User reviews

I really do not have words to describe this masterpiece! This must be kept as the series to compare with! Excellent writing and excellent acting! I'm a huge, HUUUUGE fan of YES MINISTER (and YES PRIME MINISTER of course). If you are even a bit interested about politics, you will adore it! I think you will adore it even if you are not! This is British humor at its absolute best!

From what I know, this is the best TV show I ever saw. Intelligent, complex for a comedy, extremely funny, and excellent acting obviously. Its a classic show, and I hope we have more like these.

It is quite sad that this show has received little attention in north America. It played when I was younger in Canada, but few people noticed. Still, in Grad school in political science in the USA, professors and I were able to expose students to such an intelligent and relatively accessible show. Most students loved it! A must for any student of politics.

I strongly recommend this show to everyone with interest in politics.

Yes, Minister and its successor Yes, Prime Minister managed the difficult trick of being extremely humorous, intelligent, and relevant, all at once. With the exception of a very few dated references, most episodes are as relevant today as they were when they were made -- quite a trick! If you want to know how parliamentary democracy *really* works (as opposed to the theoretical details they teach in school), this program will teach it to you, and provide plenty of laughs at the same time. Another nice touch is the fact that in the series, the deck isn't entirely stacked against Jim Hacker, and he does occasionally put one over on Sir Humphrey. Some of the shows greatest moments are listening to some of the incredibly long strings of government-ese gobbledegook that Nigel Hawthorne delivers with such aplomb. Perhaps the greatest thing that could be said about the program is that apparently both politicians and bureaucrats considered its portrayal of "the other side" as dead-on accurate.

Quite easily among the best-written comedies of all time. The razor-sharp wit and the superbly crafted word-play will have you both laughing out loud and oooohing and aaaahing in appreciation. Yes Minister tracks the day jobs of its three pivotal characters: Jim Hacker, the honorable Minister of the Dept of Administrative Affairs, his Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby and his Private Sct, Bernard.

In each episode, the somewhat idealistic (though exceedingly publicity-hungry) Minister tries to reform govt in one way or the other, but is blocked by his Permanent Sct, Sir Humphrey. Though this comedy is based on the British system of govt, I think the problems presented have universal appeal and so it would be appreciated by Americans, in fact by people of all nationalities.

The highlight of the comedy, in my mind, is the brilliant script, esp the lines Sir Humphrey delivers when he wishes to "talk a lot but say nothing". Nigel Hawthorne's acting is Grade A material and a treat to watch.

For those of you who enjoy wordplay, a somewhat cererbral comedy, or are simply an official in one or the other branch of govt, don't miss this one.

This one sneaks up on you. As I have little knowledge of, or interest in British politics, I didn't really expect to like this when it first appeared on my local PBS, but I soon found myself rolling in the aisles. Paul Eddington(the Minister)is one the funniest actors you'll ever watch. His expressions are priceless as he struggles to process the verbal splendor of his Permanent Secretary, the staggering Nigel Hawthorne. Those familiar with Sir Nigel in the heart-tugging Madness of King George may be surprised to find that he can move you to laughter as well as tears, and frankly, Hawthorne has never been so ravishing as he is here.

Yes minister is true genius. I wonder how the writers came up with such excellent plots. I could never at any point feel anything overdone, the satire was perfect. Acting: just too good... Paul Eddington with his expressions, Sir Nigel with his dialogs. The comedy is quite subtle in a way that one would never feel at any point to laugh out loud and then think back at that incident and realize the act as being foolish, the only realization is that this is pure genius. I haven't heard a soul who has watched yes minister and said this was boring and in case if it is boring then the person should really grow up and mature before he is again 'exposed' to the series.

One of the best works from the English. I suggest that this series will really help one in his personal life as well by realizing the stark reality of the Evils inherent in a human being

In my humble opinion, all things considered, this is one of the most original, consistently well-acted, deftly scripted television series ever conceived. The tenor perfectly matches the (at times) patent idiocy of bureaucracy, and its self-serving purpose, the bane of many a well-meaning politician and social reformist. Eddington performs newly appointed cabinet minister Jim Hacker to the tee, ostensibly appointed for his meek, seemingly compliant approach, his sudden elevation sees him start to consider preposterous fantasies like 'making a difference' and 'representing his constituency', much to the chagrin of his permanent secretary (Hawthorne), assigned to keep the Minister out of trouble. Throughout his initiation, Hacker is bullied and corralled by his 'advisors', the distinguished quintessential manipulator, Sir Humphrey Appleby, himself nurturing the younger, naive adviser Bernard (Fowlds) in the dark art of creating red tape.

