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
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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.
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 2, 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
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 2, 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 Minister is 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
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 2, 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
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 2, 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 Minister is 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
Affirmative Review ofThe Complete Yes Prime Minister - Jonathan Lynn, Anthony Jayby
frkurt
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 to accompany ... ...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:
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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 ...
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22.01.2003
Quid pro quo Review ofThe Complete Yes Prime Minister - Jonathan Lynn, Anthony Jayby
richardashdowne
Advantages: Complete Disadvantages: None
...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. ...
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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. ...
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