One of my favourite comedies from the 1980's was Yes Minister with the equally brilliant follow up Yes Prime Minister.
Written by Antony Jay and Jonathon Lynn the show followed the fortunes of Right Honourable Jim Hacker played by Paul Eddington (of the Good Life) who was appointed to the ... Read review
The first series of the elegant sitcom-cum-farce-cum-sophisticated political satireYes ... more
Minister, setting off Paul Eddington's Jim Hacker, Minister for Administrative Affairs, against Nigel Hawthorne's discreetly obstructive civil servant Sir Humphrey. ...
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The first series of the elegant sitcom-cum-farce-cum-sophisticated political satireYes ... more
Minister, setting off Paul Eddington's Jim Hacker, Minister for Administrative Affairs, against Nigel Hawthorne's discreetly obstructive civil servant Sir Humphrey. ...
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Vision, integrity and a ruthless streak are the weapons of political power. Unfortunately ... more
new Prime Minister Jim Hacker has none of these, but he does have cowardice, desperation and a scheming, pragmatic Cabinet Secretary in Sir Humphrey...The Grand DesignThe Prime Minister's plans for the country's defence manage to antagonise the Civil Service and the military. Is Hacker really the right man to have his finger on the nuclear button?The Ministerial BroadcastJim is being coached for his first TV broadcast as Prime Minister, but Sir Humphrey seems more concerned with what he says than how he says it.The Smoke ScreenA radical plan to deter people from smoking by raising taxes leaves Sir Humphrey fuming. He calls in the tobacco lobby to ensure there's no smoke without fire...The KeyWhat can a PM do when his Cabinet Secretary is getting above himself? Jim's answer is to lock Sir Humphrey out of Number 10...A Real PartnershipBackbench MPs want a pay rise, the Civil Service want a pay rise and the government has a financial crisis. Something's got to give and this time it's not going to be the PM - probably.A Victory For DemocracyIs the Foreign Office carrying out government policy or is the government there to carry out Foreign Office policy? Hacker is about to find out...The Bishop's GambitSir Humphrey wants the PM to appoint an old friend to the post of Bishop of Bury St Edmunds. But Hacker's got a nurse in a Middle East prison to sort out first...One Of UsJim's sliding down the nation's popularity polls. It takes a spy, a sheepdog and an expensive army operation to improve his standing...
You can now own the complete first series of the BAFTA-winning satirical commedy Yes ... more
Prime Minister. Following his stout stand against the Eurosausage The Rt Hon James Hacker was propelled along the corridors of power to the very pinnacle of politics - No. 10. Fortunately for the country however his scheming adversary Sir Humphrey Appleby finds himself in the exalted position of Cabinet Secretary. Appleby is more than willing to steer the unsteady ship of state through the perilous waters of government...
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From the minds of Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay comes the complete box set of all three ... more
series of Yes Minister. First-class political satire and a worldwide favourite seen in over 80 countries Yes Minister is well-known for being closer to the truth than those in the political arena would like to admit. Re-live the exploits of the amiable and honourable Jim Hacker and his permanent Secretary the urbane but evasive Sir Humphrey Appleby as they balance the intricacies of government bureaucracy. This four-disc set contains the complete Yes Minister collection from Hacker's arrival on the political arena as Minister of Administrative Affairs through to the extraordinary events that turned Jim Hacker MP into Jim Hacker PM. This contains all three series of this much-loved sitcom in a striking box set plus a score of extras....
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The complete first series of the TV comedy 'Yes Prime Minister'. 8 episodes including: ... more
'The Grand Design', 'The Ministerial Broadcast', 'The Smoke Screen', 'The Key', 'A Real Partnership', 'A Victory For Democracy', 'The Bishop's Gambit' and 'One Of Us'.
Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn's superb sitcomYes Prime Ministerentered 10 Downing Street ... more
with Jim Hacker now Prime Minister of Britain, following a campaign to "Save the British Sausage". Whether tackling defence ("The Grand Design"), local Government ("Power to the People") or the National Education Service, all of Jim Hacker's bold plans for reform generally come to nothing, thanks to the machinations of Nigel Hawthorne's complacent Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey (Jeeves to Hacker's Wooster) who opposes any action of any sort on the part of the PM altogether. This is usually achieved by discreet horse-trading. In "One of Us", for instance, Hacker relents from implementing defence cuts when he is presented with the embarrassingly large bill he ran up in a vote-catching mission to rescue a stray dog on an army firing range. Only in "The Tangled Web", the final episode of series two, does the PM at last turn the tables on Sir Humphrey.Paul Eddington is a joy as Hacker, whether in mock-Churchillian mode or visibly cowering whenever he is congratulated on a "courageous" idea. Jay and Lynn's script, meanwhile, is a dazzlingly Byzantine exercise in wordplay, wittily reflecting the verbiage-to-substance ratio of politics. Ironically,Yes Prime Ministeris an accurate depiction of practically all political eras except its own, the 1980s, when Thatcher successfully carried out a radical programme regardless of harrumphing senior civil servants. --David Stubbs
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Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Production Year: 1956 - Comedy - Director: Joshua Logan - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Betty Field, Hope Lange, Eileen Heckart, Arthur O'Connell, Casey Adams, Hans Conried, Robert Bray
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Advantages: Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds and brilliant timing! Disadvantages: None for me
...comedies from the 1980's was Yes Minister with the equally brilliant follow up Yes Prime Minister.
