Yes Minister (1980–1984)

James Hacker is the British Minister for Administrative Affairs. He tries to do something and cut government waste, but he is continually held back by the smart and wily Permanent Secretary... See full summary »

Stars:

Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds

6 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Paul Eddington	...	James Hacker (22 episodes, 1980-1984)
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Sir Humphrey Appleby (22 episodes, 1980-1984)
Derek Fowlds	...	Bernard Woolley (22 episodes, 1980-1984)
Diana Hoddinott	...	Annie Hacker (10 episodes, 1980-1984)

Storyline

James Hacker is the British Minister for Administrative Affairs. He tries to do something and cut government waste, but he is continually held back by the smart and wily Permanent Secretary of the Department, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Private secretary Bernard Woolley is caught in the middle, between his political master, and his civil service boss.

---

Plot Keywords:

career | strategy | trick | office | sitcom | 

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 February 1980 (UK)

Also Known As:

Javisst, herr minister

Filming Locations:

Westminster, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 30 min (21 episodes) 60 min (1 episode)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Only three episodes in the series - {The Economy Drive (#1.3)}; {Big Brother (#1.4)}; and {The Right to Know (#1.6)} - did not end with the phrase "Yes Minister."

---

Goofs

During the train sequence in "The Official Visit", a close-up shows that the warning notice on the wall is written in gibberish.

---

Quotes

Bernard Woolley: That's one of those irregular verbs, isn't it? I give confidential security briefings. You leak. He has been charged under section 2a of the Official Secrets Act.

---

Connections

Featured in 30 Greatest Political Comedies (2006)

User Reviews

The Ministerial Will and the Administrative Won't!

I first discovered "Yes Minister" by accident, while flipping channels. I came across A&E (this was the mid 80's) and there were several British comedies, much like my local PBS station. Two of these shows stood out; "Blackadder" and "Yes Minister"

"Yes Minister" is the supremely witty and genuinely funny portrayal of the battle of the Ministerial Will and the Administrative Won't. The characters were highly developed and hilariously funny. Paul Eddington was a master of timing (illustrated beautifully in a sketch on "A Bit of Fry and Laurie") and Nigel Hawthorne was an expert with verbal humor. Derek Fowlds was the junior civil servant, caught in the middle. As such, he often got some of the best lines, while showing his befuddlement. The writing was a triumph; extremely intelligent and delightfully witty.

The supporting characters were always well rounded and memorable. The situations rang true, because they were true. The creators have stated that they did their research by taking various important people to lunch. They were able to glean the most amazing stories from those lunches. For example, in the episode, "The Moral Dimension," the British set up a situation room at a reception in an Arab country. Since Islam forbids alcohol, they use the situation room to smuggle in alcohol. Throughout the night, the British receive messages from Mr. Haige, John Walker, and the Russian official Smirnoff. According to Jonathan Lynn, this actually occurred.

The series rings true for the US, as well. All you have to do is substitute a President, cabinet secretaries, and Congress; and then use the same situations. Bureaucracy is pretty much the same in any government.

Thankfully, the complete series is now available, in the US, on DVD. It should be required viewing for every civics and political science class.