3 Times Sir Humphrey Slipped Up | Yes, Prime Minister | BBC Comedy Greats
Sir Humphrey Appleby rarely makes a mistake, but when he does it's very fun to watch...
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#Comedy #YesPrimeMinister
"You mean you've lost your key?" 🔑
Spolier
@@highpath4776 Spolier than thou!
@@andrewmunro8830 Spoil be not spoiled.
Where's the one where Humphrey cocked up a contract as a junior civil servant, and He had to admit it to Hacker? I was waiting for that one 🙂
@@justjones5430 "The Skeleton In The Cupboard" - that's Yes Minister - these was from the sequel series.
"You lulled him into a true sense of security" is a fantastic line.
I loved the entire scene, with Hacker being in control of Sir Humphrey for once... briefly...
Possibly the finest scripts ever written for television
Totally agree. So so clever.
Only thing I'd change in that statement is to take possibly out
Far too relevant
I once found myself sleeping on the floor of a benighted hospital in India looking after a friend. The local bookstall, for some obscure reason, had the complete scripts of YM and YPM and they made the whole ordeal bearable. They hold up almost as well off the paper as they do on film. This must be unique in the history of sitcoms - scripts so good that they read like fine literature...
By far one of the most well written and acted shows of all time.
“Would you excuse us, dear lady?” “Yes… carry on”
Perfect scripts, perfect characters, perfect cast and chemistry.
Absolutely.
Agreed! : )
Hear hear!
Dear Mr. K. Dilkington, You're one of our most valuable customers...
Muy cierto!
The best sitcom the BBC ever produced. Intelligently written and brilliantly acted. The best of British.
One of the truly timeless comedies. Seriously... This is like an ancient Greek comedy that, 2000 years from now, will still (with the aid of some footnotes) be entertaining people and providing an insightful look at the society of the current era.
it's very doubtful our species will manage to hang on that long. climate change may shorten our stay on this planet for quite a bit
It remains timeless because little has changed
This will always stay current no matter the time, this was true since the first bureaucrat met the power holder of politics. As they say more things change the more they stay the same, the people in the future recognizes that their politicians and bureaucrats have just different names.
I actually mentioned Yes Minister (with quotes) in an essay on the timelessness of comedy compareing one of their jokes with a joke in The Frogs
I strongly believe that even Shakespeare would nod in respect
The mastery of micro-expressions by all the actors is amazing. Surely "Yes.." must be included in any list of worlds best television.
Creo que todos son grandes actores, pero Nigel Hawthorne se destaca. Quizá sea lo mejor que ha hecho en toda su carrera.
The policeman guarding no. 10 has a minor role but is outstanding, with the blending of politeness and total steeliness/immoveability.
Yes, I appreciated his work too.
Very well stated I love this quirky and witty expressions- this is satire and art at the same time 🥳
Between "Yes (Prime)Minister) and "The Thick of it" there is some truly superb british political comedy out there.
Forty years ago, Yes (Prime) Minister was required viewing in our household. Today, I have made a mess of myself laughing at this whilst drinking a coffee; truly brilliant comedy to have spanned so many years!
And across hemispheres too.
I am sorry for your mess. I hope your trousers remain wearable. Or skirt. I don't judge.
@@ThomasCorfield They did.... T-shirt required immediate washing, though!
I suspect that it would have been a laugh riot to see you spill your coffee while watching these clips Mike? Sadly we will have to rely upon our imaginations to be able to visualise the mess you got yourself into! And 40 years ago Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister were required viewing in our house. Mark from Melbourne Australia
"Well perhaps you should put out a press statement, expressing sympathy for the unemployed.....You may be joining them any moment" 🤣🤣😂😂
Brilliant writing! "Appleby: Doesn't he know that I am a poor man? Bernard" Perhaps he hasn't heard that you live in abject poverty on 81,000 pounds per year."
@@kymnprayer 40yrs later £81k per annum is still a figure most of us can only dream of. what's the current cabinet secretary bringing home?
