Jim Hacker's Guide to Foreign Affairs | Yes, Minister & Yes, Prime Minister | BBC Comedy Greats

[@TheGrenadier97]

"It's just an awful lot of good will" always gets me, HAHAHA

[@johnkochen7264]

Indeed. Me too.

[@greebj]

'A routine surprise visit'

[@russelleverson9915]

If I recall the episode correctly, Sir Humphrey was furious about the battalion being sent to St George Island because it foiled one of his schemes - And there was some discussion later when Humphrey was present. Something about reinforcements, and Humphrey said "reinforcements?, Prime Minister". Jim replied innocently: "Yes Humphrey. Reinforcements of goodwill". That's the line that always gets me 😂😂😂.

[@laf4891]

My favourite one ❤😂😂😂

[@sintho357]

I quote that part so often :D I love his Noooo at the start as well

[@SunlessNick]

"138 pages, it must be it," is my favourite line there.

[@grogery1570]

When Humphrey said, I'll just write that down, it reminded me of the account I read about Boris Johnson making major concessions on Australian lamb imports to the Australian High Commissioner. It was at a dinner and upon hearing them the Commissioner went to the bathroom wrote it all down on toilet paper, then got embassy staff to write it up formally and had Johnson sign it before desert was served! British farmers are still complaining about the unfair competition with Australian lamb!

[@iandhr1]

The actor who plays the Israeli ambassador is fantastic. The way he says "I know" is just perfect.

[@zerooneonetwothree1872]

Funny part is actors all look like the actual politicians and officials

[@kenmarriott6816]

Must be one of the best sayings ever done. Perfect

[@tom_123]

He’s excellent as a Jewish character in Robin of Sherwood too.

[@kenmarriott6816]

Less is more. A brilliant comment. "I know".

[@GlennForbes20]

Surprising that such a level of truth made it into a documentary.

[@NickJohnCoop]

I love that Humphrey makes sure to ‘get that down in writing’ the moment The French President says it, a bureaucrat through and through.😅

[@thespiritphoenix3798]

The scene between Jim Hacker and the French President is priceless and arguably the best in the series with both actors facial expressions and body language beyond perfection. Also it's one of the few scenes where Jim and Humphrey are working together! Truly an unstoppable force!

[@dubey_ji]

you must not bring that bitch with you

[@dipro001]

yes, nothing ever united the English quite like the French

[@brontewcat]

@@dipro001 And no doubt that will be especially true this Saturday😉

[@dipro001]

@@brontewcat oh no.. what is happening on Saturday? WW3?

[@brontewcat]

@@dipro001 France v England in the World Cup.

[@HurreJunior]

Jim Hacker’s hesitance about the tunnel saying “tunnel will be filled with official French bombs” 😂😂😂

[@dipro001]

Bank of Jordan was such a gold line, especially, in context of how the financial sector in the middle east was back then. Too bad it got buried under all the other treasures of this clip.

[@nandi7772]

Can you explain the joke to me?

[@El-mi4vi]

@@nandi7772 Sorry if this is no longer something you are wondering about but the joke is that a song about the bank of the Jordan (as in the edge of a river) is insensitive to have in the program right after the Bank of Jordan (as in a financial institution) went bust. There was a great deal of volatility in financial sectors in the middle east at the time because of the large amount of wealth combined with the relative youth of the political institutions.

[@JamBar1873]

The scene with the Israeli Ambassador is still one of my favourite scenes.

[@brontewcat]

I totally agree. Although I really like the one where Jim has the tape of Humphrey being indiscreet on radio.

[@nah900]

I like the part where, after the plan works, Hacker mentions the Americans have offered reinforcements, and Humphrey angrily asks "reinforcements of what?!?" and Hacker replies "reinforcements of good will, Humphrey."

[@markc7440]

Probably the best ever documentary about British politics.

[@Morsificator]

Just say "about politics". It has an English flavor, but it's aplicabile all over the world!

[@markc7440]

@@Morsificator very true

[@iratepirate3896]

"Even the Italians wouldn't stoop that low!" Ahaha

[@fredrikkirderf2907]

I like that the Israeli ambassador seems to know everything about everything its funny to see him know more about British affairs than Hacker

[@qwertyuiopzxcfgh]

I'd believe it. During the cold war, the Soviets knew more about the Dutch defence than any Dutch Minister of Defense. I can only imagine how much the Americans knew.

[@andrewcheng1998]

Israeli, especially for her intelligence department, was very feared by the world at the time. I guess they cover up things more nicely now.

[@aidanmagill6769]

@@andrewcheng1998 nah, they don't need to. The world just turns a blind eye.

[@PrimetimeX]

@@aidanmagill6769"blind eye" to what? Protecting themselves from evil terrorists?

[@andreashaynes3346]

Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington) is priceless, as is the whole scenario 😂😂😂

[@M-E_123]

The way Humphrey sits opposite the French guy, and Hacker sits off to the side - the framing as to who the meeting is really between.

[@eoinh1]

The actor who played the police officer in the French President scene was a regular in the Doctor Who episodes in the 1970s. Nicholas Courtney was his name.

