I used to drive taxis while at university and often waited in line at the Victorian State Parliament for passengers. A regular fare was a high ranking public servant and I asked him once did he ever watch "Yes Minister" or "Yes Prime Minister" and he said "rarely". When I inquired why - he said his job was the equivalent to Sir Humphrey, and he "didn't like to see himself on television". I joked that it was just a satire. He laughed and said it was "uncomfortably close" to reality. If that's not an endorsement of the show - I don't know what is!
@humbleopinion14992 жыл бұрын
In a very similar vein, many well established music artists can't cope with Spinal Tap for the exact same reason - just too close to home.
@kwerk20112 жыл бұрын
I met a lady who had worked on Capitol Hill who said they were all very worried that The West Wing was so inaccurate but people believed it. I told her we had Yes Minister and it was totally accurate and we believed it.
@mrsc1202 жыл бұрын
hahhaah, you've been Humphrey'd by the real Humphrey, because he said RARELY, that means nothing lol He could've seen it 60 times and now days he occasionally watches it... Hence, he RARELY watches it xD
@frog3822 жыл бұрын
@@mrsc120 ok
@keithflowers5229 Жыл бұрын
Spovan
@aharoneisenberg8913 Жыл бұрын
"We were going to be repeating ourselves. If we didn't have anything more to say, I wanted to stop." Hollywood has absolutely no idea what language you're even speaking in...
@HC-cb4yp2 жыл бұрын
There might be some truth to the notion that plebeian internet textspeak has superseded English in Hollywood.
@SamvedIyer Жыл бұрын
RIP Nigel, Derek, and Paul. Your work on these two TV shows has made you immortal.
@garryb3742 жыл бұрын
True. They will live longer in the hearts of the UK and the Dominians than any politician ever will.
@trojanthedog Жыл бұрын
@@trojanthedog Absolutely. I’m from Oz. And it was far to close to our way doing things too for us to miss. And Laugh. Absolutely brilliant. Even the final episode (one of my favourites), was still damnably clever, the explanation of “the Lie”, is sheer perfection.
@mareky1234 Жыл бұрын
@@mareky1234 I'm a Queenslander my self.
@trojanthedog Жыл бұрын
Paul Eddington was a rare human being, unusual in his nobility, humility, sense of responsibility and compassion. I still recall an interview he gave near the end of his life: When asked how he would like to be remembered, he replied to the effect "I would like to have only done a little harm. It seems to me that most people do a great deal, but I hope I have only done a little."
@rknowling2 жыл бұрын
Paul was a wonderful actor. I saw that interview too and though very saddened that he would pass soon...I came away with the feeling he was also a truly good human.
@AngelWingzzz Жыл бұрын
Sir Derek thought the world of him, as a friend and as an actor. RIP you great, great guys.
@DeirdreMcNamara7 ай бұрын
I was not even born when the show started and only discovered it a few years ago. I believe it is one of the wittiest and funniest shows ever made on TV or on film. It is a masterpiece of comedy with absolutely the finest cast ever. All of them are comedy geniuses, writers and actors alike.
@claudine980522 жыл бұрын
I’m with you on that I also found it last year and loved it so Much so that I’m joining my countries government
@muhammadumar39382 жыл бұрын
I had the pleasure of meeting Jones one day when he was filming a sketch in wales. Got the same sense of his brilliance 😂😂😂😂
@malcolmwilkinson4449 Жыл бұрын
My all time favourite television programme. With undoubtedly the greatest writing and the richest use of language ever.
@Mark27472 Жыл бұрын
14:35 [People were] "so sick of the politicians. They were so sick of the hypocrisy and the lying and the evasion." Thank goodness we don't have that any more in 2022...
@exessex35222 жыл бұрын
40yrs old and still as relevant today. Genius
@juddphilby9015 Жыл бұрын
Everyone involved in this series is a superstar in my eyes and has more credibility than any British Politician then and since!
@neilpountney94142 жыл бұрын
My grandfather worked as civil servant from the early 50s to the late 80s and he always said that the show was worrying very accurate
@davidsummer86312 жыл бұрын
nothing has changed in the world of politics. The relevance is still there, even here in Sweden. I watched the series from the start in the early eighties and it still works beautifully. 👍
@perherbert2 жыл бұрын
You’re quite right Per, British politics cannot change as Britain really never changes.
@robinsanders55412 жыл бұрын
Oh that and the show was so brilliantly written it has become timeless.
@robinsanders55412 жыл бұрын
@@robinsanders5541 Britain never really changes? I'm *offended* Whatever else people used to be it was never that unless your surname was Whitehouse.
@Farweasel2 жыл бұрын
Ah, but you have Peter Mattei in Sweden. Makes up for a lot. Possibly the greatest opera singer of all time. (and I mourned Pavo for 7 years...!)
@DeirdreMcNamara7 ай бұрын
Even here in New Zealand our own mps still make references to this show when berating the opposition or policy.😆
@snapdragon93002 жыл бұрын
Absolutely, hands down the best and highest standard situation comedy the Brits have ever produced.
@ralphschroeder65032 жыл бұрын
MY favorite character was Sir Humphrey. I loved that series. I still watch old episodes here on KZhead.
@mrs.dawnbroylesiii49047 ай бұрын
I'm buying the complete box set now that I'm jaded enough, old enough to appreciate it.
