Yes Minister - Diplomacy is about surviving until the next century (REACTION)

[@Fizzledark]

Both series (Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister) are absolute perfection!! Every single episode is immaculate.

[@carljohanrydberg357]

Once you hear it you start to recognize it in the real world, that is what makes it so fascinating.

[@Badgersj]

Mrs Thatcher, Prime Minister 1979-1990, said this wasn't a comedy it was a documentary. The Downing Street cat, almost an official post for the Chief Mouser, was named Humphrey in honour of Sir Humphrey.

[@tommills9024]

Yes, minister was superbly written and as accurate today as it was 40 years ago

[@timg5011]

Every so often, Sir Humphrey would have a speech where he would take an unnecessarily large number of words to explain something really very simple. Invariably hilarious.

[@CZ350tuner]

"Diplomacy is the art of letting others have your way". (Maccavelli).

[@vincentsaia6545]

This is actually YES, PRIME MINISTER. YES, MINISTER is it's predecessor and also well worth the watch

[@JasonDWitte]

The two guys who created and wrote this had two high level government employees they consulted with to make the stories as authentic as possible.

[@ianjardine7324]

They also had very different political beliefs and nothing made it into the show unless they both agreed it was funny. This ensured the show remained consistently funny and was never biased one way or the other. Many serving politicians at the time loved the show and Margaret Thatcher the serving Prime minister never missed an episode.

[@odysseusrex5908]

Check out Yes Minister, The Five Standard Excuses, Yes Prime Minister, Who Reads the Papers, Yes Minister, the Prime Minister's Constituency, Yes Minister, Why the UK is in the EU, and The Napoleon Award (they go together), Yes Minister explains the EEC (EU), and Yes Minister, The Rhodesia Solution.

[@leehallam9365]

This is from the eighties sitcom. Yes Minister/Prime Minister (It changed name part way through). The three characters here are civil servants, they are the permanent officials who run government and are not appointed by politicians. The missing character in this clip is Jim Hacker, the actual Minister or in this case the Prime Minister they are talking about. Its a great show, and its astonishing how a very British show from forty years ago is immediately understood by people everywhere. Government is the same whereever you are.

[@emiliajojo5703]

It also ran in Germany, was my favourite show as a kid,no joke.

[@leftcoaster67]

The funny thing is you learn more about politics and the civil service a lot from this series. It's almost a documentary disguised as a comedy. It's absolutely brilliant. Only thing has changed the politicians are more unhinged, and the names of the countries have changed.

[@abergreg]

This is a wonderful, satirical portrayal of British politics, highlighting the obfuscation and conniving of Westminster, similar to The Hill in Washington.

[@anandvijayan2033]

This is not a sitcom but rather a documentary of British politics at the time (80s) and yet still true today

[@spodula]

And according to my mum (Civil servant until the mid 70's), back then as well. She never missed an episode

[@vincentsaia6545]

Yes! One of the greatest britcoms of all-time. Political satire at its best.

[@thundernels]

I am partial to “The Key” from Yes, Prime Minister. Good stuff!

[@sammic7492]

This is 40 years old and it's still as relevant as it was then, politics, Gov and civil service never change.

[@harryrabbit2870]

"Yes, Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister" are two of the best political comedies ever and MOSTLY because there is a strong element of truth in it.

[@jonisilk]

Awesome series (Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister). Hysterically funny and intelligent humour that exposes the inner workings of government. They actually had a couple of "inside men", feeding them information throughout the whole run of the show, including a cabinet minister. Just as relevant now as it was 40 years ago, and some of the things they've said have been frighteningly accurate in how they've turned out. Definitely worth you checking out more of the show, which for me is in the top 3 British Comedy series of all time.

[@emiliajojo5703]

The empty hospital is an absolute classic

[@JM-dm3qk]

It won an award you know? The most hygienic hospital. Yes, but there are no patients.

[@peterrenevitz3059]

The Compassionate Society is the episode

[@higgme1ster]

I couldn't wouldn't shouldn't subscribe but you keep showing up on my sideboard with Vulcan mind meld things like this so I must!!!!! Keep doing it man, I'm with you.

[@timg5011]

Pedant alert: This is not from "Yes Minister"; it's from the sequel series "Yes Prime Minister". All of both series are must-watch. You'll laugh and learn in equal measure. (The Four-Stage Response To A Crisis, for example. Others include The Five Standard Government Excuses, and a bit about surveys of the public.)

[@timg5011]

On KZbin, search for "Yes Minister - The Five Standard Excuses" and "For and Against National Service | Yes, Prime Minister | Comedy Greats" respectively. (Note for non-Brits: "National Service" is British English for what I believe the Americans call "The Draft".)

