I have just discovered Yes, Minister

[Andylion]

And Yes, Prime Minister.

Why did I wait so long? I have developed a crush on Nigel Hawthorne, (or maybe Humpy).

My favourite episode is The Key, from Yes, PM. They took time throughout the series setting up Sir H as a smoothly conniving character so that when he does become unhinged, it is a sight to behold. (I know he loses it in other episodes as well, but this is the best.)

I know there must be other fans out there. What are your favourite bits?

It’s bloody genius!

Agree that the best episode is ‘The Key”, followed closely by ‘party games’

It's an absolute pleasure to watch and rewatch. The writing is superb.

This is my favourite episode of all time - The Compassionate Society.
Having worked on some government initiatives myself in the past I can relate to the plot line very much!

I'm a civil servant and never watched it, I watched the thick of it but didn't really enjoy that (it's not really much about the civil service anyway) but would love to watch this, refuse point blank to pay for Britbox, but can there are a few episodes on Iplayer, does it matter if you don't watch them in order?

There was this brilliant quote (called the “Standard Foreign Office Response” in the programme) which I remember being circulated a few years ago as describing perfectly Boris Johnson’s Covid policy U turns:

Sir Richard Wharton: “In stage one, we say nothing is going to happen.”
Sir Humphrey Appleby: “Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.”
Sir Richard Wharton: “In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there’s nothing we can do.”
Sir Humphrey Appleby: “Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it’s too late now.”

heetud no, no need to watch in order at all.

I was a civil servant and love this AND The Thick Of It. Both brilliant.

I've only just discovered this. I'd been working happily in the private sector all my life and never really 'got' the humour in it. It seemed very old-fashioned.

Then I started working with local authority and local politicians and I now totally relate to it. I just wish the civil servant blockers and vacuous politicians were as witty and well dressed as Jim & Sir Humphrey.

My favourite exchange:

Sir Humphrey: Minister, her Majesty's civil servants spend their lives working for a modest wage and at the end, they retire into obscurity. Honours are a small reward for a lifetime of loyal, self-effacing discretion and devoted service to Her Majesty, and to the nation.
Hacker: "A modest wage", did you say?
Sir Humphrey: Alas, yes.
Hacker: Humphrey, you get over £30,000 a year! That's £7,000 more than I get.
Sir Humphrey: Yes, but still relatively the modest wage.
Hacker: Relative to whom?
Sir Humphrey: Well, Elizabeth Taylor, for example.
Hacker: Humphrey, you are not relative to Elizabeth Taylor. There are important differences.
Sir Humphrey: Indeed, yes. She didn't get a first at Oxford.

I loved it as a kid. It's timeless.

Intelligent BBC dramas

Ah, what a treat. Comfort telly at its best, and yes, still resonates today! Enjoy 😊

Absolutely brilliant

Still accurate today. Love it and have the boxed set on dvd

Oh it’s a brilliant programme! I still use some of Humpys tactics in difficult meetings (work across local government & NHS)

this on surveys & getting the answer you want is a classic

“Wouldn’t ert a fly”. Bernard, after Sir Humprey had failed to explain to Hacker what an inert chemical was “… not ert”

Brilliant programme and not that dated
just watched House of cards equally brilliant and relevant

Ah one of my favourites. The best (or scariest) bit is that they are still largely relevant today. We quite often watch the news and can envisaged Sir Humphrey etc in the background

Still excellent and insightful. Some of it still works. Enjoy

I loved that one too, so clever. The writing of the series was exceptional and as another poster said intelligent, which seems a lost art with most TV programmes these days.

My favourite episode is The Key but coming a close second is the episode A Victory for Democracy where Jim Hacker is praising Clive Francis for alerting him to the situation on St. George's island and Clive Francis is frantically denying it.

There are so many excellent moments in the whole series - the interaction between the Civil Servants all jockeying for position.

We often mimic Sir Humphrey's Dear, Lady and Shall I be mother in this house.

As others have said it is scary how relevant it still is today.

I remember that clip being circulated during Covid, as it so perfectly encapsulated the government's early response. Plus ca change...

https://fb.watch/oc-xYgvfUG/

Yes (Prime) Minister is, quite simply, the greatest comedy series ever made. The combination of sophisticated satire, humour & wonderful acting is unequalled.

May favourite episode is ‘The Smoking Ban’. It is incredibly prescient. By this stage, Hacker is PM and he appoints a senior doctor as health minister. The doctor proposes a crackdown on smoking, including massive tax increases & draconian restrictions on sales. Hacker hates smoking & fully supports this. Humphrey is outraged because tobacco tax brings in £billions for the treasury & big tobacco is a generous sponsor of sporting events which they invite their friends in the civil service to attend as hospitality. Let battle commence…

Most of the measures to control smoking which were proposed in the episode & sounded unthinkably radical at the time eventually happened in reality.

That episode brilliantly showed how the press can spin a story either way.

[talking about honours and the abbreviations of the Order of St Michael and St George: CMG, KCMG and GCMG]

Bernard Woolley : Of course in the service, CMG stands for Call Me God. And KCMG for Kindly Call Me God.

James Hacker : What does GCMG stand for?

Bernard Woolley : God Calls Me God.

I love this series but didn't find it funny until I became a civil servant.

I've never forgotten the explication of Salami Tactics.

Have since spotted Salami Tactics deployed in a lot of unpopular government actions internal to the UK. And obviously now, sadly, in the original Yes, Minister context.

Was a bit of a shocker remembering that, at the time, West Berlin was a West German enclave in a different country, ie East Germany. Seems so very long ago.

My favourite bit is when Hacker wants to bury a report and Humphrey says 'Well say some of the key conclusions have been questioned'.

Hacker says 'what if they haven't been questioned?' And Humphrey says 'Well question them! And then they have!'