@snapdragon93002 жыл бұрын
Poor Derek Fowlds. Consistently had some of the best lines best delivered in the show, but was always in the shade of Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne. Hammered home by the abrupt ending in the middle of his last comment in the doco.
@kwerk20112 жыл бұрын
Jk
@brianbuckley81112 жыл бұрын
Well except, for the people watching, his best lines were received and appreciated.
@richodude26792 жыл бұрын
Bernard is my favourite character in this. Such fantastic pedantry and a wonderfully perfect antidote to Hacker's buffonary and Humphrey's evilness. Derek comes across as such a decent guy as well. Didn't realise we lost him relatively recently (Jan 2020).
@hughanthony20012 жыл бұрын
@@hughanthony2001 Oh no! I knew Derek and he was just lovely. we lost touch because of very vicious stuff in the USA. He was so talented and such a kind man, and loved doing Yes Minister....and then being the "gruff" Sergeant in Heartbeat. I had a feeling he had passed to the greater stage, but was afraid to check. So lovable. I knew Sir Nigel, not as well, but he was also a sweet man. Nigel loved my dramas, said they were "beautifully written and should be done..." while he was in Shadowlands in NY. Derek's last words to me in NY were "...when are you coming home (to England) Deirdre..." brought tears to my eyes. Derek said that Paul Eddington was the best of the three...but they brought out the best in one another...and fair dues to the writers - wow!
@DeirdreMcNamara Жыл бұрын
@@DeirdreMcNamara If I could "love" your comment on here I would. What wonderful memories.
@hughanthony2001 Жыл бұрын
it's all still true in the year 2023 they all deserve and are worthy of a CBE
@macnewman2588 Жыл бұрын
Sir Humphrey was an encyclopedic guide to political double-dealing. Politicians ever since seem to have referred to the series as a kind of guide but they fail to realise that it was meant to be a guide about what NOT to do. Amazing comedy but in a way sad that it is so accurate.
@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen2 жыл бұрын
"I couldn't stop him." "Why not?" "He's bigger than me."
@j.b.92602 жыл бұрын
Might be the best written show ever
@brianmcdonald92982 жыл бұрын
one of the best comedy series ever made. Great characters, great actors and great writers. For a series to be successful, all these elements have to come together. In this series all of them meshed perfectly. The actors complemented each other to produce the best comedy. Being non British, it gives me a great but a funny window into the workings of the UK govt. I love watching the episodes. Funny thing is, after so many years, it is still relevant in today's context. I guess, somethings never change.
@ramaswamyadisesh6848 Жыл бұрын
This will always be my absolute favorite show EVER.
@a.z.s6679 Жыл бұрын
I read Philosophy and Politics at University (not Oxford or Cambridge, or even the LSE!) and I simply quoted parts of YM/YPM and walked out with an Upper Second. The whole series is a documentary, even today: trouble in Europe, cancelling Trident, budget cuts, defence cuts, trouble with Russia, trouble in the Middle East...
@NorrisHistoryCorner2 жыл бұрын
I remember giggling to Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister decades ago.
@ssesf7 ай бұрын
The cleverest, most insightful, superbly written satire ever
@therealmrfishpaste2 жыл бұрын
My SIL was an ambassador for 10 years and we gifted her the complete series to watch . She absolutely loved it. It is timeless and rings true for every western European country, I would say.
@martzenvandenbroek2 жыл бұрын
I met John Nettleton when he was performing in Sheffield a very nice man.
@philsooty612 жыл бұрын
During lockdown I watched every episode of each series pretty much back to back.. Not only has it not aged, but you forget just how bloody amazing the timing was on this program. The one liners by Bernard has me in stitches... but of every episode, every speech there is only one, mentioned here in this video that stands out for all time. Hacker: Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers. The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country. The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country. The Times is read by the people who actually do run the country. The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country. The Financial Times is read by people who own the country. The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country. And The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is. HUMPHREY: Prime Minister, what about people who read The Sun? BERNARD: Sun readers don't care who runs the country as long as she's got big tits.
@chrisharperbpool Жыл бұрын
And if you watch closely, both Hawthorne and Fowlds come close to breaking in the scene. In fact, Hawthorne does break after the last line, although off-camera-if you look at the reflection in the brass above the doorknob, he throws down the folder he was holding, and if I listen closely I _think_ I can hear him laugh
@almostfm Жыл бұрын
Bernard didn't say much, but by God, when he did he came out with some crackers!
@TerryTheNewsGirl11 ай бұрын
@@TerryTheNewsGirl I met him a couple of times in NY, and think he would call me "friend." The sweetest on the planet, devoted to his wife, kind, funny, charming...kept saying "when are you coming home, D....." knew I was desperately homesick, but well, I keep getting "bounced back..." Nigel also liked and encouraged my dramatic works, as did Joss Ackland... MEGA HUGS from across that cold sea... but I still can't watch the episodes yet...keep trying, but miss knowing those great men were "waiting" for me to "come home," and now are no longer there.
@DeirdreMcNamara7 ай бұрын
My favourite gag in the series.
@paulwilkins63627 ай бұрын
best documentary series ever!
@Scott21482 жыл бұрын
Still love this show.
@hakontvedt14052 жыл бұрын
This Is probably the best sitcoms ever made. Its relevant even today and will probably be for a long time.