@@embreis2257 in 2019 I believe the pay was around £200,000 so still living in abject poverty compared to the rest of us!!!! 🙄
Imagine yourself with all that money... you could end up!..."seeking an injunction! to prevent your child's! existence! being reported!"😹🤣...BJ! But! BJ!...sends his children to attend, only! a £27,174! a year! school, a £18,000! per year! Private! school...& even to Cambridge! University!😹... How does it go?.. money, money, money Must! be FUNNY!... Money??!!, turn you into a Fool!🤔... (Then, yes! ABBA! that is correct!😹)
They just don’t write scripts like this any more. This is classic, brilliant, superbly observed and wonderful comedy.
They didn't write scripts like these back then name another show with a similar type script to yes minister.
They dare not show the deep State and Parliament, I am surprised it was even aired, nay, produced, I guess the comedy was a cloak for telling the truth, I agree it was impeccable in writing, timing and acting, all round, the only other example of this I can think of is only fools and horses,
Political correctness is killing comedy.
De acuerdo en todo con usted. Una serie insuperable.
@@amritpalsingh3293 Nice one mudblood.
The problem is, taken out of context, these clips make Sir Humphrey look like an incompetent fool, whereas, most of the time he was a conniving manipulator who nearly always got the better of Hacker. Knowing that, these examples of his rare blunders are all the funnier.
Sir Humphrey was a very smart man. And true, he got the better of Hacker many times. But as time went on, there were several instances where Hacker showed a keen awareness of Humphrey’s tricks and turned the tables on him. When he had a clear view, Hacker could be a very good shot.
This series is genius. All school students should be familiar with it.
who's that you're on about? Boris Johnson
That's why it is explained in the video description that Humpy rarely made mistakes.
Initially Sir Humphrey always got the better of Hacker due to the inexperience of the politician compared to a career public servant. But the funny part is how with increasing understanding of the public service Hacker recognised that his real enemy was not the opposition but the public service. It is this growth of his character that made the interest that never wanes.
"Lulled him into a true sense of security" one of my favourite lines.
I'm convinced that we just didn't see enough of Dorothy Wainwright in Yes Prime Minister... She was the perfect antagonist for Sir Humphrey.
She was brilliant...... the episode where she took on Humphrey and Sir Frank.......... the episode where she stuck it Sir Desmond Glazebrook...It was a damn shame the show never had a few more episodes each season to give her a larger role. I have the entire series on DVD........ still watching it over 40 years from when I first saw it on TV
"You mean you've lost your key?" inspired writing and execution.
Bernard (Derek Fowlds) was the perfect foyle for Appleby and Hacker to bounce off….always squirming in the middle of the two, yet deriving barely concealed satisfaction from his bosses cringe worthy discomfort. The whole series was utterly brilliant and compulsive viewing back in the day.
Sí. Es que Bernard es realmente un buen tipo, pero se debate constantemente entre la fidelidad (y el miedo) a su superior inmediato y, por otra parte, la voluntad de no traicionar y servir bien (a pesar de Sir Humphrey) al ministro.
Contessa Adella. Bernard was my favourite character. Eg "Minister, if you multiply divisions you get back to where you started from." Well, it was literal common sense wasn't it. The coup de grace was when Bernard found that in his early days Humphrey had lost £40 million of public money. It had the rascal (figuratively) on his knees.
"We have no. Bananas. To-day."
@@sinclairjg absolutely brilliant. 👍💯
What a great comment. 👍💯
The speeches given by Nigel Hawthorne, sir Humphrey were brilliant. Not to mention he memorised them before delivering them as opposed to reading them from cue cards. Such professionalism.
And one of the creators once said that he was embarrassed that he gave this distinguished actor such nonsense to learn and recite 😃
Nigel Hawthorn was a good friend of mine. Met him when I was 13 years old.. He was my neighbour. When I joined Equity he sponsored me. Such a lovely man
"Prime Minister, I must express in the strongest possible terms my profound opposition to the newly instituted practice which imposes severe and intolerable restrictions on the ingress and egress of senior members of the hierarchy and will, in all probability, should the current deplorable innovation be perpetuated, precipitate a progressive constriction of the channels of communication, culminating in a condition of organisational atrophy and administrative paralysis, which will render effectively impossible the coherent and co-ordinated discharge of the function of government within Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland!" "You mean you've lost your key?"