Highlights include the hospital without patients, but hundreds of administrative staff on the payroll, the nude-badger protest and Hacker's temerity in attempting to make the annual public service honours list dependent upon productivity improvements. Quotable dialogue that is priceless (CMG = call me God, GCMG = God calls me God) and has spawned countless expressions used amongst fans and public servants (in a jocular fashion, of course), still remains some of the best ever written for the small screen.

This series was said to have been Prime Minister Thatcher's favourite, and perhaps in spite of her reputed absent sense of humour, her taste in this instance, is faultless. Might not appeal to those who take no interest in political satire, but should entertain those who appreciate an intelligent, sophisticated comedy that is possibly close to flawless. It's follow-up series "Yes Prime Minister", while still sharp, lacks the important dimension of Hacker (and Appleby) positioning himself in the party caucus, a void that is filled by a female adviser, and stiff competition for the once supreme Sir Humphrey.

I have been watching the box set of all three series. This is a fabulous comedy. Much forgotten in the '100 Best' type programs.

James Hacker (Paul Eddington) is the slightly vague and much bumbling Minister for Administrative Affairs (yikes!!). He is torn between self, country, party and government (civil service). His permanent secretary & Civil servant, Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne) spends most of his time trying to stop the minister from actually doing any work or implementing policy as it will mean change, redundancies, effort and actual work. He very cleverly uses the system to prevent the minister's new policies and plans with the result that absolutely nothing ever gets done much to Hackers bemusement and frustration.

The frightening thing about this program is that, even though it is 25ish years old it still rings absolutely true about how the system of government in Britain (and many others as they are mostly based on the British system) work. The only thing that dates this program are the clothes and cars.

If you like cleverly written comedy with subtle asides and jokes then this is for you. If you are interested I politics then this is a fabulous training aid.

A fantastic watch that I would recommend to new viewers and those that have long forgotten about the series.

I'd never seen these shows when they ran, so finding them now was a big surprise and a disappointment too that this quality of humor is apparently no longer available. By the time the series moved onto Yes Prime Minister it was beginning to creak - but even that creak was so much better than the top sitcoms today like Only Fools and Horses.

Watching each episode was also an education in politics. And I think good satire should do that - not just amuse but also inform.

This is humor that doesn't talk down to the viewer so you have to keep on your toes. Every now and then the writers 'explain' a joke just in case you missed it, but mostly you're expected to get the humor and be up to the ironies without aids.

Great performances, GREAT scripts, and a real pleasure to watch.

It's hilarious. The best comedy I've seen so far with amazingly constructed dialogs. The actors have impeccable timing. And how Nigel Hawthrown can say those freaking complex, nonsical yet logically connected sentences is a miracle.

You can see that this is an 80s show but lots of the subjects are still HotTopics today. It's amazing that over 20+ years, politics haven't changed that much. Therefore my favorite quote is: "lots of activity ... aiming at achieving absolutely nothing."

By the way, the foreign office honor GCMG, stands for -God Calls Me God-, apparently still exists. Doesn't this say it all :-)

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister were the wittiest and cleverest sit-coms ever. Sadly, there is simply nothing these days to compare with them. The casting of Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds was absolutely brilliant. Whilst Sir Humphrey invariably has the upper hand it is delightful when Jim Hacker occasionally gets the better of him, the best episode being where Sir Humphrey has his wings clipped and is locked out 10 Downing Street. The look on his face when he's forced to try to gain entry via a window and Jim Hacker's comment 'Oh, look there's Humphrey' cracks me up every time I see it. Like Dad's Army it remains one of those series that never dates.

"Yes, Minister" was an impeccably written, masterfully witty British political satire.

The late Paul Eddington was very funny as James Hacker, a bumbling minister who is constantly at odds with his civil servant, Sir Humphrey Appleby, played masterfully by Oscar winner Nigel Hawthorne.

This show provided perhaps the most insightful and interesting look behind the scenes of the British, or any political system. This show gives new meaning to the saying, "Red Tape."