@mitadrubanerjeechowdhury90922 жыл бұрын
My all time favourite TV sitcom. Pure genius, both in the script and the acting.
@mikejduk Жыл бұрын
it was a wonderful series, full of convoluted monologues, mainly by Sir Humphrey. the rapport between the 3 main actors was wonderful, with Bernard usually having the punchline. it must be very difficult for writers to maintain the quality of their scripts during a long-running series, but Lynn and Jay somehow managed it. every episode was a gem and millions tuned in every week to watch. Oh, that we had such quality now in these days of multi-channel mediocrity
@dingopisscreek2 жыл бұрын
"multi-channel mediocrity..." Wish I could claim those words - perfect!!!
@DeirdreMcNamara7 ай бұрын
Absolutely brilliant scripts, brilliantly acted.
@rodb94922 жыл бұрын
Hands down the best tv comedy ever
@childofthe50s532 жыл бұрын
Absolutely brilliant ........... I'd call it a tie with BlackAdder
@Farweasel2 жыл бұрын
@@Farweasel Blackadder drifted from comedy to panto and then got lost up its own self important bottom. YM & YPM stayed true to its brief and secondly in any case, the writing was far far superior
@richardbartlett6932 Жыл бұрын
@@richardbartlett6932 Then again, there's an argument to be made that Blackadder, whilst formulaic, was more adaptive than the excellent YM & YPM series. More importantly, unlike much of today's BBC output, *both* were genuinely amusing.
@Farweasel Жыл бұрын
Probably the best show on TV. The characters were marvelous, the writing was witty, and the tension between them all made for a great production. Bless them all.
@michaelbroska3144 Жыл бұрын
I love British comedy💕
@evamerritt93082 жыл бұрын
Wonderful, and still relevant... and still very funny!!!
@MartinBaldock2 жыл бұрын
In far away Australia it was very well-received. We have all the DVDs and a couple of my grandsons loved to watch them with me in their early teens. .
@davidmorrison27392 жыл бұрын
'All tiem comedy gold. YM/YPM are up there with the very best of sitcoms. They combine superb writing with perfect comedic acting.
@peterlombard22922 жыл бұрын
Pure genius and timeless.
@bigshort92962 жыл бұрын
The writing, wordplay and acting is phenomenal. It’s so witty and precisely delivered it surpasses time yet still holds a certain level of nostalgia which brings warmth to seemingly flat subject matter. Excellent tv.
@mathewpryor82 Жыл бұрын
‘Allo ‘Allo, Cheers, Dad’s army, Frasier, Yes minister - all brilliant comedy. But the last two are pure genius, and in the same way: they are intelligent. Binge watch them - the way the characters develop and their personas are woven into the scripts is comedy magic.
@Wol7472 жыл бұрын
Frasier is good Not at the top Try Barney Miller
@BillSmith-ed4jg2 жыл бұрын
While Two and a Half Men may not seem dignified, it’s very funny with Charlie Sheen in it, it’s the only American show I’d watch as much as Yes Minister & YPM.
@MurrayJoe2 жыл бұрын
Can't agree with allo allo, in no way does it deserve to be part of this list.
@kirstieoconnor1054 Жыл бұрын
@@kirstieoconnor1054 Sure, it's different - more like farce, but the way they organised the accents was very clever when you think of how English speakers listen to foreigners speaking amongst themselves. Each to his/her own, natch!
@Wol747 Жыл бұрын
@@BillSmith-ed4jg lol. Frasier is the top, actually. There's no series that has won that many awards during its run. But as you are comparing it to BM.. not surprising you aren't aware of that.
@Bejaardenbus Жыл бұрын
One of the top best shows.
@briancomley82102 жыл бұрын
It's a real shame it ended so abruptly without a proper finale. The whole last season was building up to an election. It should have at least finished with the election. That's my only complaint with an otherwise brilliant 5 seasons.
@fatheranthony4pope2 жыл бұрын
Everyone wanted to continue but sadly Paul was very ill. You'll notice in the last series he's sitting down a lot.
@NorrisHistoryCorner2 жыл бұрын
The only show that comes close to Yes Minister is the West Wing in my opinion and they did finish with an election
@daveleggdrivertraining2 жыл бұрын
Fair Point. But! At least Jim Hacker won at the very end. That last episode had to be one of the best, especially when he’s “told”, that he told a lie. My second favourite episode “The Key” actually had a small part shown here. Even in Oz, we loved it. It was similar enough to how things worked in Australia, that we actually “understood” the comedy gold that this truly is. And Bernard was comedy Gold. They all were, so it’s hard to pick a favourite as it simply wouldn’t have worked if any one of them wasn’t in it. As I can’t see it working with any other actors.
@mareky12342 жыл бұрын
Paul was ill...
@DeirdreMcNamara Жыл бұрын
Scarily close to the current situation in Australia with Scotty from Photo Ops in charge.
@paulcasey52042 жыл бұрын
and I still love to watch the episodes! And laugh a lot! So absolutely right and wonderful script! Best comedy show......EVER!
@anthealibby35712 жыл бұрын
Rip Mr Derek.
@iangascoigne82312 жыл бұрын
26:25 An amazing comedic skill that Paul had (particularly visually), and I’m so glad that that otherwise generally underrated quality of his was so aptly highlighted in this documentary!! Yes Nigel Hawthorne had immense skill and deservingly won various awards for portraying Sir Humphrey, but surely Paul also deserved some too for portraying Jim.