3 Times Sir Humphrey Slipped Up | Yes, Prime Minister | BBC Comedy Greats 1843PM 22.5.22 he means if he doesnt get his way then he will do all in his power to stifle those lines of communications which the civil service rely so much upon and mis read the various situations arising in local and national government to ill end - as he misdirects those most important of governmental missives and memos which may, if he is irked as much as he is here, bring down the present administration and institute a total break down in law and order.
7:13.
"I must protest.."
Yeah, even the microphones didn't cope with the laughter. The prelude from Hacker must be mentioned: "Mr Humprey, to what do we owe this pleasure?"
You can't check up on everything, you never know WHAT you might find!" My goodness, the writing on this show was above par.
EVERY aspect of this British comedy is spot on. Absolute comic perfection. Script. Acting. Timing... where does one stop? !!!
Cierto. Todo tiene la eficacia de un mecanismo de relojería.
A comedy classic, brilliant writing , great acting it doesn't get any better than that !
Merciless British humour at its finest. Timeless and unrivalled.
Humphrey being locked out was one of my favourite episodes! 😂
What Joy to have discovered these. One of my all time favourite programmes. Brilliant acting, superb scripts and funny to boot!
"Ahh! Goofy... uhh, Humphrey..." always has me curling up, gripping my aching stomach due to unstoppable laughter. 🤣
One of the greatest Sit Coms ever. Brilliant scrips and superb acting.
The greatest. Only _Fawlty_ comes close
Fools and horses, let us not forget,
*documentary 😉
I hope I haven’t missed someone else saying this, but there is the subtle joke in these clips that ‘Thank me no thankings’ is actually Shakespeare, not Hacker: Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 5.
Brilliant scripting, brilliant acting, brilliant timing. There will never be a show quite like this ever again.
40-odd years old and STILL absolutely spot on for today...
I loved it when Jim Hacker got the upper hand on Sir Humphrey. It didn't happen very often, but when it did, 🤣
For me the best part was always how much Hacker relished his rare victories over Humphrey.
Hacker has the perfect face, voice and timing 👌😂for the job
the line "goofy" was brilliant
I mean, where does one start? One of the finest TV scripts ever written - not one line wasted. Utter genius..... 😆👍❤
Cierto. Insuperable en su estilo!
That final line by Bernard - great writing and so well delivered!
I agree, perfect scripts, perfect characters, perfect cast, perfect production. These series will still be funny, relevant and perfect 100 years from now.
Absolutely brilliant. 👍💯
I think our descendants will still be laughing 500 years from now. These series are truly a gift to humanity.
This will probably still be relevant in those 500 years time. There'll be collision, collusion & confusion in the corridors of power then as now. (This assumes of course that mankind hasn't eliminated him/herself in the meantime).
Descendants? 500 years from now! 😂. Can you spell extinct?
@@stud6414 wow, always some negative thinker ("no, really I'm a realist") who want to soil true comedy instead of enjoy it. On the choice of a) having hope and trying to do better. compared to b) lie down and be certain of catastrophy "there is no use" I choose the first one, for sure.😁
Probably will they also say "wow, that's exactly like our political system work!" 😁
If we're even still around as a species, their IQ will be so low as to render the dialogue unintelligible to them; the humour will be entirely lost on them anyway. Ppl have gotten increasingly dumber -- thanks in no small part to our idiotic, brainwashing media. Yes Minister was probably the apex of prime time TV...
Nigel Hawthorne was just so good in this, he stole the show... All the characters were completely brilliant.
Three times Paul Eddington was shortlisted for a BAFTA for his role as (Prime) Minister, only to be edged out by his colleague Nigel Hawthorne...