It's a shame it's not on in the US much anymore, but it's still available on video.

this is one of the best ever script comedy show, the British Broadcasting Corporation have ever produced wonderful writing.

the performances of the three leads are excellent, and sir Humprey speech that he run off are brilliant and the late Great Sir Nigel Hawthrone best work.

the Late Paul Eddington is excellent, as Jim Hacker and underrated Sitcom actor of some note Jim Hacker was his best work also work well of Nigel Hawthrone.

Derek Fowld does well as Bernard Jim hacker assistant,he does not look out off place alongside Two excellent lead in fact he help them by being top notch himself very good actor Derek Fowlds.

As relevant today as when it was written. The style hasn't aged at all and it is still very watchable. Top notch acting by all.

Yes, Minister explained the intricacies about life as a member of parliament. Paul Eddington CBE (The Good Life) is the minister of parliament elected by his district or constituency. His new adviser is played by the brilliant Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds is also brilliant in his role. The cast and crew did a remarkable job in trying to entertain and yet inform it's audiences all about the politics in their government at the Parliament. Much like a good situation comedy, the show is smart and funny without talking down to the audience. This show explains the importance of voting and taking part in elections. Tim Russert probably loved this show since he loved politics and we miss him so much. It's still a show worth watching for kids and adults. Maybe kids in Briton could enjoy and understand the policies of their own government by watching this show and appreciate their member of parliament more.

Yes Minister is probably the most intelligent and well-produced sitcom of all time surpassing even Arrested Development, Archer and Spaced. It will never replace Spaced in my affections but is still laugh out loud funny.

Written decades ago it is still relevant topical and fresh. It could have been made last week.

Performances are uniformly spot on.

I suppose that one might argue that the series has one comparatively weak episode in the whisky priest but even Yes Minister's weak episodes are good. And, lets be honest, even Shakespeare wrote Two Gentlemen of Verona.

This series deserves another broadcast so the new generation can discover it.

Paul Eddington must have wondered whether he had a fairy godmother when he finished the top-rated comedy series of the 70's to walk into...well...the top-rated comedy series of the 80's. Talent will out, that's all I can say.

First-class observations of civil service practise and government double-speak, coupled with a stonking cast, made this tale of a newly-elected government minister who is led a merry dance by his Machiavellian chief of staff, the thinking man's comedy of the early Thatcher years.

The idea of a Ministry for Administrative Affairs isn't as ridiculous as it sounds, and its remit to cut government expenditure is on practically every party manifesto; but no minister ever had to deal with Sir Humphrey Appleby, who became a by-word for a decade, who sees it as his sworn duty to maintain that paragon of civil service states: the status quo.

As with many series, it went on just a tad too long; it's tough, even for the best writers, to come up with red-tape jokes forever - and 'Yes Prime Minister' was definitely a white paper too far - but, for the first 2 years or so, it was a great show: witty, incisive; and, above all, *intelligent*.

This classic BBC comedy is set in the fictitious Ministry of Administrative Affairs. Following an election, and change of government, Jim Hacker finds himself the minister in charge of this department. Working with him are civil servants Sir Humphrey Appleby, the permanent secretary and Bernard Woolley his Principal Private Secretary. When he arrives he is keen to get things done and has ideas for reforms... it isn't long before it becomes obvious that the civil service will try to block his plans by finding reasons they can't work or, if they really want to stop him, Sir Humphrey will tell him the plans are 'courageous'. Over the course of three series he gradually learns to play the game... at least within certain limits.

This series may have first aired almost forty years ago but not only is it still funny the issues being talked about often feel as though they could be present events. The cast does a brilliant job bringing their characters to life; most notably the three main cast members, Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds as Hacker, Sir Humphrey and Bernard respectively; their scenes together are a joy to watch; especially some of the longer speeches where some technical point is discussed in a way that is both funny but also feels real. Part of the genius of the series is that it is never clear which party Jim Hacker is a member of; I always assumed he was on the left of the Conservative Party but when I mentioned this to my mother she said she always assumed he was on the right of the Labour Party. Overall I would definitely recommend this to anybody interested in the workings of British politics or just wanting a good laugh.

