You're a Banker | Yes, Minister | BBC Studios

[@nrellis666]

I love the expression on Humprey's face when he's trying to work out whether there is a point to explaining that Milton Keynes is a town

[@GeordieGroundwater]

There are many, many brilliant scenes in the Yes Minister series, but I fully agree with you, this particular bit- where Sir H kind of gives up on the idiot banker - has to be up there among the top ten, if not top five of the lot. The casting in these series is simply out of this world - Desmond is fantastic, as is that awful man who Sir Humphrey kow tows to. (forget his name). (ok, there is the odd exception - eg the Arab man in the Qumran one, not really convincing in that case, TBH)

[@nrellis666]

Sir Arnold? The man who can kill with a glance?

[@behindthetree9022]

This and the face he made in the Cabinet reshuffle when Hacker said the could be promoted to the Foreign Office.

[@ryanalving3785]

You should probably change your username. The mark of the beast isn't a good thing to play around with

[@GMovieSeeker]

I am not from the UK but I love economics, so when I found out there is a city called Milton Keynes in England I totally lost it. I'm glad somebody used that as a joke before me.

[@judyhopps9380]

0:39 - Nigel Hawthorne contemplating explaining Milton Keynes then rapidly giving up is just phenomenal acting

[@jamesmuriithi440]

Glad you noticed, those are the nuances that made him such a great actor. His gestures are on point.

[@rfichokeofdestiny]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed. Gives me chills how good he is.

[@ktmgordo]

The first 45secs are a masterclass by Nigel Hawthorne, and how small gestures and expressions convey more than any words ever could in terms of bemused disbelief.

[@TheoHiggins]

I missed the joke because I've always called it Milton "Keen"s

[@hoilst265]

When you realise someone is so dumb you cannot possibly slow your brain down enough to get down to his level.

[@vedraniskra9076]

"Among the many extraordinary qualities that politicians poses, reasonableness is not necessarily the first that springs to mind. Not when one contemplates average minister. And our minister is.. very average." - brilliant

[@olafrandel3065]

I love that line so much.

[@BologneseBucket]

It'd make my list, if I had one, of top 10 lines. At least another 5 would probably be from Yes, Minister

[@markhayward7400]

Richard Vernon (the banker here) was a wonderful character actor who often played exasperated/bewildered and/or slightly dim pillars of the British Establishment over many decades. You can see here why he was a 'go-to' actor for these types of roles. He makes every moment in front of the camera count.

[@shelbynamels973]

Watching him as "C" in "The Sandbaggers". Nothing dim about him here.

[@TheRip72]

He looked almost the same when playing Col Smithers in Goldfinger, which was about 20 years earlier. Smithers was not dim though.

[@JB-yb4wn]

@@TheRip72 He was playing a banker there as well!

[@TheRip72]

@@JB-yb4wn who had some rather disappointing brandy.

[@JB-yb4wn]

@@TheRip72 Yes! Bond gave all the details, but M reminded him that Col. Smithers was giving the lecture here.

[@DanielMak1234]

from Yes Prime Minister S1, A Real Partnership Hacker: Bernard, Humphrey should have seen this and warned me Bernard: I don't think Sir Humphrey understands economics, he did read classics Hacker: What about Sir Frank? He is Head of the Treasury Bernard: I am afraid he is in a greater disadvantage in understanding economics, he is an economist

[@s.g.3898]

Three economists went hunting. First missed by a foot to the right. Second missed by a foot to the left. Third jumps up and yells "We got him!"

[@the_j_machine2254]

@@s.g.3898 replace"economist" with "statistician" and then you have a proper joke.

[@hoilst]

@@s.g.3898 That great line from Harry Truman: "All my economists say 'On the one hand...but on the other hand...' - somebody get me a one-handed economist!"

[@rphb5870]

yes that is why I changed my mayor to philosophy. I actually wanted to understand economics

[@DanielMak1234]

@@rphb5870 Funny you should say that, I did econ for my undergraduate but then decided to do my master's degrees in philosophy too (albeit specializing in logic)

[@guguigugu]

"why are they all called milton" is a very rare and quite smart type of joke where the punchline precedes its own setup. he asks this before we actually learn about all the miltons that are on his mind.