[@tallthinkev]

Don't forget the 60's, 80's, 90's, 00's and the teens and the stand alone UNIT stories

[@upresins]

And who played the role of the Israeli Ambassador?

[@brontewcat]

I didn’t recognise him, but thought he looked familiar. Good old Lethbridge Stewart.

[@218kq]

@@upresins de Keyser. Passed away in 2021.

[@IshmaelSkyes]

And the French President's aide is Christopher Benjamin, another beloved Dr Who actor.

[@wedgeantillies66]

Jim and Humphrey, whenever they are working in concert and for Britain are a sight to behold and political power house that cannot be beat.

[@elaadt]

Of corse. They stand united against a sworn enemy - the french.

[@wedgeantillies66]

@@elaadt Indeed as the whole channel tunnel episode prove quite well.

[@robertdaws4743]

Press statements are not delivered under oath. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ramzimakarem1837]

Each year, the scripts seem for the present year, I always watch the series like it's my first time. It never ceases to amaze me. Actually, I've learned a great deal of how governments around the world function and that what we read or hear is not what is really happening. I can't thank you enough for this both entertaining and educational series.

[@fredrikkirderf2907]

On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry I'd forgotten about that joke

[@saya7292]

Is it a reference to the song or something which happened on Jordan's bank in that time frame?

[@fredrikkirderf2907]

@@saya7292 He says 'Don't you know the Jordan bank went bust yesterday'

[@saya7292]

@@fredrikkirderf2907 That's what I don't get😓

[@fredrikkirderf2907]

@@saya7292 The Baptists are crying on Jordan's bank that just went bust

[@saya7292]

@@fredrikkirderf2907 Oh got it. I thought I am missing some context as to why Arabs are embarrassed by a sermon.

[@wilhelmhesse1348]

More to be learnt about behind the scenes politics at number 10 than any James Bond or spy movie 💯

[@brookhammerbrook3306]

This is extremely relevant nowadays.

[@shankarbalan3813]

Humphrey! What a phenomenally Machiavellian talent!

[@ceejay0137]

It's not in any of these clips, but the classic FO line from Sir Humphrey is "Prime Minister, the Foreign Office isn't there to _do_ anything. It's there to explain why nothing can be done."

[@garyproffitt5941]

I love the Italy mafia tiny sausages de House of Parliament French style 🤣👍

[@markh9749]

At 7.41 it's nice to see Nicholas Courtney popping up in a military role that isn't Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of UNIT ('Dr Who').

[@ayoa1173]

That's a police uniform.

[@rtpoe]

@@ayoa1173 Perhaps he was on special assignment....

[@andyadler]

@@ayoa1173Commissioner of the Met

[@PopeLando]

This doesn't include the bit where they explain to Jim the actual policy of the UK Foreign Office, unchanged in 200 years, to set the French against the Germans and the Spanish against the Italians etc.

[@gentblue]

Indeed. It was officially called "Splendid Isolation" and resulted in the Pax Britannica when all of the power-hungry continental princelings could do very little to others due to the fear that Britain would fund their rivals or the Royal Navy would interdict their ports!

[@Blackcomanche]

They also didn't include Jim Hacker's old friend from his LSE days, who later became the leader of Buranda (a fictitious country set in the African continent).

[@leondarcy7367]

500 years...

[@mattwho81]

Bernard: “The Americans are delighted, they’ve got a division standing by in case we want reinforcements!” Humphrey: “Reinforcements for what?!” Jim: “Reinforcements… of goodwill!”

[@videoloopproject]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 official french bombs

[@childofthe50s53]

Seeing recent reports about a need to reform the "elitist" foreign office I immediately thought of Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister

[@P-CROZIER]

Humphrey's Brilliant, as Always 😅

[@GatvolFourie]

Brilliant !

[@julianaylor4351]

Jim Hacker is Humphrey's puppet here, in first scene. 😁😆 In reality we regraded our sausages ourselves. The worst ones are called Bangers and the best ones are Butcher's quality. The second ones a send up of the Grenada affair. 😁 The senior policeman is The Brigadier from Dr Who. 😁 You must know that the French government never knows, what French security is doing. 😆

[@sharadindusaikia]

Instant goodwill

[@exterminans]

Press statements aren't delivered under oath

[@crypticTV]

2:25 italians 2:35 British sausages issue 3:16 kowtowing to Israel suggestion 4:38 just after America invaded commonwealth country Grenada 7:31 french bombb 8:42 dover 9:03 Jordan 9:47 french government vs french security

[@gentblue]

Yes. All of these things did essentially happen.

[@PrimetimeX]

"Kowtowing to Israel suggestion" You mean Hacker finding out that the foreign office was lying to him and subverted his own decisions, and the Israeli minister giving him the info he needed to get back in control

[@freedomsorator2217]

My fave comedy :)

[@xaviersavierhardt3331]

7:15 By God that's the brigadier from Doctor Who

[@354sd]

Oh boy i needed that 😂

[@livelovelaugh2130]

Goddamnit I wish modern diplomacy is the West was anywhere near this subtle, cultured, and refined.