@robertdora7026 Жыл бұрын
Wouldn't have watched this in my 20's, but now in my 60's it's pure gold.
@fyabun2 жыл бұрын
The absolute best series ever... Ever... Ever.
@Sandedoremi2 жыл бұрын
In the late 70s, my father's cousin came to stay who was an MP here in New Zealand, We were all outside enjoying a summer evening and yes minister came on, we all went inside except Dads cousin, I went out and said are you coming in, he stated that it was far too close to the realities of government for him to find it amusing.
@perkinsg1000 Жыл бұрын
Great video...Sir Humphrey was divine. My favorite TV character ever.
@GM-fh5jp2 жыл бұрын
I worked for 7 years in the 90's in various capacities for a minister and vice prime minister (advisor,press and translator) and the show was spot on, depresssingly so. At first viewing, I was more quiet than laughing. To the annoyance of my wife, I Often hit the pause button explaining that these things DID and DO happen. Now 20 of 30 years later, I still watch the series. Timeless quality and eternally real. And extremely funny.
@stavrosk.2868 Жыл бұрын
Genius British satire
@stoyanfurdzhev2 жыл бұрын
Yes, Yes, Yes, Amazing, Creative , Funny, Thank you !!!!!!!!!!!
@rejyable2 жыл бұрын
I still see things every day that remind me of one episode or another! It's completely timeless with themes that recur again and again, and you realise that nothing changes in politics! The dialogue is also absolutely spot on every time, and delivered perfectly. I will never tire of watching it. :-)
@marquonuk6 ай бұрын
Wonderful episodes .. those were the days...memories of watching in hotel lounges when "on the road 40 years ago.
@tomgreene22822 жыл бұрын
So much Genius in this show, great acting and great writing, god bless them all for giving us this comedy classic
@Mike202165 ай бұрын
Excellent series- both of them. Favourite joke/theme: "We must do something. This is something, therefore we must do it'. As an ex public servant, manys the time this was true.
@Hr-sd5sd Жыл бұрын
Got the box set for Christmas and will watch it over and over again, love it
@GeoffMorrisdrive2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this. These characters have entered British folklore and legend; everyone will know what's meant as soon as their names are mentioned. There was an audiobook "How to beat Sir Humphrey" - narrated, naturally, by Derek Fowlds - on how to beat officialdom when it's being obstructive. it might still be around in book or audio format.
@franl1552 жыл бұрын
"who fixed it for Jim" oof now there's a reference that dates this episode.... Doubt the BBC would reference Saville anymore 😅
@LilyGrace952 жыл бұрын
Great comedy. Wonderful scripts and brilliant acting.
@BunyanaRed19582 жыл бұрын
Thank You for uploading this. A superb series, one of the crowning jewels in British Television.
@Ben_Kirkham Жыл бұрын
Genius, up there with the best.
@milesnixon955413 күн бұрын
Phenomenal show
@BillSmith-ed4jg2 жыл бұрын
The amazing thing about this series was that it was 'politically incorrect', thankfully. The comedy won over so well because of he characters, while the 'politics' were just a stage.
@29brendus2 жыл бұрын
I first watched the entire run about 15 years ago, and love catching an individual episode still. And there is still an air of truth to it…
@grainneocarroll6427 Жыл бұрын
An absolute masterpiece that's stood the test of time. I'm so glad the bbc filmed this interview to explain the journey of the cast before, during and after the show. It's interesting to see the process they went through to create this comical genius of a show
@TheLazyGamer428 ай бұрын
Just so clever and fabulous!
@EnglishLawyer2 жыл бұрын
Thank you just absolutely brilliant.
@barbarastewart8066 Жыл бұрын
Wonderful share, thank you
@ukphil67342 жыл бұрын
I loved it then and still love it today. Genius writing, impeccable comedy acting and exquisite directing never ever gets old. For me it could never be remade with other actors. How can you replace the perfection of Paul, Nigel and Derek who are the holy trinity of the series.
@johnmccann1960 Жыл бұрын
I love yes Minister I have these on DVDs
@jeremyhaines3847 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for uploading this 🙏
@djr33862 жыл бұрын
Spot on with readers of The Guardian as regards “Who reads the papers”.
@Seagull68192 жыл бұрын
Spot on for 'em all!!! And I'm a Sun reader! 😜🤣🤣🤣
@theoztreecrasher26472 жыл бұрын
Clever point. Antony Jay and John Cleese went into business together specialising in funny training films. 4:08 "All training films had been really boring, hitherto, because they show people how to do a job right. And Tony realised the way to make them entertaining was to show them how to do it wrong." 21:40 "Yes Minister is a series of training films for politicians. It's 'How Not to Run the Government'. If they would only view it in that light, we might generally all be better off."
@JoeBlac2 жыл бұрын
I really enjoyed watching this. Thank you Ben.
@Rasscasse2 жыл бұрын
Everyone was so good in this show, but Nigel Hawthorne was just breathtaking. He was enthralling in every scene he appeared in.
@cajintexas77517 ай бұрын
THE SMUGNESS on Nigel's face was so authentic its really really hard to understand why he struggled 30 yrs to get his big break. They could have taken him much earlier in other films and shows
@banksterkid59302 жыл бұрын
Sir Nigel was South African, so, not "one of us...?"
