities Comedy Classics
25.03.84 6:00pm Radio 2
 ? Vintage Comedy
20.05.87 3:30pm World Service
3/13A Slight Case of Demolition Smash of the Day
26.12.89 12:25pm Radio 4
14/14The Christmas Spirit Vintage Comedy Double Bill
26.12.90 1:00pm Radio 2
1/2The Big Rocket The Men from the Ministry
06.06.91 12:25pm Radio 4
2/2Something About a Soldier The Men from the Ministry
13.06.91 12:25pm Radio 4
6/14Bill Stickers Is Innocent Comedy Hour
11.07.92 1:00pm Radio 2
7/1 Rolling In It Comedy Hour
18.07.92 1:00pm Radio 2
12/4Off The Rails Golden Days of Radio
23.07.94 2:00pm Radio 2
10/7Sky High Comedy Classics
10.06.95 7:00pm Radio 2
13/1Mission Inedible Comedy Classics
17.06.95 7:00pm Radio 2
14/5Birds of a Feather Comedy Classics
05.05.97 1:00pm Radio 2
13/3The Big Big Big Ben Bungle Barry Took's Comedy Classics
07.01.99 9:00pm Radio 2

 

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This page was compiled by Gary Schajer, Vancouver, Canada. gary@schajer.org