[@badplay156]

I am Canadian and the show played here. My brother in law worked for the federal government and my cousin had major ties to the politicians. Both said the show was wildly popular with both the politicians and the Civil servants

[@mareecathie2476]

In my humble opinion, the most clever & funny show of all time. Apparently, it Margaret Thatcher's favourite show as well.

[@guycullum3927]

My understanding of politics is based on this show, and everything they say from almost 40 years ago is as true now as it was then. It is very funny because it says what everyone tries not to say. Also when you stop laughing it enducates you to the unwritten rules of the world.

[@seraphinaaizen6278]

Satire is an art form in British comedy. And good satire will make jokes, but it will also give extremely accurate social commentary. Within the realm of politics, Yes Minster is the best satire ever written, by anyone, from any country. In the UK, civil servants are A-political. Which means that no matter which party is in power, the same civil servants have the same jobs and they are meant to answer to the Minister irrespective of their own political outlooks regardless of which party is in power. The video overstates a little the level at which civil servants dictate policy - because they don't - but they do have an enormous amount of power to influence policy. And how information is framed to Ministers. They ultimately can't make the Minister make a decision, but they do offer advice and guidance on policy. I actually think this is ultimately a better system. Because it means you have civil servants who build up experience and know what the heck they're doing. In the US, you basically run the gauntlet of all the civil servants being replaced by a clown car of people who have no experience, no expertise, and no idea how to do the job (for an example: see the incoming administration. Where NOBODY has any idea what they're doing). On the other hand, it can lead to a system that is largely static in some areas, because successive ministers may be getting the same advice, from the same people years on end.

[@martinbynion1589]

Your reaction was fantastic! I hope that you watch and react to more excerpts from this fabulous TV series of last century. The writers were right on the button and all the politicians and civil servants in the UK used to love it (along with millions of other viewers!).

[@Yeggman]

Grew up with 1 TV channel, and the BBC as a supplier of foreign cultural input. Thanks to series like they produced, witty sarcastic critical thinking stimulating content like "Yes, Minister" and "Yes Primemister" I learned the meaning of words and what they mean in x context.

[@pereriksson2211]

This is seriously funny, a classic!

[@markkitching-ds9jv]

My favourite tv show ever..genius

[@davescurry69]

Hey man, check out a much Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister as you can. It's all as good as what you've just seen or better. The quality of the writing and acting (and casting) is as good as it gets.

[@yerocyt]

If you want to see Yes Prime Ministers witty word play at its absolute peak, you should check out the canceling trident video it is just sublimely written!

[@Lobogo311]

the best political satira ever...

[@CraigMcKee]

I love this show. You have to find a clip that includes the Prime Minister (who is just a Minister in the original series). He's a bit of a bumbler who gets manipulated by Humphrey (the one on the right with the striped tie). Occasionally, the Prime Minister will get the better of Humphrey, and that's even funnier! A request that I know you'll love: Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk) roasting Frank Sinatra on the Dean Martin Roasts. It's classic!

[@orchidwave2574]

When I first watched Yes Minister (as a Canadian in my 20's) I found it boring because I found politics/government stuff boring and I was expecting this to be another goofy Britcom that didn't make you think too hard. But I gave it a chance, and once you get a sense of the structure of British government and its relationship with their civil service - which has its own agenda of self-preservation and maintaining a comfortable status quo...it's really incredible...the writing, the acting, the social commentary, the wordplay...

[@StrongStyleFiction]

Man, you should really check out The Best of Malcolm Tucker from Thick of It.

[@ganjiblobflankis6581]

As long as these people are brilliant and coincidentally aligned with the best interests of the people long term, this system is great at allowing a fiction of democracy to thrive. Once you get self-serving idiots in place, empires and dynasties collapse. See Britain over the last 30 years and America over the last 10 or so.

[@Noobsaibot21]

There are some great suggestions for clips of this show here (and watching the lot of it is also a great idea) but if you watch just one more, make it the 'proper function of government' clip

[@user-xj3ve7wt8k]

Great show of politics.

[@AlexParnell-m2b]

If you don't want to do full episodes may I suggest sir humphry on the purpose of government yes minister. Or who reads the papers yes prime minister.

[@AlexParnell-m2b]

Or yes prime minister a British democracy

[@mareecathie2476]

Oh, yes. Who reads the newspapers or where Humphrey shows Bernard how opinion polls work. The horrible, beautiful thing is, this is still how politics works today. Substitute civil service for deep state.

[@Lobogo311]

if you will see full episode you have will be millions subs...

[@andypandy9013]

Hey King Supreme! I would have a lot more respect for you, and even subscribe to your channel, if you put a link to the original videos in your description. After all, it's only fair. Isn't it? 🙂

[@Badgersj]

What HAVE you got on your head, lad? Does your mother know?

[@marklondon2008]

'Lets get straight to it'. After 2 minutes waffle

[@TheZeroAssassin]

Bro, just watch the series and react to that, it's all like this, it's funny as shit :)