There was a real cult following that grew up about the television series Yes, Minister and its successor, Yes, Prime Minister. So popular was this show among political types that journalists, politicians and bureaucrats could be assumed to be unavailable whenever this show was on television. ... Read review
Yes Minister: (1980 - 1984): From the minds of Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay comes the ... more
complete box set of all three 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. The 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. Yes Prime Minister (1986 - 1988): 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... Features every episode from both seasons of Yes Prime Minister.
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Even for those not politically inclined, the dazzling dialogue produced by Antony Jay and ... more
Jonathan Lynn in both'Yes, Minister'and'Yes, Prime Minister'is some of the finest ever spoken in a sitcom. The double act of Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne also helped propel the series into the upper echelons of British comedy.This seven-disc set has all the episodes from both series, set in Whitehall and Downing Street respectively, and rightly deserves a place in any DVD collection of classic British comedy.
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Advantages: Very British, very political, very funny Disadvantages: Alas, more true to life than we might wish
...following that grew up about the television series Yes, Minister and its successor, Yes, Prime Minister. So popular was this show among political types that journalists, politicians and bureaucrats could be assumed to be unavailable whenever this show was on television. Margaret Thatcher even edged her way in by playing a brief scene with Eddington and Hawthorne.
As with many of the better BBC productions, a companion book was released ... ...done in the style of 'The Diaries of a Cabinet Minister'. The successor volume followed Hacker into No. 10 Downing Street with the same flair and hilarity. From the very first page of the forward, the tone is set:
-----
Before going into politics full time, Hacker (the minister in question) had been first a polytechnic lecturer and, later, Editor of 'Reform'. When the diaries were first transcribed they were hardly readable, ... more
There was a real cult following that grew up about the television series Yes, Minister and its successor, Yes, Prime Minister. So popular was this show among political types that journalists, politicians and bureaucrats could be assumed to be unavailable whenever this show was on television. Margaret Thatcher even edged her way in by playing a brief scene with Eddington and Hawthorne.
As with many of the better BBC productions, a companion book was released to accompany the show. This book is a superb companion, done in the style of 'The Diaries of a Cabinet Minister'. The successor volume followed Hacker into No. 10 Downing Street with the same flair and hilarity. From the very first page of the forward, the tone is set:
----- Before going into politics full time, Hacker (the minister in question) had been first a polytechnic lecturer and, later, Editor of 'Reform'. When the diaries were first transcribed they were hardly readable, having been dictated very much ad lib, rather like his polytechnic lectures. Furthermore, there were a number of discrepancies in his account of events, both within the book itself and when objectively compared to outside events. Being a journalist, Hacker had no particular talent for reporting facts. -----
We are introduced to Jim Hacker, an amiable hack with grand illusions and plans, who comes up against the immovable object of the Civil Service, personified by Sir Humphrey Appleby, whose two primary goals in life were the enlargement of his department and the greatest effort to ensure that nothing be done about anything.
Included as part of this book, we have scraps of papers, reprints of letters and memos, press releases and official statements -- many of which are alluded to but not directly contained in the television series. These touches make this a particular gem, fleshing out the fuller story and making the teleplay more complete.
In these volumes, we learn political truisms such as:
* Never believe anything until it is officially denied.
* In the spirit of Open Government, you should always make public anything that could be easily found out some other way.
* When discussing important matters, such as foreign affairs, the more acronyms and abbreviations, the better.
* Any drive for economy will demonstrate that your department needs more staff to carry out the economies; leaving things alone will require more staff to carry out the unexpected results of current policies.
* A courageous policy is any policy that, while morally superior, will result in losing the next election.
Perhaps the greatest gem in this collection is the speech of Sir Humphrey to a select committee explaining the difference in the policy of administration and the administration in policy:
------ Mrs. Betty Oldham: Look, Sir Humphrey. Whatever we ask the Minister, he says is an administrative question for you. And whatever we ask you, you say is a policy question for the Minister. How do you suggest we find out what's going on?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Yes, I do think there is a real dilemma here, in that while it has been government policy to regard policy as the responsibility of Minister and the administration as the responsibility of officials, questions of administrative policy can cause confusion between the administration of policy and the policy of administration, especially when responsibility for the administration of the policy of administration conflicts or overlaps with responsibility for the policy of the administration of policy.
Mrs. Betty Oldham: That's a load of meaningless drivel. Isn't it, Sir Humphrey?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: It is not for me to comment on government policy. You must ask the Minister. -----
Common wisdom was that reality (in relation to this book/series) was 'twice as true but half as funny'. Jonathan Lynn and Anthony Jay have done a bang up job in putting this volume together. These are essential books for anyone who has an interest in political satire.
One wonders if Margaret Thatcher thought the idea as funny once it graduated to No. 10. Appleby became chief of the Civil Service, and Bernard Wooley (who writes in the Prime Minister volume his own reminiscences of the times, having himself graduated to that same lofty post Appleby occupied) was Hacker's PPS again in No. 10.
Perhaps the one downside was that many of the scenarios played out while Hacker was Minister for the DAA in 'Yes, Minister' get played out again, sometimes without much variation, in No. 10. A bit more imagination might have been in order, but the stories are so brilliant that this small issue can be overlooked for the most part.
frkurt 22.01.2003 (22.01.2003)
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Review of The Complete Yes Prime Minister - Anthony Jay, Jonathan Lynn
...Yes Minister", this book forms the memoirs of the Rt Hon James Hacker, formerly Minister at the Department for Administrative Affairs and in this volume (after ch. 1) elevated to Number 10. Together with his trusted (!) team of Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Woolley, Hacker lurches from crisis to crisis, always somehow coming out on to. A highly amusing and witty read, this book is one which you can read over and over again without tiring of the ... ...old, the humour remains as fresh and as true to life as it was when the TV series on which it is based were first screened. Politics, it seems, changes little - the same issues and the same situations happening more recently point out the remarkably perceptive writing which these authors have produced. Despite originally being written for the TV, the material translates well into continuous prose and is both varied and very readable.
Very enjoyable. ...
richardashdowne 16.01.2001
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Advantages: Wiity, well written farce on government Disadvantages: None
...Right that’s cleared up the binding quality of this book is fine, for those that are interested, more importantly what is the content like?
The book is based around the excellent TV series, Jim Hacker is a Labour PM, Humphery Appleby the cabinet secretary and Bernard the PM’s secretary. All in the civil service usage of the word secretary.
There are about 7 independent stories in the book with slight links between them, and they are ... ...there are stories, about cutting the grant for arts, or reforming education. All the stories are witty, with a basis in truth and if you have any interest in politics at all they will make you chuckle. The writing is excellent and very amusing.
One of the shocking points about this book is that one of the authors was a senior civil servant and has said in many interviews that there is a lot of truth in the way government is portrayed in this book. ...
KingHerrod 19.01.2001
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