@@volrath77 Probably. But I love how they gave her so much confidence and power in her male dominated circle. Encouraging women's advancement without misrepresenting the facts that government WAS mostly male at the time.
"Adopting a more flexible posture, keeping your ear to the ground covering your retreat and watching your rear." LMAO and given the way Sir Humphrey was able to outmaneuver Sir Frank during this episode that was very sound advice from Bernard.
That sounds very out of character for Bernard. Normally he'd be the one to point out that you can't watch your rear while you have your ear to the ground....
Although poor Paul Eddington was terminally ill with cancer which forced him to shoot most scenes in "Yes, Prime Minister" whilst sitting. Incredible performance by all cast.
Even while not having all the answers, Sir Humphery is still a much smarter antagonist than most modern antagonists, and actually has competent 'minions' to boot. God I miss TV like this.....
On a different genre and a different channel, I remember ITV having so many good programmes, World In Action, Whicker's World etc. Now it's just junk after junk after junk
@@loganvanderwier8866 while he has opposed Sir Humphrey on significant occasions, the overwhelming majority of the time, he aligns himself with the general civil service.
@@summushieremiasclarkson4700 I interpret that as him always working in his own interest, it's just that his interests often align with Humphrey most of the time as a nature of his job.
@@summushieremiasclarkson4700 Seeing as he is a civil servant himself I think it's to be expected that Bernard would generally speaking think and behave with overall civil service interests and policy. He does have a bit of an independent streak, especially when it comes to going against Humpy personally and he's quite clearly not as anti-politician as other civil servants are.
Absolutely brilliant comedy. This episode is the one after 'The Key', where Jim Hacker is playing around with the idea of replacing Sir Humphrey with Sir Frank as head of the home civil service. The dinner scene with Sir Humphrey and Sir Arnold later in this episode is a classic to watch, and hilariously funny. They don't write comedy like this anymore.
I once tried to pick "best episodes" as well - but that's not really helpful. For example, I wasn't too fond of "The Whisky Priest" as a whole but it had the absolute gem of the "Rhodesia solution" in it which is a brilliant explanation of intentionally confusing communications. So it's best just to enjoy all of them...
@@notroll1279 ''The Key'' episode is also dependent on our previous experiences of the characters of the show. That is a strong element. Someone watching that episode by itself won't be as appreciative of Humphey's comeuppance
@@00bikeboy I think The Key’ is my favourite, Jim’s comprehensively brings ol’ Humpy down a peg or two!! Having said that I think one episode which I think is called a Diplomatic Incident is right up there, the French want to present the Queen with a puppy which sends the whole of Whitehall into meltdown ‘cause of quarantine laws and the middle-eastern gent complains of the hymn choice at the funeral,On Jordan’s Bank The Baptist’s cry pointing out that the Jordanian Bank has just gone bust!! Brilliant!
Yes minister videos have the best comment sections. Most people end up either quoting their favourite lines from the episode or discussing the characters and their various relationships. Marvellous 🤩
"They are good questions....They are very good questions" - so much to infer in that emphasis appearing not to offend while being irritated at the source of these questions and subtly implying they are too good to come from Mr Hacker himself. Great sitcom and fabulous set of actors.
What a pity modern comedy programmes are not as intelligently written as these classics. Or as funny. Or even funny. The BBC should air this again, even after so many years it still feels relevant
They made the great decision not to show which party Hacker stood for at the very beginning, thus preventing the show from isolating viewers who might be supporters of one side or the other, and also stopping it from dating the show prematurely. It is only the technology that really dates the show now, well that and the fact that they were mostly and openly pro-Arab and anti-Israel.
@@BumMcFluff Where did you did that Arab/Israel nonsense up from? One might say that it is too bad that they were not pro-Arab, but that taking of sides would have hurt the program. Their implicitly taking the Israeli side was not as much of a risk but should have been avoided.
This is the supreme moment when finally Bernard has become the master and Humpy the pupil… and our secret hero unnoticeably does so in precisely the sectional interests which the series has made us despise: _that of officials over elected representatives._ It is at Woolley’s instant of career triumph, with his Civil Service mentor, that it becomes patent he has feet of clay just like the rest, and we’re all chuckling far too much at the show’s astonishing wit to realise it, until after the fact. Throughout the series he’s always meekly stood up against his boss by gently battling Jim’s cause, with Hacker almost a placeman, namely, that of democracy against permanent bureaucracy; doing so has ensured his advancement as the Minster’s/PM’s confidante. But in the final analysis Bernard is a cynical Service man, even with his little-noticed pinky ring indicating he’s someone of inherited wealth, “much more important” than even the nuclear defence of the realm: is his monthly paycheque and that of his contemporaries in Sir Frank’s cash grab.
Best form is never having to lie in responding to questions because the questions were never raised. Misdirection far superior. If its never asked. It need not be answered. It need never be written into and then out of the minutes. Old rule, never in writing always in cash.
Thank Goodness for all the kind people who have gone out of their way to quote pieces of dialogue. Without them, I may have had to have gone to the trouble of trying to lip-read what was being said.
Yes,Prime Minster never gets old there’s always funny moments in good BBC Comedies like this classic all BBC Comedies are good but I don’t like every BBC Comdey that the BBC made that’s fine because everybody has an opinon.
Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister remind us why you need skilled actors to deliver great comedy. Not comedians who have appeared on a couple of panel shows.
Good writers, good actors, and a production staff who will back them up. No one with an agenda or trying to cater to the overly tender sensibilities of today's woke audience.
@@BumMcFluff what is this woke audience and woke thing? That literally makes no sense. In recent times we’ve had The Thick of It which spared nothing. The idea of, ‘woke culture’, is just made up. Don’t be fooled by those who don’t have your best interests at heart
People say modern comedy is too PC which makes it not funny but this show is excellent and is very PC. The only reason we don't have shows like this any more is because the likes of the BBC refuse to make shows like this any more
I think "Ambassadors" was trying to do do something similar but with international politics. (a show that sheds light on very serious and real high-profile issues in the world in the format of a light comedy). I think they didn't quite succeed in the comedy/cynicism ratio (at least compared to 'Yes Minister') but if you liked this then you might like Ambassadors.
@@gareth2736 No, I don't believe I will. There are far too many overly sensitive types (whether real or feigned) who seem to have no regard for story or content provided that no one is offended. The world is becoming so very bland now.
@@BumMcFluff what specifically in yes minister/prime minister would be considered too offensive today? That would make for a more interesting comment that just repeating a catchphrase (which I am guessing you or someone like you writes on every single comedy video from more than 10 years ago).
TBH I think Bernard always found himself caught between two stools. On the one hand, he wanted to help the Minister/PM as much as he was able to (which is probably why Jim took him with him when he moved to No 10), but he was still a civil servant, and Sir Humphrey was his boss.