Jim Hacker is a Member of Parliament and his party has just won the election. He is appointed Minister of Administrative Affairs, with power over the Department of Administrative Affairs (DAA). The Head of the DAA is Sir Humphrey Appleby, a wily customer, very experienced in the ways of government and how to bend them to his own ends. Mr Hacker soon discovers that politicians' aims and those of the civil service are not necessarily the same, and that Sir Humphrey will often try to thwart him at every turn.

Hilarious comedy that captures well the Machiavellian scheming of politicians and the obstructiveness of bureaucrats, and how these agendas clash. While a satire, it could easily be a drama, exposing the methods of both sides so accurately. Cuts so close to the bone this series should be included in political studies qualifications.

Clever plots, ingenious in their complexity and result. Great punchlines and one-liners. Sir Humphrey's obfuscating explanations/monologues are something to behold.

Great work by Paul Eddington as Jim Hacker and Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey. Eddington largely plays the straight man to Hawthorne's plans and one-liners and the combination works a treat. Derek Fowlds is solid as Bernard, Hacker's secretary and the man often stuck in the middle between Hacker and Sir Humphrey.

A classic comedy series.

This series is simply the best political comedy ever. From first hand experiences not with the british but the european administration and from my studies of political science I can pledge the satire to be really, really sharp. The dialogues are superb and I simply love the characters. Sir Humphrey is unbeatable. As a fellow writer already commented a must see for everyone into politics.

'Yes, Minister' is a satire which offers us a hilarious but completely accurate portrayal of the functioning of a democratic government. The show is hilarious and witty with some of the most epic punch-lines. The humour is most definitely British, Polite with just the right amount of sarcasm thrown in.

Jim Hacker is a first time minister, Who is naive and has no idea how the government actually works. Sir Humphrey is his Permanent under-secretary, He is shrewd and knows exactly how the government works. Bernard is the minister's personal secretary who is mostly torn between the two, He is the voice of the audience. The dynamic between Jim and Humphrey as they each attempt to get their own way is what makes this show engaging and quite frankly educational.

The show is relevant even today as the topics are the same. It made me question a lot of things like, Just how democratic is a democratic government? And, Who is actually running the country?.

Re-watching Yes Minister is like dining out at a favourite eatery from your past where nothing has changed nor deteriorated. You know what is coming but you still find yourself being delightfully surprised at just how good it is.

Sadly, given the low number of reviewers here, this masterpiece of satirical comedy is on a level that all too few will ever experience. Why spend the time agonising over every line of the script when you can just phone in a run of cheap shot gags punctuated with a couple of bars of annoying up tempo music and some canned laughter and make millions right?

But at least Yes Minister will continue to defy its age, playing as fresh and new as the day it was minted. This is testament to the superb writing skills, masterful acting and tight and uncomplicated direction.

So do yourself a great service and slip back to a time before smart phones and social media and immerse yourself in some of the most incisive humour ever filmed. I promise it will get you laughing and thinking but also lamenting just how rare a gem you have uncovered.

Jonathan Lynn & Antony Jay have created what has to be one of the sharpest, wittiest comedies ever written. The hugely entertaining characterisations alongside the masterly manipulation of the English language make for a terrifyingly worrying observation on the true nature of "democratic" government and of the chronic ineptitude and incompetence of some/many of our elected representatives. Paul Eddington is superb as the politically naive Minister ("Jim Hacker MP") in the fictional, but perfectly plausible, Ministry of Administrative Affairs - an unimaginably pointless government department that seems to be a filter for all the junk that the more serious officers of state wouldn't touch with a flagpole. The power behind the throne is the Machiavellian "Sir Humphrey" (Nigel Hawthorne) as the permanent secretary; the senior civil servant who has every intention of following his ministerial instructions, but only insofar as they suit the needs of his red-tape brigade. Treading the wavy line between both is his private secretary "Bernard Woolley" (Derek Fowlds) who is almost as naive as his boss, but more practically idealistic - and also a man with his foot in his mouth on a fairly regular basis. What is also great about these series, is that the characters evolve. The hapless "Hacker" learns how to play the game and soon - occasionally - starts to have his victories over "Sir Humphrey" and his system. This triumvirate deliver a fast-paced, considered evaluation of the intricacies of inadequacies of government that stands up almost 40 years later in an amusing and potent fashion. Progressed to "Yes, Prime Minister" which is superb too! Got to be seen by anyone remotely interested in political satire and/or great comedy.