The Compassionate Society

Name: The Compassionate Society
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1981-02-23
Duration: 30 min
Rating: 8.5
Cast: Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds

Episode aired Feb 23, 1981
TV-PGTV-PG
30min

S2.E1

When the opposition challenges the Minister's claims in the House that administrative personnel in the health sector have been reduced by 11%, he too quickly agrees to an independent inquiry... Read allWhen the opposition challenges the Minister's claims in the House that administrative personnel in the health sector have been reduced by 11%, he too quickly agrees to an independent inquiry. Sir Humphrey's solution is to offer the chairmanship of the inquiry to someone hoping to... Read allWhen the opposition challenges the Minister's claims in the House that administrative personnel in the health sector have been reduced by 11%, he too quickly agrees to an independent inquiry. Sir Humphrey's solution is to offer the chairmanship of the inquiry to someone hoping to score brownie points with the government. The Minister is concerned when he learns that a... Read all

8.5/10

268

Director
- Peter Whitmore(uncredited)
Writers
- Antony Jay(by)
- Jonathan Lynn(by)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

1User review

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Arthur Cox and Paul Eddington in Yes Minister (1980)

Nigel Hawthorne and Paul Eddington in Yes Minister (1980)

When the opposition challenges the Minister's claims in the House that administrative personnel in the health sector have been reduced by 11%, he too quickly agrees to an independent inquiry. Sir Humphrey's solution is to offer the chairmanship of the inquiry to someone hoping to score brownie points with the government. The Minister is concerned when he learns that a brand new hospital has been open for 15 months and has yet to admit a patient despite having over 500 administrative personnel on staff. His attempts to either open the hospital to the public or cut the administrative staff, are blocked at every turn until he comes up with a unique solution —garykmcd

hospital reference to florence nightingale strike

Genre
- Comedy
Certificate
- TV-PG
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
Although the story-line seems fairly implausible, the writers had researched the idea and found there were at least six NHS hospitals or major wings of hospitals which, like the fictional St. Andrews Hospital, had no patients. One in Cambridgeshire had only one patient: the Matron (head of nursing staff) who had fallen over some scaffolding and broken her leg.

Goofs
Jim Hacker's desk in his office has drawers both on the side on which he sits and the other side also. It is clearly a partner's desk, designed to be used by two people facing each other. However, as the government minister, there is no reason why Jim would have such a desk. Neither Sir Humphrey nor Bernard work at the same desk or even in the same office as Jim Hacker.

Quotes
James Hacker: Fortunately, Bernard, most of our journalists are so incompetent they'd have the gravest difficulty in finding out that today is Wednesday.
Bernard Woolley: It's actually Thursday.

Top review

9/10

Great start to the second series

Hacker delves into the administrative dealings of the health service.

This is a humorous episode with Hacker crusading once more against the inefficiency of the government services to its citizens and opening a fairly volatile can of worms. The eventual resolution is very clever.

The themes in this one are as relevant today as when it was when written with the NHS being in such a precarious position. This makes the banter between characters feel very relevant.

As ever the dialogue is fantastically written with the main actors on great form delivering it as usual. I love it when Paul Eddington goes into his Churchill style delivery.

8.5/10 for me.

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