The hilarious adventures of tycoon Jimmy Bright and accountant Russell Farrow - starring Bernard Cribbins, Frank Thornton and Annette Crosbie

It’s the 1980s: business is big, the shoulder pads are bigger and Jimmy Bright is a tycoon on a mission… He’s got big dreams and the only thing standing between him and a millionaire lifestyle is accountant, Russell Farrow, whose attention to financial detail is unsurpassed. The two must rub along if Jimmy’s business, BrightCo, is to succeed but they seem to have very different views on what success looks like.

There’s plenty keeping the duo busy; there are business takeovers to contend with, relocation issues to consider and not to mention a blossoming office romance - is Russell falling for Sue the secretary or just putting in a lot of overtime?

Set in an era when Thatcher was boss, money was everything and consumption was king, this vintage comedy from the BBC is pitch perfect. A hilarious listen, that will have you laughing out loud as the two men try and make the most of some truly terrible situations.

Bernard Cribbins’s career spanned over seven decades. He became known in the 1960s for his appearances in such comedy films as Two-Way Stretch and the Carry On series. His other screen credits include The Railway Children, Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy, Fawlty Towers and several appearances in Dr Who. Frank Thornton played the unforgettable Captain Peacock in TV sitcom Are You Being Served?. He also appeared in the role of Herbert 'Truly’ Truelove in the hugely popular TV sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. BAFTA award winning actress Annette Crosbie OBE is best known for her role as Margaret Meldrew in the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave.

Cast and credits

Written by Andrew Palmer

Produced by Edward Taylor

Jimmy Bright - Bernard Cribbins

Russell Farrow - Frank Thornton

Nan Forbes - Annette Crosbie

Sue Plant - Annee Blott

Bacon/Jacko - John Kane

Youth/Man/Tenko - Paul B Davies

Sir William Penny - Dennis Ramsden

Colonel Jagger - John Graham

Soyamoto - Kenneth Connor

Mum - Patricia Hayes

First Broadcast BBC Radio 2, 22 Dec 1987 – 26 Jan 1988

Episode list

She’ll Have to Go

Points of Disagreement

A Moving Experience

The Big Bang

Two Fingers of Suspicion

The Premature Berth