[@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901]

There is also a punchline though. Milton keynes

[@andrewsmith8729]

Dorothy had Glazebrook pegged when she said he was well liked in the city because always agreed with whoever was talking with him. Economists are virtually Astrologers who wear suits. The Milton gag was a reference to the American economist Milton Friedman who won a Nobel Prize for economics. He was a critic of the British economist, Manyard Keynes. They were both around the same era.... Keynes' time in the sun was more 1930 to 1950 and Friedman's popularity was 1950 to 1970s.. thereabouts. The gag is that Sir Desmond managed to combine their names and got all confused thinking they were both named Milton.

[@shelbynamels973]

@@andrewsmith8729 The punchline this is leading up to is of course there is a Milton Keynes, a London suburb.

[@sparky4878]

@@shelbynamels973not a London suburb. A town in its own right about 50 miles from London.

[@nonono4160]

@@andrewsmith8729 the bigger gag is that there is no such thing as nobel prize for economics. Which kinda leads to the fact that banker not knowing economic theories is not an impediment to his work since the actual economic doesn't have anything to do with those theories.

[@trefod]

Best political satire ever created and still disturbingly relevant.

[@TheSpacecraftX]

Have a go at The Thick of It if you haven't already.

[@TheAngelOfDeath01]

It's never been more relevant, than today! 99% of all political happenings now a days, can very easily be viewed as being satirical and morbidly inefficient, as ever.

[@andyoli75]

As a Yank, this is totally relevant. I never heard of this show until a few days ago.

[@notdaveschannel9843]

@@andyoli75 When I did Politics 101 at Uni, the scripts for this were on the reading list. Seriously.

[@AndyMcGehee]

andyoli75 It's definitely worth picking up the DVD box sets for both Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.

[@memofromessex]

That expression after the banker says "I'm sure there is Milton Keynes" is often my expression when I deal with senior marketing people

[@jappiejojo777]

Work in tech or IT, too, I presume? I feel you brother

[@MrTVintro]

@@jappiejojo777 IT guy here, yes.

[@bdelphan]

Or the Corporate Communications or HR departments.

[@seamusoflatcap]

The more I watch this show the more I think it's a documentary.

[@AzguardMike]

fun fact, most of its true too. The writers would meet with MPs' at fancy places, wine and dine them for stories then make a episode around it.

[@petermccarthy4488]

Best documentary every

[@genstian]

@@AzguardMike heck, it was Margaret Thatcher favorite show. Probably took some ideas to make politics more like it.

[@locarno24]

@@genstian they even got her to cameo in the radio show, once. I've always found it the best tribute the sheer number of politicians who sheepishly admit to being devoted fans...

[@sunrisesunset6004]

Now you ve cottoned on to the reason it was written.

[@dimiturtabakov1108]

This kills me every time... We all love Sir Nigel, surely, but how in hell did Richard Vernon go through the first minute with a straight face is well beyond me. An absolute masterpiece!

[@Lovebug06901]

Slartibartfast

[@milesjolly6173]

@@Lovebug06901I was about to ask you what you were trying to say but then googled the actor and now I understand. I probably need to read A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, maybe I will do when I’ve made more progress with the other 10 or so books I’m reading

[@henrygaida7048]

One of the great things about this series is how wonderful the minor characters are: Annie Hacker, Sir Desmond, Sir Arnold, the Master of Bailey College, Sir Frank, et al. All wonderfully well written parts, with phenomenal acting.

[@cacambo589]

Another year or so and people will be praising the set and the props.

[@danieldickson8591]

@@cacambo589 What's wrong the set? I think it's very handsome.

[@gryphongryph]

Sir Frank is a great character and masterfully executed.

[@smartcooky99]

And don't forget Dorothy Wainwright, Hacker's political adviser. She was the only character who absolutely had Sir Humphrey's measure every time! Its a pity we didn't see a lot more of her.

[@ShannonFreng]

I especially like the scene where Hacker's female political advisor is grilling Sir Frank about the honours list (or some such thing). Sir Frank starts getting flustered, which was a great acting job by whomever it was who played him.

[@Moribus_Artibus]

"I'm sure there's a Milton Keynes" is one of the funniest lines Ive heard

[@alexdavis-mann8513]

Its scary how accurate this show was and still is to this day!

[@Nigelrudyardmusic]

Nobody, but nobody is writing and acting material of this quality and wit anymore.

