Bristow

Michael Williams stars in all three series of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom based on Frank Dickens’ famous comic strip character Bristow is a middle-aged, ineffectual buying clerk for the Chester-Perry Organisation. He is merely a small cog in a gigantic wheel... and he knows it. But he has his own small ways of rebelling, and together with sparring partner Jones and tea lady Mrs Purdy, he weaves hopeless tangles of red tape to confound the system and liven up everyone’s day. In these fourteen episodes, Bristow hopes to make a mint from a rumoured takeover bid; helps Jones to plan his escape from Chester-Perry; crusades to improve conditions for the cleaning ladies and falls in with troublemaker Tom Paine at the office dinner dance. Plus, he obtains some inside information that must surely lead to promotion; learns the meaning of poetic justice while writing for the house journal and bumbles towards proving his theory that he is surrounded by incompentents. Adapted by Frank Dickens from his own cartoon strip, which ran for 41 years in London’s Evening Standard and was syndicated internationally, this charming corporate comedy stars Michael Williams (A Fine Romance) as Bristow, with Rodney Bewes (The Likely Lads) as Jones and Dora Bryan (Last of the Summer Wine) as Mrs Purdy. Written by Frank Dickens Produced and directed by Neil Cargill Music composed and performed by John Whitehall Image copyright © Estate of Frank Dickens, 2019. First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 21 April-26 May 1999, (Series 1), 24 November-15 December 1999 (Series 2), 7-28 July 2000 (Series 3) Cast Bristow……………………Michael Williams Jones……………………Rodney Bewes Mrs Purdy……………………Dora Bryan Hewitt……………………Owen Brenman BJ Bothwick……………………Christopher Benjamin Miss Sunman……………………Katy Odey Fudge/Stationmaster/Samson/Hawkins/Tom……………………Jon Glover Mrs Dimple/Molly……………………Sheila Reid Jonathan Quartly……………………Bernard Cribbins Rupert Clement……………………Royce Mills Richard Blobb……………………Norman Bird Miss Golightly……………………Lucy Akhurst Postboy/Little Red……………………Simon Schatzberger Receptionist/Yellow Overcoat Girl……………………Zeena Eate Gert……………………Liz Fraser Daisy……………………Joan Sims Fred Stokes……………………David Battley Hickford……………………Roger Lloyd Pack Lift Boy……………………Ian Kelland Miss Peach/Miss Glockling……………………Carol Starks Moorcroft……………………Robert Bathurst Witherspoon……………………Peter Kelly Fenella……………………Anna Mountford Perkins……………………Leslie Phillips Teacher……………………Jane Booker Sylvana/Miss Pleasant……………………Jackie Neglia Liftboy……………………Ian Kelland With Sarah Huntley and David Ryall