Carlton-Browne of the F.O. is a classic Boulting Brothers satire, with the targets this time being the Foreign Office, the British Upper Classes, and the ever-present inability of England to move on post colonial decline.

Carlton-Browne of the F.O. follows the story of a long-forgotten British colony named Gaillardia, which suddenly becoming geopolitically hot property due to the discovery of rare mineral deposits. As the Foreign Office scramble to reassert influence, enter Carlton-Browne – a charmingly clueless diplomat whose only qualification is his father’s legacy and a knack for accidental diplomacy. Dispatched to the island, Carlton (Terry-Thomas) must navigate a tangled web of Cold War tensions, royal intrigue, and Morris dancing mishaps. As rival factions vie for control and foreign powers circle like vultures, Carlton stumbles through espionage, romance, and revolution – proving that sometimes, the most unlikely man can make the biggest mess… and still come out ahead.

Terry-Thomas excels in the title role as an Upper Class twit, whilst this was Peter Sellers’s first time working with the Boulting Brothers, in what was to become a very fruitful partnership. They are ably supported by a cast of stalwart British comedy talent including Ian Bannen (Fright, Hope and Glory, The Offence), John Le Mesurier (Wrong Arm of the Law, Only Two Can Play, Punch & Judy Man), Irene Handl (The Rebel), Thorley Walters (Two Way Stretch), as well as newcomer Luciana Paluzzi (later a Bond girl in Thunderball).