Though they also thought Derek Fowlds should have been nominated as well, as quire often Bernard can get in that final quip to round it all off.
Nigel Hawthorne Also Voiced Professor Porter In Disney’s Tarzan (1999)
@@paulcaswell2813both PE and DF should have won the BAFTA at least once.
You've missed the best joke from the second segment. Hacker threatens to put Humphrey on gardening leave until they can investigate and find out if Humphrey is a spy. "What about my reputation?" He splutters in response. "I thought you staked that on Halstead being innocent."
My favourite episodes. Such skill and articulation make Yes, Prime Minister a true delight and pleasure.
Yes, brilliant actors playing brilliant characters, and sublimely written.
@@janeminwell4395 Cierto!
Where did the third clip come from ?
One of the finest examples of real quality television ever produced. Thanks for keeping it alive.
"Prime Ministers come and go" - 40+ years later - Truer words were never spoken
'Lulled him into a TRUE sense of security'.
Always love it when Sir Arnold shows up! He's the real governor
He aged like a fine wine. Not always seen but when seen, he is superb.
@@markvincentbonachita8950 A mandarin of the highest order.
Sir Arnold was the only person who could *truly* frighten Sir Humphrey. A smiling assassin.
And 93 now, outlived them all.
Claro. Porque Sir Arnold no es más que un Sir Humphrey superior en rango.
lulled him into a true sense of security 😂😂
I died
@@SmartStr33t I also died
Delivered too briskly to function as a crescendo, but perhaps the slyest line of the entire compilation.
The funniest part of this series was how this was true in concept in real life. It was admitted by a current Minister at the time as they colluded in the script writing. Satire and humour at its best.
we would consider ourselves lucky if the current PM were 1/10th as competent, honest and truthful as Hacker
Two high-ranking members of the Wilson/Callaghan cabinet secretly talked with Jay and Lynn to explain how government at that level worked, thus the authenticity of the series.
It was off the record....IT WAS ON THE TAPE😆
Love that little section at 0.37 where Bernard says Crikey he will go potty and it cuts to Hacker and he lets out that little evil laugh
Quality actors with immense talent playing comedy. I also love how the whole premise is the absurd being normal. It plays to that so well, absurdity is normal and no one sees that as being abnormal.
What this clip leaves out was that Sir Humphrey himself forced the policy that no one, "no matter how familiar", could enter Number 10 without a pass. Adding permission from Mr Bernard Wolley was icing on that cake! 😄 Seriously, people, if you ever get the opportunity, but Yes Prime Minister on physical media!
ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS EVER ON TELEVISION. BRILLIANT
Very clever writing, I remember hearing that M Thatcher said it was accurate too. I loved the development of the PM learning the ropes and turning the tables on his Admin. He used words to hide the truth, to bury the truth in confeluted sentences LOL. I miss those confoluted sentences from Sir Humphrey, linguistic juggling. Masterful.
Australian PM asked if they wath "Yes, MInister" - "Yes, but nobody's laughing"
I was born in 1987 I’m 34 & I was aware of this program & it’s sister show but it’s only recently I’ve watched these clips on yt & it kills me. This program isn’t retro it’s modern day
"The Key" is by far my favorite episode😂😂😂😂
The thing I love is that bit of on location filming. Number 10 would have to have given permission to film. Think about that, the standing government gives permission for a parody of the government to film on their doorstep. That just doesn’t happen.
It was Mrs Thatcher’s favourite program
@@PeacockRhino In her case, it was a perfect excuse for any government failures... just blame the civil service.
@@TommyWylie the civil service stil to this day are busy ruining everything.. as an ex civil servant i have experience :)
@@TommyWylie Sí, pero no sé si le hacía tanta gracia que implícitamente pudiesen compararla con Jim Hacker.
You have made a truly insightful comment. The government not only allows itself to be satirised and lampooned. They pay all the cost as well and allow it broadcast at best times.
When "Yes Prime Minister" aired originally, it was a comedy series. In the years since it has become much more. It is both documentary and commentary on the ways in which we were governed and led.