Written by Antony Jay and Jonathon Lynn the show followed the fortunes of Right Honourable Jim Hacker played by Paul Eddington (of the Good Life) who was appointed to the job of Minister of Administrative Affairs. He was initially placed in this job to keep him out of trouble as he is more than a little idealistic and really believes ... ...a U certificate meaning that it is suitable viewing for all.
I have always worked in Local Government and so the humour of Yes Minister is something that I associate with, in fact I could see a lot of things in the series that were fairly true! ... more
One of my favourite comedies from the 1980's was Yes Minister with the equally brilliant follow up Yes Prime Minister.
Written by Antony Jay and Jonathon Lynn the show followed the fortunes of Right Honourable Jim Hacker played by Paul Eddington (of the Good Life) who was appointed to the job of Minister of Administrative Affairs. He was initially placed in this job to keep him out of trouble as he is more than a little idealistic and really believes that he can make a difference.
His Private Secretary is Bernard Woolley played by Derek Fowlds (now of Heartbeat fame). Bernard has the job of managing Jim Hacker's diary and generally looking after him but he is also at the mercy of Senior Civil Servant Sir Humphrey Appleby played brilliantly by Nigel Hawthorne.
Each episode sees Hacker trying to improve things by cutting costs, reducing red tape or making government more open. His attempts are always tempered by his desire to remain liked by his voters.
Sir Humphrey uses this 'weakness' to his own advantage and makes sure that things are (almost) always done his way. His ulterior motive is to keep things as they are with the Civil Service in control at all times. He is the ultimate snob and has an unshaking belief in the elitism of Whitehall.
When backed into a corner Sir Humphrey will confuse Hacker with an amazing monologue of long words and complicated sentences usually saying little or nothing of merit! I often wondered if these were filmed in one take.
Although Hacker was a Conservative the series was never particularly party based and so has a wide appeal and the issues raised in the 1980's are still relevant now openness of government, funding, sensitive information etc., so the humour remains as fresh now as it ever was. The timing of Sir Humphrey's monologues, Bernard's terrible puns and Hacker's mixed metaphors was impeccable, as you would expect from such great actors.
The seven episodes of Series One followed Hacker's appointment to his new post and his attempts to settle and make a difference.
Open Government sees an idealistic Hacker trying to make what happens at Whitehall transparent to the public - Sir Humphrey soon puts a stop to that!
The Official Visit sees Hacker welcoming the African president to Britain and finding that he is an old university pal.
The Economy Drive is the one where Hacker decides to slim down the Civil Service, but Sir Humphrey thwarts him by making sure that he feels the pinch too.
Big Brother offers everyone access to their own files in a new national database with hilarious consequences.
The Writing on the Wall sees the Department for Administrative Affairs under threat and Sir Humphrey and hacker have to work together to save their place in Whitehall.
The Right to Know is an episode where Sir Humphrey shows Hacker that there are some things that it is better he doesn't know. Sir Humphrey's explanations in this one are superb!
Jobs for the Boys is the one where Hacker turns to a banker to help him to rescue a doomed project and Sir Humphrey's reaction to an outsider in the camp!
Each episode ends with the words 'Yes Minister' spoken by Sir Humphrey in various tones of voice as he either gets his own way or sometimes has to accept that Hacker has actually managed to outwit him.
The DVD also has profiles of the actors which are quite interesting.
This series has a U certificate meaning that it is suitable viewing for all.
I have always worked in Local Government and so the humour of Yes Minister is something that I associate with, in fact I could see a lot of things in the series that were fairly true!
In 2004 Yes Minister, came sixth in Britain's Best Sitcom's of all time. The 6 series which were made by the BBC has went down as probably the best comedy ever produced by the BBC. Yes Minister and its sequel Yes Prime Minister revolves round the plot of a minister who is frustrated at every move by the Civil Service. The series was inspired by the diaries of Richard Crossman circa 1964. These were dominated by Crossman's constant struggle with Dame ... ...and Local Government.
