Yes Minister

I can't honestly believe that there hasn't been a thread about this masterwork already, but searching is revealing nothing so I guess not.

In short, I love it. So clever, so true, and so well observed. And, most importantly of all, very very funny.

It also appears that BBC Four have begun showing repeats. They'll be broadcasting series one, in order, every night this week at 19:30. I hadn't noticed, but they started on Saturday, so tonight is episode 3. So that's channel 9 on Freeview, and I think 116 on Sky.

I likes it. But I didn't realise they were showing repeats either.

Ironically (or not), I started watching series three on Saturday night.

Vintage comedy repeats like this make me happy inside x a LOT. I wish that there were more of them.

Anything with Paul Eddington makes me happy inside.

(not there.)

I've recently bought the three series boxset of Yes Minister for £11.99 off hmv.co.uk

Will start watching them soon, have only seen about two episodes and thought it was about time I watched this classic.

Quote: zooo @ October 8, 2007, 9:33 PM

Anything with Paul Eddington makes me happy inside.

(not there.)

View original

my second fave britcom. I think it pretty much says it all.
Plus, one of the very few sitcoms with no shark-jumping moment - strong from start to finish.
Also one of the few smart sitcoms.

Which probably explains why people would rather talk about Bottom's and Cheers'es of the world.

I, too, love it. Very good, although Bernard's character doing all the naff interruptions and actions became irritating. He was better just being the intervening meat in their political sandwich.

Strong plots and equal spoils to the minister and the service.

Not sure I've even given it a try before? I'm thinking most of the jokes will go over my head.

That's the brilliant thing about YM, Lee. If you don't understand the politics behind it, it's not so in-depth that you won't get it; in fact quite on the contrary, it'll teach you about how the system works. AND it's bloody funny.

Interesting fact: it's actually so true to life that civil servants now use it as an unofficial training video.

Wooo! 6,000 posts!

I'll definitely give it ago. As long as the characters are there, I should be good.

Well, I believe Bernard's character was underused, in the end he was mostly doing the mentioned interruptions, and I feel he could've been much more. But that's about the only criticism I can think of.

Plus, the fact that lines about the EU (and probably the government, too) are still so true to life

"Politicians like to panic. They need activity; it's their substitute for achievement!"
"I don't want the truth. I want something I can tell Parliament!"

Fantastic! And all the Humphrey rants....

Watched these and Yes Prime Minister on DVD two or three years ago. Drifted off sometimes during Humpherey's long speeches but there were some brilliant episodes in there. One of my favourites was where Paul Eddington had bodyguards.

I love this show. The relationship between Jim Hacker, Sir Humphrey and Bernard was beautifully written and beautifully acted. And although Yes Prime Minister is maligned in some quarters, I think it developed and carried the show to a magnificent conclusion. Having said that, the skit they did with Margaret Thatcher was hideously cringeworthy.

Hacker: Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers: the Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; the Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country; and the The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.

Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?

Bernard: Sun readers don't care who runs the country, as long as she's got big tits.

Quite possibly the greatest exchange in sitcom history.