@DeirdreMcNamara Жыл бұрын
Love this show !
@tinkpotty Жыл бұрын
Quite simply a magnificent programme!
@tedandrews405 Жыл бұрын
can't beat the actual comedy now ongoing in the House of Commons
@duncankowable2 жыл бұрын
The current politicians are more of a tragedy than a comedy
@sampuatisamuel97852 жыл бұрын
@@sampuatisamuel9785 A Greek tragedy within British democracy !
@bobcosmic2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for posting.
@parnashish19102 жыл бұрын
I thought the two series poked fun at the Civil Service not the politicians . We never knew which Party was in power in Yes Prime Minister.
@mavisemberson8737 Жыл бұрын
A true work of genius. And proves the point, along with fawlty towers and the second series of black adder, that most works of genius are the products of more than the single life experince of just one mind. Which goes a long way in enforcing the idea that shakespeare was more than just one man
@rainblaze.2 жыл бұрын
Shakespeare often had collaborations and many plays of his are remakes of previous stories. He did not seem to be a man who is too proud or poccessive of his work.
@Account.for.Comment2 жыл бұрын
One of the best comedy’s I have ever seen
@Allblackdavid11 Жыл бұрын
Perhaps it is one of the best documentary series ever produced by the BBC.
@cgulljbravi8264 Жыл бұрын
"Yes Minister" "Yes Prime Minister" and "Only Fools and Horses" are the three greatest and funniest shows of all time.
@thesailjunkie7 ай бұрын
Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and Yes Minister are my "big three".
@j.b.9260Ай бұрын
Without doubt , one of the greatest shows ever to be written, superb in every aspect…👍. Closely followed by “ The New Statesman, starring Rick Mayall 😉
@ManxAndy Жыл бұрын
Paul Eddington was in some Benny Hill shows as well.
@tomhaskett51612 жыл бұрын
Brilliant show.
@sharon339 Жыл бұрын
I love Sir Humphrey's long winded monologues, and the Minister's efforts to follow them ! There's a classic one here , around 17.50.! 🇬🇧😊🇬🇧😊🇬🇧💕 😊💕🇬🇧💕😊🇬🇧
@rosemariemann1719 Жыл бұрын
I absolutely loved all 5 series of this show ... I still do. Brilliantly acted and awesome scripts. Bernard definitely deserved his K, too! 😊
@NickJay Жыл бұрын
Brilliant! ✨✨✨💥
@craigharrison4070 Жыл бұрын
One wonders if, word for word, these scripts have had more influence, given more pleasure and are more respected than any other texts in the English language. They're certainly in the cream of the crop through the ages and likely to ever remain so.
@NeilPatton1962 Жыл бұрын
It's hard to believe the British people could be disillusioned with politician's! In retrospect it wasn't nearly silly enough!
@1bert7192 жыл бұрын
This series enabled me to understand modern government.
@trojanthedog Жыл бұрын
(Heavy sigh!)...Yes, Prime Minister, Fawlty Towers, and Mister Bean. Far and away some of the best comedy the world has EVER known!
I used to drive taxis while at university and often waited in line at the Victorian State Parliament for passengers. A regular fare was a high ranking public servant and I asked him once did he ever watch "Yes Minister" or "Yes Prime Minister" and he said "rarely". When I inquired why - he said his job was the equivalent to Sir Humphrey, and he "didn't like to see himself on television". I joked that it was just a satire. He laughed and said it was "uncomfortably close" to reality. If that's not an endorsement of the show - I don't know what is!
In a very similar vein, many well established music artists can't cope with Spinal Tap for the exact same reason - just too close to home.
I met a lady who had worked on Capitol Hill who said they were all very worried that The West Wing was so inaccurate but people believed it. I told her we had Yes Minister and it was totally accurate and we believed it.
hahhaah, you've been Humphrey'd by the real Humphrey, because he said RARELY, that means nothing lol He could've seen it 60 times and now days he occasionally watches it... Hence, he RARELY watches it xD
@@mrsc120 ok
Spovan
"We were going to be repeating ourselves. If we didn't have anything more to say, I wanted to stop." Hollywood has absolutely no idea what language you're even speaking in...
There might be some truth to the notion that plebeian internet textspeak has superseded English in Hollywood.
RIP Nigel, Derek, and Paul. Your work on these two TV shows has made you immortal.
True. They will live longer in the hearts of the UK and the Dominians than any politician ever will.
@@trojanthedog Absolutely. I’m from Oz. And it was far to close to our way doing things too for us to miss. And Laugh. Absolutely brilliant. Even the final episode (one of my favourites), was still damnably clever, the explanation of “the Lie”, is sheer perfection.
@@mareky1234 I'm a Queenslander my self.
Paul Eddington was a rare human being, unusual in his nobility, humility, sense of responsibility and compassion. I still recall an interview he gave near the end of his life: When asked how he would like to be remembered, he replied to the effect "I would like to have only done a little harm. It seems to me that most people do a great deal, but I hope I have only done a little."
Paul was a wonderful actor. I saw that interview too and though very saddened that he would pass soon...I came away with the feeling he was also a truly good human.
Sir Derek thought the world of him, as a friend and as an actor. RIP you great, great guys.
