Yes, Minister

Yes, Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister are British sitcoms that were transmitted by the BBC between 1980 and 1988. The setting was, at first, the private office of a government minister and, in the sequel, 10 Downing Street. All 38 episodes were written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn and all but one are 30 minutes in length.

Plot

The running theme of most episodes of the programmes is the struggle between (Dr) James "Jim" Hacker (played by Paul Eddington), the newly-appointed Minister in the (fictional) Department of Administrative Affairs, and his civil servants and ministerial colleagues. Nigel Hawthorne plays Sir Humphrey Appleby, KCB, MVO, MA (Oxon), a senior civil servant, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Administrative Affairs, with Derek Fowlds in a crucial supporting role as Hacker's Principal Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley. Woolley typically finds himself as the 'man in the middle', torn by his personal loyalty to Hacker and his institutional alliance with Sir Humphrey, his boss.

Related Topics:
James "Jim" Hacker - Paul Eddington - Nigel Hawthorne - Sir Humphrey Appleby - KCB - MVO - MA - (Oxon) - Derek Fowlds - Principal Private Secretary - Bernard Woolley

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The main idea behind the conflict is that politicians, such as Hacker, are elected. Their goal in their professional life is therefore to be re-elected. In order to achieve that, they need to do things, to show some action and, in general, to stand out in the mind of the voters as effective people of action. Civil servants, like Sir Humphrey, retire at a fixed age, at which point they will have a large indexed pension. In the meantime, they enjoy a very big income, and great power. (It is mentioned in Yes, Prime Minister that Sir Humphrey earns more money than Hacker; the Cabinet Secretary's other sources of income are explained in a scene of Party Games.) Any change in any of the institutions would threaten the civil servants' easy life. Politicians and civil servants are therefore in a constant situation of conflict. For example, Humphrey often mentions that a civil servant's power is measured by the number of people who work for him. He will therefore try to block any change that will reduce the size of a government administration or the complexity of its bureaucracy. Hacker, who knows that it would be a vote-winner, is desperate to do just that — or to at least look like he has done it.

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The first series featured a character called Frank Weisel, played by Neil Fitzwilliam (Sir Humphrey persistently called him "Mr. Weasel"), who was Hacker's political adviser. After his appointment to a commision of enquiry into Quangos (Quasi-Automomous Non-Governmental Organisations), Weisel leaves the series. When, after 1984, Hacker becomes Prime Minister, Sir Humphrey has also just been promoted to Cabinet Secretary and Hacker appoints Bernard Woolley as his Principal Private Secretary in his new post. The two series of Yes, Prime Minister introduced Dorothy Wainwright (played by Deborah Norton) as the Special Adviser to the Prime Minister; she was portrayed as being highly able and knowing all of Sir Humphrey's tricks, which ensured a lasting distrust between them. Hacker's home life is shown occasionally; his wife, Annie (Diana Hoddinott) is clearly not happy with the disruptions caused by political life and somewhat cynical about her husband's politics, and his sociology student daughter Lucy (Gerry Cowper) becomes an environmental activist campaigning against her father's policies (she appears on screen in only one episode, though is referred to in others).

Related Topics:
Neil Fitzwilliam - Weasel - Quangos - 1984 - Prime Minister - Cabinet Secretary - Deborah Norton - Diana Hoddinott - Gerry Cowper

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Much of the humour of the show derives from the conflict between Cabinet ministers (who believe they are in charge) and the members of the British Civil Service who are really running the country. A typical episode will deal with Jim Hacker wanting to move on a pressing political issue only to find Sir Humphrey blocking and stalling his efforts in order to maintain the status quo. Most episodes end with Sir Humphrey having prevented Hacker from doing anything, but letting him think that he has scored a political victory. In occasional episodes, however, Hacker gains the upper hand. (Sometimes, as in the episode The Greasy Pole, this occurs on one of the few occasions when, of the two of them, Sir Humphrey is the one with the better intentions.) Other characteristics include Sir Humphrey's complicated sentences, his cynical views on government and his general toffiness, Hacker's bumbling and tendency to go into ludicrous Churchillian speeches when politically inspired, and Bernard's linguistic pedantry. Sir Humphrey often discusses matters with other Permanent Secretaries, who appear at least equally cynical and jaded, and the Cabinet Secretary (whom he will eventually succeed in Yes, Prime Minister) Sir Arnold Robinson — played by John Nettleton — who is the archetype of cynicism, haughtiness and conspiratorial expertise.

Related Topics:
Cabinet - British Civil Service - Country - Complicated sentences - Churchillian - John Nettleton

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The episode The Bishop's Gambit cleverly parodied liberal theology and politics in the Anglican church. Hacker naturally thought that the church was a Christian institution, but Sir Humphrey gleefully informed him that most of the bishops don't believe in God, and this is why they have theologians, to explain why an atheist can be a church leader.

Related Topics:
Liberal theology - Anglican - Bishop - God - Theologian - Atheist

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Except for the third, fourth and sixth episodes, every episode ends with one of the characters (usually Humphrey) saying, either "Yes, Minister" or "Yes, Prime Minister", depending on the series.

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