Jim Hacker [Paul Eddington], the very unlikely Minister of Administrative Affairs, ablely assisted and hindered at every turn my his two primary officials Sir Humphrey Applegate [Nigel Hawthorne] and Bernard Wooley [Derek Fowlds].
Sir Humphrey, uses his unique and flamboyant turn of language to stonewall his incompetent minister and dissuade him from achieving anything other than what is the pre-decided civil service policy ...
bigfatdogs 06.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Yes Minister - Series 1 (DVD)
Advantages: Brilliant writing, acting and still very relevant Disadvantages: None.
...first of three series of Yes Minister. The DVD contains all seven episodes of the series, originally broadcast in early 1980.
In their weekends, Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn used to drive down to London with a case of something in the boot, and talk to Government ministers. These ministers, who stayed secret until recently, were able to tell Jay and Lynn what politics is really like on the inside. They told stories which were at the time still ... ...lines of Yes Minister.
To someone who has never seen Yes Minister, the idea of a programme containing three middle-aged men in suits talking about politics would probably suggest boredom in the extreme. Ask someone who has, and the reply would be very different.
Jim Hacker (Eddington) is a new and eager minister of the fictitious Department of Administrative Affairs, determined to leave his mark. He wants nothing more than to rise in government, ...
paulrob 02.10.2005 (03.10.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Yes Minister - Series 1 (DVD)
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Advantages: Very funny, if it's to your taste. Disadvantages: Probably not for everyone's sense of humour.
I bought these DVDs recently and wasn't disappointed. If you shop about, you can get them for about £9 each and each has at least 6 episodes on it (series 3 also includes an hour-long Christmas special), so I'd say they were excellent value for money.
YesMinister follows the day to day happenings in an imaginary ministry in Whitehall, usually with very funny consequences.
All of the episodes are great pieces of witty comedy and also convey a slight feeling of horror - is the country really run like this? Its only flaw in my book is that people who aren't into politics will probably not appreciate it, but if you think you'll like it, then you almost definitely will.
I would recommend it highly to anyone who's looking for something a bit different from modern comedies. Buy series1 and if you like it, get the other two as ...
Advantages: Brilliantly funny, marvellous actors Disadvantages: A lack of extras, some dated concepts
of the comedy depends upon being vaguely aware of British politics and the way we see the government, and even the stereotypes we apply, hopefully in jest, though sometimes earnestly, to our European neighbours. Of course, the truly disturbing aspect of the show is that it is quite believable that this is precisely how our country is run.
YesMinister ran for three series?, totalling twenty-two episodes, including the 1984 Christmas Special Party Games, where Hacker finally makes it to the illustrious office of Prime Minister. Each series has a single DVD, with the Christmas Special thrown in with series 3. The DVDs were released as a part of the BBC Classic Comedy series, and so the fact that they have nothing in the way of extras can perhaps be compensated for by the price. Each DVD generally costs around the ten pound mark, and for over three ...
Advantages: Funny, Funny Disadvantages: A little dated
Party Games finishes with the Hon Jim Hacker being promoted up to become the Prime Minister. With this we also see Sir Humphrey Applegate and Bernard Wooley move up into the higher echelon of the British establishment. It is so strange how even after 25 years that the issue are the same. This is must watch viewing for today! In 2004 YesMinister / Prime Minister, came sixth in Britain's Best Sitcom's of all time. The 6 series which were made by the BBC has went down as probably the best comedy ever produced by the BBC.
Yes Prime Minister revolves round the plot of a minister who is frustrated at every move by the Civil Service. The series was inspired by the diaries of Richard Crossman circa 1964. These were dominated by Crossman's constant struggle with Dame Evelyn Sharp, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing ...
The complete first series: 'Open Government', 'The Official Visit', 'The Economy Drive', 'Big Bother', 'The Writing On The Wall', 'The Right To Know' and 'Jobs For The Boys'.
In the 1980s sitcom, YES MINISTER, James Hacker (Paul Eddington) is the new Minister for Administrative Affairs. However, Hacker meets continual opposition in the form of the tenacious Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne), Permanent Secretary of the Department. And stuck in the middle is private secretary Bernard Woolley (Derek Fowlds). This collection presents the first series in its entirety, including the episodes: "Open Government," "The Official Visit," "The Economy Drive," "Big Brother," "The Writing on the Wall," "The Right to Know," and "Jobs for the Boys."
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