Boris' parties would have strained credibility..real life being stranger than fiction 🤔
Possibly, just possibly, these three actors were the last of the greats on Television. 40 years later on, no one has come close to them
Four - you have to count John Nettleton who died a few months ago who played Sir Arnold. So all four talents have left us.
I think ' Only Fools And Horses ' was up there as well . Definitely the three greatest sitcoms ever made. Yes Minister, Yes Prime Minister and Only Fools And Horses
The most intelligent comedy EVER written. As much as sir Humphrey is a rogue , you have to love his character . Genius. Miss this sort of inventive comedy
A significant amount of comedy does't stand the test of time. This is one of the notable exceptions. Brilliant.
"You can't check-up on everything, you never know what you might find". Priceless.
The BBC at its peak of comedy writing with the best actors
Nigel Hawthorn, what brilliant acting. Not to diminish that of Paul Eddington and Derek Fowlds - all gone now that great department in the sky. Brilliantly written and acted. The very best of the BBC.
..and not a swear word to be heard. True comedy gold!
Sir Humphrey - "Open this BLOODY door." No, I know exactly what you mean - I'm just being picky. Seriously, you are absolutely right and I agree 100% with you.
Bloody has never been a swear word, its barely even rude@teeteringonthebrink.305
Its a corruption of "By Our Lady" which was, in a pre-Reformation England, quite beyond the pale. @@Alucard-gt1zf
"My God." "No Bernard it's just your boss." Might just be the beat line in Yes Prime Minister
Hacker's smile at 0:38 😂
You mean you've lost your key? I cried laughing
The Russian spy clip is my favourite one, as you can see Sir Humphrey's increasing panic as the scale of the seriousness of his situation slowly becomes clear..
I think this was the episode where Hacker in passing asks Sir Humphrey How his garden was. Sir Humphrey starts t answer then with horror realises what Hacker meant.
Sir Humphrey tries to belittle Halstead opinion of him and then realises by doing so he is incriminating himself even more - brilliant acting from all concerned
And the phone hacking episode with Hunphreys "off the record" radio recording.
"John gave me his word..the word of a gentleman." Explains how the Cambridge 5 escaped scrutiny.
@@rkh7360 Not true this case was totally different. Sir John was an Oxford gentleman. As Sir Humphrey would tell you that makes all the difference. (takes tongue away from cheek)
An absolute classic. A triumphirate of superb actors. Fresh 40 years on. RIP all.
‘Lulled him into a true sense of security’ hahaha epic writing
My absolute favourite British comedy. When my eldest daughter was about 10 or 11 years old, she came into the living room one night and asked what was making me laugh. This show was on and she asked if she could join me watching it. I said yes, but I’m not sure you’ll think it as funny as I do. I was wrong! It’s over 30 years later and she still regards this as one her favourites too, but she really surprised me by her grasp of the subtlties and laughed in all the right places, with very few questions directed at me to explain things. Very intelligent girl! Her younger sister is even smarter! (which is a bit of a worry!)
Youre 30 something daughter being smart is worrying? :/
@@fd8934 he meant it in a carefree nature.
This is what I call classic comedy. Very funny, great actors and timeless. Best comedy has no swearing, can be watched with children or grandmothers.
You are right on all counts 👍Good family entertainment.
Yes because it is reliant upon astute observation and precise use of language (or even purposely imprecise as was so often the case of YM and YPM).
Absolutely brilliant, probably the best comedic representation of British politics ever, so relevant even today.
I am not young, but this was even before me .... masterpiece of British comedy, in fact more than a mere comedy..
Such brilliant writing Such brilliant acting Such brilliant... everything
truly, the greatest satire comedy of all time. always current.
[patronisingly] "Would you excuse us, dear lady?" i.e. "Please leave the room." [also, patronisingly, on another level] "Yes." ... "Carry on." i.e "I'm going to choose to take your question literally, and yes, you may continue." but also "I see your sexism, you self-important git." Loved it! And this reminds me why I loved this series. And I'm astonished that we've apparently still not resolved the battle of the genders after so many years. i.e. even in the early 80's the BBC of all organisations has a woman giving the metaphorical middle finger to her superior male figure. What's holding us back?