I was not even born when the show started and only discovered it a few years ago. I believe it is one of the wittiest and funniest shows ever made on TV or on film. It is a masterpiece of comedy with absolutely the finest cast ever. All of them are comedy geniuses, writers and actors alike.
I’m with you on that I also found it last year and loved it so Much so that I’m joining my countries government
I had the pleasure of meeting Jones one day when he was filming a sketch in wales. Got the same sense of his brilliance 😂😂😂😂
My all time favourite television programme. With undoubtedly the greatest writing and the richest use of language ever.
14:35 [People were] "so sick of the politicians. They were so sick of the hypocrisy and the lying and the evasion." Thank goodness we don't have that any more in 2022...
40yrs old and still as relevant today. Genius
Everyone involved in this series is a superstar in my eyes and has more credibility than any British Politician then and since!
My grandfather worked as civil servant from the early 50s to the late 80s and he always said that the show was worrying very accurate
nothing has changed in the world of politics. The relevance is still there, even here in Sweden. I watched the series from the start in the early eighties and it still works beautifully. 👍
You’re quite right Per, British politics cannot change as Britain really never changes.
Oh that and the show was so brilliantly written it has become timeless.
@@robinsanders5541 Britain never really changes? I'm *offended* Whatever else people used to be it was never that unless your surname was Whitehouse.
Ah, but you have Peter Mattei in Sweden. Makes up for a lot. Possibly the greatest opera singer of all time. (and I mourned Pavo for 7 years...!)
Even here in New Zealand our own mps still make references to this show when berating the opposition or policy.😆
Absolutely, hands down the best and highest standard situation comedy the Brits have ever produced.
MY favorite character was Sir Humphrey. I loved that series. I still watch old episodes here on KZhead.
I'm buying the complete box set now that I'm jaded enough, old enough to appreciate it.
Poor Derek Fowlds. Consistently had some of the best lines best delivered in the show, but was always in the shade of Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne. Hammered home by the abrupt ending in the middle of his last comment in the doco.
Jk
Well except, for the people watching, his best lines were received and appreciated.
Bernard is my favourite character in this. Such fantastic pedantry and a wonderfully perfect antidote to Hacker's buffonary and Humphrey's evilness. Derek comes across as such a decent guy as well. Didn't realise we lost him relatively recently (Jan 2020).
@@hughanthony2001 Oh no! I knew Derek and he was just lovely. we lost touch because of very vicious stuff in the USA. He was so talented and such a kind man, and loved doing Yes Minister....and then being the "gruff" Sergeant in Heartbeat. I had a feeling he had passed to the greater stage, but was afraid to check. So lovable. I knew Sir Nigel, not as well, but he was also a sweet man. Nigel loved my dramas, said they were "beautifully written and should be done..." while he was in Shadowlands in NY. Derek's last words to me in NY were "...when are you coming home (to England) Deirdre..." brought tears to my eyes. Derek said that Paul Eddington was the best of the three...but they brought out the best in one another...and fair dues to the writers - wow!
@@DeirdreMcNamara If I could "love" your comment on here I would. What wonderful memories.
it's all still true in the year 2023 they all deserve and are worthy of a CBE
Sir Humphrey was an encyclopedic guide to political double-dealing. Politicians ever since seem to have referred to the series as a kind of guide but they fail to realise that it was meant to be a guide about what NOT to do. Amazing comedy but in a way sad that it is so accurate.
"I couldn't stop him." "Why not?" "He's bigger than me."
Might be the best written show ever
one of the best comedy series ever made. Great characters, great actors and great writers. For a series to be successful, all these elements have to come together. In this series all of them meshed perfectly. The actors complemented each other to produce the best comedy. Being non British, it gives me a great but a funny window into the workings of the UK govt. I love watching the episodes. Funny thing is, after so many years, it is still relevant in today's context. I guess, somethings never change.
This will always be my absolute favorite show EVER.
I read Philosophy and Politics at University (not Oxford or Cambridge, or even the LSE!) and I simply quoted parts of YM/YPM and walked out with an Upper Second. The whole series is a documentary, even today: trouble in Europe, cancelling Trident, budget cuts, defence cuts, trouble with Russia, trouble in the Middle East...
I remember giggling to Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister decades ago.
The cleverest, most insightful, superbly written satire ever
My SIL was an ambassador for 10 years and we gifted her the complete series to watch . She absolutely loved it. It is timeless and rings true for every western European country, I would say.
I met John Nettleton when he was performing in Sheffield a very nice man.
During lockdown I watched every episode of each series pretty much back to back.. Not only has it not aged, but you forget just how bloody amazing the timing was on this program. The one liners by Bernard has me in stitches... but of every episode, every speech there is only one, mentioned here in this video that stands out for all time. Hacker: Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers. The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country. The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country. The Times is read by the people who actually do run the country. The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country. The Financial Times is read by people who own the country. The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country. And The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is. HUMPHREY: Prime Minister, what about people who read The Sun? BERNARD: Sun readers don't care who runs the country as long as she's got big tits.
And if you watch closely, both Hawthorne and Fowlds come close to breaking in the scene. In fact, Hawthorne does break after the last line, although off-camera-if you look at the reflection in the brass above the doorknob, he throws down the folder he was holding, and if I listen closely I _think_ I can hear him laugh
Bernard didn't say much, but by God, when he did he came out with some crackers!
