Saturday 21 November

BLOGS

blogCategory
Previous
Back to blog
Next

Why I Love...Yes Minister

Derek Fowlds, Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne in Yes Minister
  • Posted at 12:00pm
  • 24 July 2008
  • by TomCole-RT
  • 7 comments

"A sitcom," Chris Morris once said, "isn't usually the right tool for satire." Fair point, perhaps; after all, a show like My Family is about as sharp as a bag of marshmallows. But in the case of Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn's Yes Minister, we're dealing with a definite exception to that rule.

Yes Minister is not only a delight to watch but also a sharply observed, engaging and utterly iconoclastic look at the British political system. Instead of caricaturing the preposterous posturing that we're all privy to in the House of Commons, Yes Minister takes us behind the scenes at Whitehall to show us where and how government really happens.

The sit in this particular com is surprisingly simple, yet devastatingly effective. Paul Eddington plays the naive but well-meaning MP Jim Hacker, who begins the first series of the show ascending to a position in the British cabinet as the Minister for Administrative Affairs. This brings him face to face with the manipulative and ferociously intelligent permanent secretary of that department, Sir Humphrey Appleby, played expertly by Nigel Hawthorne. The antagonism between the pair makes the relationship between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown seem positively peachy.

Torn between these two archetypal characters is Hacker's private secretary, Bernard Woolley, wryly played by Derek Fowlds. Woolley, a high-flyer in the civil service, faces a perpetual conflict of interests throughout the series, as he's assessed in his job by Sir Humphrey but expected to remain loyal to Hacker. What this means is that Bernard is uniquely positioned to know what's actually going on in the camps of both the politicians and the civil service.

The show's real genius lies in using this simple set-up to explore and ridicule all areas of political life, and the disputes between Hacker and Sir Humphrey serve to illustrate the machinations of government in microcosm. However, Yes Minister goes beyond conventional TV satire thanks to its unparalleled realism.

Jay and Lynn famously relied on inside information from Whitehall for some of the show's plotlines, and this only makes the resulting comedy that much more delicious. Isn't it shocking, but oddly gratifying, to know that absurd situations presented on the show - such as the existence of a hospital that employs several hundred administrative and clerical staff but doesn't treat a single patient - were based on genuine examples of governmental buffoonery?

The most lovable element of Yes Minister, though, is the way in which the show totally undermines both figures of authority and the political system as a whole. Watching the show's characters squabbling and behaving badly is like seeing a schoolteacher furtively ducking into the smoking room - it reassures you that while these people might be in charge, they're no better than you.

Link to this post
Post a comment | 7 comments

Comments

  • Posted on 21 August 2009
  • at 8:40pm
  • by al

Absolutely sublime.Must have seen the series 14/15 times.

Along with Fawlty Towers,in a class of their own

  • Posted on 31 December 2008
  • at 11:46am
  • by johnny

Thanks for good post

  • Posted on 17 August 2008
  • at 10:49am
  • by maurice

I agree entirely with all the previous comments, I loved it!

I cannot think of another sitcom that comes close today, exept perhaps the American sitcom 'Admen'

  • Posted on 14 August 2008
  • at 8:10pm
  • by Karen

I am watching Yes Minister on DVD at the moment. I had seen it before, but did not really appreciate the satire. Now, I adore it, especially Sir Nigel Hawthorne's performances as Sir Humphrey. Beautifully underplayed with just a hint of madness.

Beg, steal or borrow the DVDs!!

  • Posted on 28 July 2008
  • at 11:02pm
  • by C-M

What I appreciate even more is the fact that 'history repeats itself' - the machinations of government shown in the various series are recognisable in current political scenes. This added piquancy makes Yes Minister emminently re-watchable and even more amusing. I do have the DVDs!

  • Posted on 28 July 2008
  • at 11:37am
  • by Once A Knight

Your blog expertly catches the humour and enjoyment of this now thoroughly "old" series. It is very popular in our house and just love the rapport between the actors and the themes portrayed. Watched the programe on Friday night and hooted with laughter at the clip about being in a country with no alcohol but setting up a room supposedly for communication with Whitehall but really a little "pub" of drinkies and the hilarious excuses made to access this room without hosts realising what was going on. Was amazed to find out via the mole who helped the writers, say that this had actually happened....Excellent viewing, I urge those who have not seen the series to either purchase or borrow the dvds.

  • Posted on 26 July 2008
  • at 4:05am
  • by sheppy

You know what, I've never seen a full episode of this programme and I really should. It's one of those shows which you always see in the Top 50 comedy programmes but never really seen it...Maybe it's worth a DVD buy?

Great blog post and ta for the reminder to watch this show!

Post a comment

Do you have something to say about this post? Share your thoughts…

Post a comment

(first or nickname only)

Please do not include any personal or personally identifiable information about yourself or others (including email addresses). All information you submit about yourself or others can be viewed by others.

Thank you for your comment

Thank you for your comments. All comments will be looked at by a moderator, however, due to the numbers of comments we receive, we can't promise that all will be posted on the site.

Post another comment

More


Advertisement