[@233kosta]

This is looking pretty good, actually. Where can I buy the blu ray?

[@davidbarker5941]

The actor’s name is David de Keyser.

[@jameskvo]

God bless him. He passed away in February 2021 at the ripe old age of 93.

[@dandy-lions5788]

They didn't include the Foreign Secretary and Humphrey sassing Bernard

[@thomashopland9796]

Beste series ever

[@AlternativeElvis]

The more things change, the more they stay the same

[@seanburns4168]

With scenes such as thus it brings up the question as to whom is actually governing the Country? Sometimes it is difficult to know if it is the elected officials, or their Permanent Private First Secretaries that is running the government?

[@timmyp34]

He sounds like the Red Viper Oberynn Martell

[@jman6587]

A British batallion is equal to a US Division? Haha

[@mrbojangles8133]

the French government never knows what French security is doing

[@mrtecsom6951]

It’s not for the Israeli ambassador to advice the British prime minister 😂 We could do with help from anyone atm

[@ryanfrederick3376]

Documentary masquerading as comedy.

[@zerooneonetwothree1872]

Its not an documentary, its the leaked instructional videos

[@Hysteria98]

They actually had to film it in front of a live audience (even if they didn't want to) because otherwise without the laugh track the British Government would likely have banned it. If people were laughing over it, they could convincingly sell it as a comedy, even though most of it was true to life and threatened to upset government policy.

[@martybourke2428]

The froggies smuggled them into nz in 85

[@chilternsroamer872]

I am old enough to remember that. I do not remember the year though. Blew up a Greenpeace ship, iirc. 2 dead, iirc (without looking it up). Context was Greenpeace were getting in the way of French policy in the Pacific, or something like that, so the French smuggled explosives into another Sovereign Nation (one that was supposed to be an ally) and carried out a de facto political assassination without even informing the local National Sovereign Government.

[@kiwitrainguy]

@@chilternsroamer872 The year was 1985, the name of the ship was The Rainbow Warrior. It was going to protest against the Nuclear tests the French were holding in French Polynesia.

[@wilhelmhesse1348]

Before Brexit 😂

[@Elias_rais]

BRIGADIER!

[@senanur1983]

Americans invading a commonwealth country? How the times have changed. Now UK is American poodle.

[@reluctantheist5224]

I'm sorry, you need to explain that one.

[@burgundian-peanuts]

@@reluctantheist5224 It sounds like he's claiming that the UK would no longer object to US invasion of a Commonwealth country, because it has become subservient to US interests. In reality, it's hard to say how the Brits would have responded, even in the 1980s. The US-UK "special relationship" was already firmly in place. And if the US had said that they were defending the island against communist insurgents, the UK would have probably acceded, even in the 1980s.

[@reluctantheist5224]

@@burgundian-peanuts America did invade Grenada in the 80s. Britain objected in the United Nations but it was later found that the Governor General of the islands had requested American help. Since then the Americans have never invaded a Commonwealth country. Not sure how" times have changed. "

[@pwp8737]

probably not far from the truth, sadly

[@janesfightingtalk8493]

It was David de Keyser.

[@AM-Perspectives]

The Israeli ambassador knowing more about Britain's security affairs than their Prime Minister is so fictional 🙄

[@Killerkwoi13]

It probably isn’t, Israeli Mossad intelligence was notoriously well informed in this era and probably still is

[@yochaiwyss3843]

Nobody knows the British Government's Foreign Policy, least of all the British Government!

[@SojourningOnline]

@@yochaiwyss3843 Most especially The Kremlin! Defence too!

[@LOLERXP]

This is very funny, but I hope we all know that fundamentally it comes out to being propaganda in the service of comedy. After Brexit, I can't quite find that funny anymore. This is an unfortunate contribution to the sad situation England now finds itself in.

[@StCreed]

A contribution, or a foreshadowing about how British politicians prioritized votes over good governance? Or how they used to get their way in the EU by threatening to leave all the time? I'm sure they never expected that failing to defend the EU would actually lead to a Brexit, even though the extremist fringe of very rich conservatives hoped for it. They'd be having serious problems hiding their wealth after EU tax rules would have gone into effect.

[@fvingerhoed]

I wish the Netherlands would leave the EU

[@TheBicycleRepairman2]

It would completely ruin our country, please don't be so short sighted....

[@darrenlee9237]

That senior-ranking policeman who revealed the French smuggling explosives into the UK to cause embarrassment to the British government looks awfully like the same lower-ranking copper who turned SIr Humphrey away from the front-door of No.10 (after Bernard had the connecting door locks changed in the episode titled "The Key")

[@Jokie155]

Different actor, though I guess there's something of a resemblance. To me, it's just weird seeing Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in a policeman's uniform.

[@danatellaturtlelo6747]

Jews jews jews all over europe

[@zakl940]

Shalom Aleichem and Am yisrael chai motherfucker 🇮🇱 ✡️ 🕎

[@shedmeraked]

Muslims muslims muslims all over Europe, good luck with that 😂