@17:55 the waves of non-verbal expression flying across Sir Humphrey's face as the shock and horror dawns on him. Perfect acting by Nigel Hawthorne.
""lulled him in to at true sense of security" LOL
"It was off the record!" "IT WAS ON THE TAPE!"
Delightful! To be enjoyed over and over again without fear of loss of originality or entertainment value.
Bernard remains the hidden gem of the series and politics forever
"Lulled him into a true sense of security" 🤣
“My God!” “No, it’s just your boss!!”
So rare was it when Humphrey slipped up that one would laugh remarkably hard; a testament to the writing and actors.
Sir Nigel Hawthorne was absolutely inimitable in the role of Sir Humphrey ! Current-day "sitcoms" are so crass in comparison !!
As a kid growing up, British slapstick comedies were the family staple. Mind Your Language, Carry On series, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines etc were repeat favorites. Now as an adult, Yes Minister / Prime Minister completes the circle as the finest mature comedy out there. Nothing tops this. Nothing.
I sometimes do not believe these series do exist 😂the level of art and craft is so high 🥳so bloody exquisite
This was I believe the greatest comedy show around. One is always guaranteed a good belly laugh!! It certainly opened my young eyes to the reality of who actually runs the country.
You know it's very difficult for me to pick my favourite British TV sitcom, there are so many to choose from but Yes Minister/Prime Minister are right up top with others like Faulty Towers, Kenny Everett, Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Goodies, Young Ones ect. Yes Minister/Prime Minister are in my top 10 and hand over heart if I see they are being aired I will make sure I watch them all again. Thanks for posting these hilarious scenes, Cheers from Australia
Looks like 6:0, UK v USA
Blackadder is right up there
Must be one of the best written comedies of all time!
Sir Arnold's pronunciation of the English language is the best ever!
Every word carefully considered and measured before being spoken. Concise and to the point. I suspect almost all our current politicians have watched this many times, yet they don’t seem to have learnt from Sir Arnold, but instead copy Sir Humphrey’s attempts at wordy obfuscation.
I am sure Queen Elizabeth II is now having a good laugh with these 3 great gentlemen in Heaven.
Priceless, absolutely excellent. Where has superb British comedy like this gone ?.
Brilliant British comedy at its best. I have never really been that much interested in politics but I loved this show. 🥰
When one pays attention to politics, you quickly realize how frighteningly accurate the show is.
There are very few TV programmes I would describe as "magnificent," but this is definitely one of them.
The epitome of British comedy and I wasn’t even alive when it aired. The only television series I’ll never tire of rewatching. Laugh out loud every single time.
Nigel Hawthorne played this role with 1000% commitment. Fantastic
Wayne Knight Played Tantor The Elephant In Disney's Tarzan
The tragedy is that these masterpieces still seem as fresh as a daisy - and ring true.
That’s not a tragedy! Politics will NEVER change.
I just recently stumbled upon this show and I have not laughed this hard in ages. Thank you BBC!
If only the BBC could make stuff this good nowadays. I loved the way the series evolved from Sir Humphrey running rings around the minister to the prime minister hilriously toying with Sir Humphrey.
Jim Hacker as the PM still ended up dancing to Humphrey's tune most of the time. These examples of his screw-ups are extremely rare. But it's worth noting that in the episode of the last clip, Humphrey actually went to Hacker for advice on how to prepare for the interview, one area where Hacker was an expert.
If only, this would not have been made in our day and age....
They did a remake. It was dire. Or to quote a YM episode, appalling.
Brilliantly cast... As a kid I didn't understand what was so funny, now I watch these time and time again... Brilliant
“Then I’ll come and see YOU!!” “I’m busy too…” “WHAT???!!!” 😂😂😂
"Sir Humprey, you may not come in, you do not have a permission."