@@TerryTheNewsGirl I met him a couple of times in NY, and think he would call me "friend." The sweetest on the planet, devoted to his wife, kind, funny, charming...kept saying "when are you coming home, D....." knew I was desperately homesick, but well, I keep getting "bounced back..." Nigel also liked and encouraged my dramatic works, as did Joss Ackland... MEGA HUGS from across that cold sea... but I still can't watch the episodes yet...keep trying, but miss knowing those great men were "waiting" for me to "come home," and now are no longer there.
My favourite gag in the series.
best documentary series ever!
Still love this show.
This Is probably the best sitcoms ever made. Its relevant even today and will probably be for a long time.
My all time favourite TV sitcom. Pure genius, both in the script and the acting.
it was a wonderful series, full of convoluted monologues, mainly by Sir Humphrey. the rapport between the 3 main actors was wonderful, with Bernard usually having the punchline. it must be very difficult for writers to maintain the quality of their scripts during a long-running series, but Lynn and Jay somehow managed it. every episode was a gem and millions tuned in every week to watch. Oh, that we had such quality now in these days of multi-channel mediocrity
"multi-channel mediocrity..." Wish I could claim those words - perfect!!!
Absolutely brilliant scripts, brilliantly acted.
Hands down the best tv comedy ever
Absolutely brilliant ........... I'd call it a tie with BlackAdder
@@Farweasel Blackadder drifted from comedy to panto and then got lost up its own self important bottom. YM & YPM stayed true to its brief and secondly in any case, the writing was far far superior
@@richardbartlett6932 Then again, there's an argument to be made that Blackadder, whilst formulaic, was more adaptive than the excellent YM & YPM series. More importantly, unlike much of today's BBC output, *both* were genuinely amusing.
Probably the best show on TV. The characters were marvelous, the writing was witty, and the tension between them all made for a great production. Bless them all.
I love British comedy💕
Wonderful, and still relevant... and still very funny!!!
In far away Australia it was very well-received. We have all the DVDs and a couple of my grandsons loved to watch them with me in their early teens. .
'All tiem comedy gold. YM/YPM are up there with the very best of sitcoms. They combine superb writing with perfect comedic acting.
Pure genius and timeless.
The writing, wordplay and acting is phenomenal. It’s so witty and precisely delivered it surpasses time yet still holds a certain level of nostalgia which brings warmth to seemingly flat subject matter. Excellent tv.
‘Allo ‘Allo, Cheers, Dad’s army, Frasier, Yes minister - all brilliant comedy. But the last two are pure genius, and in the same way: they are intelligent. Binge watch them - the way the characters develop and their personas are woven into the scripts is comedy magic.
Frasier is good Not at the top Try Barney Miller
While Two and a Half Men may not seem dignified, it’s very funny with Charlie Sheen in it, it’s the only American show I’d watch as much as Yes Minister & YPM.
Can't agree with allo allo, in no way does it deserve to be part of this list.
@@kirstieoconnor1054 Sure, it's different - more like farce, but the way they organised the accents was very clever when you think of how English speakers listen to foreigners speaking amongst themselves. Each to his/her own, natch!
@@BillSmith-ed4jg lol. Frasier is the top, actually. There's no series that has won that many awards during its run. But as you are comparing it to BM.. not surprising you aren't aware of that.
One of the top best shows.
It's a real shame it ended so abruptly without a proper finale. The whole last season was building up to an election. It should have at least finished with the election. That's my only complaint with an otherwise brilliant 5 seasons.
Everyone wanted to continue but sadly Paul was very ill. You'll notice in the last series he's sitting down a lot.
The only show that comes close to Yes Minister is the West Wing in my opinion and they did finish with an election
Fair Point. But! At least Jim Hacker won at the very end. That last episode had to be one of the best, especially when he’s “told”, that he told a lie. My second favourite episode “The Key” actually had a small part shown here. Even in Oz, we loved it. It was similar enough to how things worked in Australia, that we actually “understood” the comedy gold that this truly is. And Bernard was comedy Gold. They all were, so it’s hard to pick a favourite as it simply wouldn’t have worked if any one of them wasn’t in it. As I can’t see it working with any other actors.
Paul was ill...
Scarily close to the current situation in Australia with Scotty from Photo Ops in charge.
and I still love to watch the episodes! And laugh a lot! So absolutely right and wonderful script! Best comedy show......EVER!
Rip Mr Derek.
26:25 An amazing comedic skill that Paul had (particularly visually), and I’m so glad that that otherwise generally underrated quality of his was so aptly highlighted in this documentary!! Yes Nigel Hawthorne had immense skill and deservingly won various awards for portraying Sir Humphrey, but surely Paul also deserved some too for portraying Jim.
Wouldn't have watched this in my 20's, but now in my 60's it's pure gold.
The absolute best series ever... Ever... Ever.
In the late 70s, my father's cousin came to stay who was an MP here in New Zealand, We were all outside enjoying a summer evening and yes minister came on, we all went inside except Dads cousin, I went out and said are you coming in, he stated that it was far too close to the realities of government for him to find it amusing.
Great video...Sir Humphrey was divine. My favorite TV character ever.
