The
lowdown: 'Yes, Prime Minister'
continued the saga of the Honourable Jim Hacker, MP, the former Minister
for
Administrative Affairs,
who was elevated to Prime Minister in the final episode of 'Yes Minister.'
The original show ran
for three seasons on BBC2
between 25 February 1980 and 17 December 1984. The final episode was a
one-hour
special, which was broadcast
almost two years after the previous episode of season three, and served
to set the scene
for 'Yes, Prime Minister'.
Two seasons of this show were broadcast on BB2 between 9 January 1986 and
28 January
1988. The series starred
Paul Eddington as the often clueless Jim Hacker, Nigel Hawthorne in his
celebrated role as
the top civil servant, Sir
Humphrey Appleby, and Derek Fowlds as Hacker's principal private secretary,
Bernard Woolley.
The
episode: 'A Diplomatic Incident' was the third episode of the
second season and was broadcast on 17 December
1987. The plot concerns
negotiations between Britain and France over the Channel Tunnel, and issues
such as where
border controls should be
located and whether signs should be in English first and French second,
and vice versa.
Meanwhile, Hacker's predecessor
at Number 10 has died suddenly, leaving his memoirs unfinished and unpublished,
which is good for Hacker
as they are said to contain some embarassing information about the new
PM. The French
president is coming to Britain
for the funeral, and wants to bring a puppy to give to the Queen (in return
for a similar
gesture by the Queen on
her last visit to France). The only problem is British quarantine laws,
which cannot be waived
even for a presidential
puppy. Hacker and Sir Humphrey must come up with a solution that will not
offend the French,
while ensuring that they
do not concede too many concessions over the Tunnel. Nicholas Courtney
has a brief but
entertaining appearance
as a police commissioner, who inform Hacker about a bomb in the French
embassy, which
turns out to have been brought
to Britain by the French themselves. Could this provide a solution to Hacker's
diplomatic
dilemma?
The
verdict: Though somewhat dated now, the 'Yes Minister' series
has lost none of its biting wit and ascerbic humour,
and remains a marvellous
satire on British politics. Did I say satire? It is more like a reality
program, methinks. It is still
a joy to watch the wonderful
performances of Eddington, Hawthorne and Fowlds, and for lovers of British
sitcoms, it is and
always will be essential
viewing. And one cannot help thinking that politics really is just like
this.
Quote:
Bernard:
Oh, Commissioner, may I introduce Mr. Berenger from UNESCO?
Police
Commissioner: UNESCO? Ah yes, gallant little country.
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