I worked for 7 years in the 90's in various capacities for a minister and vice prime minister (advisor,press and translator) and the show was spot on, depresssingly so. At first viewing, I was more quiet than laughing. To the annoyance of my wife, I Often hit the pause button explaining that these things DID and DO happen. Now 20 of 30 years later, I still watch the series. Timeless quality and eternally real. And extremely funny.
Genius British satire
Yes, Yes, Yes, Amazing, Creative , Funny, Thank you !!!!!!!!!!!
I still see things every day that remind me of one episode or another! It's completely timeless with themes that recur again and again, and you realise that nothing changes in politics! The dialogue is also absolutely spot on every time, and delivered perfectly. I will never tire of watching it. :-)
Wonderful episodes .. those were the days...memories of watching in hotel lounges when "on the road 40 years ago.
So much Genius in this show, great acting and great writing, god bless them all for giving us this comedy classic
Excellent series- both of them. Favourite joke/theme: "We must do something. This is something, therefore we must do it'. As an ex public servant, manys the time this was true.
Got the box set for Christmas and will watch it over and over again, love it
Thank you for this. These characters have entered British folklore and legend; everyone will know what's meant as soon as their names are mentioned. There was an audiobook "How to beat Sir Humphrey" - narrated, naturally, by Derek Fowlds - on how to beat officialdom when it's being obstructive. it might still be around in book or audio format.
"who fixed it for Jim" oof now there's a reference that dates this episode.... Doubt the BBC would reference Saville anymore 😅
Great comedy. Wonderful scripts and brilliant acting.
Thank You for uploading this. A superb series, one of the crowning jewels in British Television.
Genius, up there with the best.
Phenomenal show
The amazing thing about this series was that it was 'politically incorrect', thankfully. The comedy won over so well because of he characters, while the 'politics' were just a stage.
I first watched the entire run about 15 years ago, and love catching an individual episode still. And there is still an air of truth to it…
An absolute masterpiece that's stood the test of time. I'm so glad the bbc filmed this interview to explain the journey of the cast before, during and after the show. It's interesting to see the process they went through to create this comical genius of a show
Just so clever and fabulous!
Thank you just absolutely brilliant.
Wonderful share, thank you
I loved it then and still love it today. Genius writing, impeccable comedy acting and exquisite directing never ever gets old. For me it could never be remade with other actors. How can you replace the perfection of Paul, Nigel and Derek who are the holy trinity of the series.
I love yes Minister I have these on DVDs
Thanks for uploading this 🙏
Spot on with readers of The Guardian as regards “Who reads the papers”.
Spot on for 'em all!!! And I'm a Sun reader! 😜🤣🤣🤣
Clever point. Antony Jay and John Cleese went into business together specialising in funny training films. 4:08 "All training films had been really boring, hitherto, because they show people how to do a job right. And Tony realised the way to make them entertaining was to show them how to do it wrong." 21:40 "Yes Minister is a series of training films for politicians. It's 'How Not to Run the Government'. If they would only view it in that light, we might generally all be better off."
I really enjoyed watching this. Thank you Ben.
Everyone was so good in this show, but Nigel Hawthorne was just breathtaking. He was enthralling in every scene he appeared in.
THE SMUGNESS on Nigel's face was so authentic its really really hard to understand why he struggled 30 yrs to get his big break. They could have taken him much earlier in other films and shows
Sir Nigel was South African, so, not "one of us...?"
Love this show !
Quite simply a magnificent programme!
can't beat the actual comedy now ongoing in the House of Commons
The current politicians are more of a tragedy than a comedy
@@sampuatisamuel9785 A Greek tragedy within British democracy !
Thanks for posting.
I thought the two series poked fun at the Civil Service not the politicians . We never knew which Party was in power in Yes Prime Minister.
A true work of genius. And proves the point, along with fawlty towers and the second series of black adder, that most works of genius are the products of more than the single life experince of just one mind. Which goes a long way in enforcing the idea that shakespeare was more than just one man
Shakespeare often had collaborations and many plays of his are remakes of previous stories. He did not seem to be a man who is too proud or poccessive of his work.
One of the best comedy’s I have ever seen
Perhaps it is one of the best documentary series ever produced by the BBC.
"Yes Minister" "Yes Prime Minister" and "Only Fools and Horses" are the three greatest and funniest shows of all time.
Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and Yes Minister are my "big three".
Without doubt , one of the greatest shows ever to be written, superb in every aspect…👍. Closely followed by “ The New Statesman, starring Rick Mayall 😉
Paul Eddington was in some Benny Hill shows as well.
Brilliant show.
I love Sir Humphrey's long winded monologues, and the Minister's efforts to follow them ! There's a classic one here , around 17.50.! 🇬🇧😊🇬🇧😊🇬🇧💕 😊💕🇬🇧💕😊🇬🇧
I absolutely loved all 5 series of this show ... I still do. Brilliantly acted and awesome scripts. Bernard definitely deserved his K, too! 😊
Brilliant! ✨✨✨💥
One wonders if, word for word, these scripts have had more influence, given more pleasure and are more respected than any other texts in the English language. They're certainly in the cream of the crop through the ages and likely to ever remain so.
It's hard to believe the British people could be disillusioned with politician's! In retrospect it wasn't nearly silly enough!
This series enabled me to understand modern government.
(Heavy sigh!)...Yes, Prime Minister, Fawlty Towers, and Mister Bean. Far and away some of the best comedy the world has EVER known!
loved it and still do.