[@piotrd.4850]

This was unique.

[@martinputt6421]

This was and still is unique. There have been very few political satires and even less that were a success.

[@markypolo55]

That's because Liberals have taken over Hollywood. Liberals are NOT funny people!

[@cruscante]

@@martinputt6421 Althougt my english is not perfectly fit to allow me to enjoy all the rafinesses of these brilliant dialogues, a parallel I would dare to suggest is a major political satiric novel from a czech writer , Jaroslav Hasek : The good soldier Sveik, labelled "a satirical dark comedy" in Wiki EN.

[@motosnape]

Marky Polo - What makes you think that British comedy is filmed or created in Hollywood? Oh, I get it. You’re saying something totally daft and irrelevant as a form of humour?

[@knightoyin6500]

This is by far my best British comedy TV Series not just because it is incredibly funny but because it is true. Hats off to the writers and creators of this gem.

[@guguigugu]

"why are they all called milton?" :D

[@randomuploadsism]

"can't understand it." brilliant delivery

[@666gertrude]

I'm sure there's a Milton Keynes... The look on Sir Humphrey's face... Brilliant!

[@guguigugu]

"isn't that your job? talking him out of things?" what a fascinating simplification by one of the simplest men in high banking

[@terencej72]

Love the bit when Sir Desmond says to Sir Humphrey "If you're going to join the board when you retire" and Sir Humphrey tries to shuush him so his Secretary doesn't hear he's been lined up for cushy "old boys network" job just around the corner. Sadly (and not just in the UK) this is how this works - people from the same posh school line up their pals for executive jobs regardless of whether they have experience in the industry. It's all about WHO you know not WHAT you know at that level

[@florinivan6907]

There is some logic to it. If you know the person since university or even childhood you also know their habits attitudes etc. Someone who you only know by their professional resume is ultimately an unknown. You don't know how ambititous or not they trully are. If they plan on kicking you out after a few years. It may be unethical but its not illogical. We're hardwired to look for people that we trust.

[@_Ekaros]

Then again in one sense there is value in this sort of corruption. High ranking government official likely does have connections to other high ranking government officials even after retirement. Thus setting up things or directing politicians to "right" directions is entirely possible.

[@michaelh90909]

"It's part of the uniform". That is so true with a lot of these people..

[@nicholashylton6857]

LOL Exactly.

[@shelbynamels973]

It's why the FT is printed on pink paper, so you can tell from a distance.

[@pausetv5639]

One of the most intelligent sitcoms I have EVER seen, & enjoyed it thoroughly.

[@Neakal]

I think this is one of the few times Humphrey is at a loss for words.

[@hoilst]

+Neakal I know. Sir Desmond's just a solid brick wall. It's beautiful. "Can't understand it. Full of economic theory."

[@Academician100]

The lines themselves aren't just excellently constructed but their delivery is perfectly timed too! A great comedy.

[@AlistairAi]

"Come's with the Uniform" I laughed so hard at that!

[@JoeMama827]

One of the best shows ever. I once read that the show's producers interviewed many ex government officials to gain insights in how govt. really work, and it s not pretty, but it is funny.

[@henrybyrd5402]

The collective noun for a group of Bankers is a "Wunch." As in "A Wunch of Bankers". (English joke)

[@narendrapanse7844]

LOL

[@davidw.2791]

So is that why that rather distasteful female character in Brooklyn 99 is named Wunch?

[@henrybyrd5402]

@@davidw.2791I did say it was an English joke. I would not expect Americans to understand our humour. Try Googling "Spoonerisms" that might help.

[@henrybyrd5402]

@@davidw.2791 I did say that it was an English joke. I didn't expect any Americans to get it. Try googling "Spoonerisms" that might help.

[@davidw.2791]

Henry Byrd Riiiight. It’s like “Well-Boiled Icicles”!

[@johnkochen7264]

You have to admire Hawthorn being able to stay in character despite that the man across him is perfectly playing the fool. I can only imagine the outtakes this scene generated.

[@mithrandir491]

"Its part of the uniform" :D...same case with today's economists.

[@kapitankapital6580]

It's interesting, isn't it? The FT has a very distinct look, so that you can recognise it even when folded, this even extends to their website. The purpose, surely, is so that people who buy it can let people who see them reading it know exactly what they are reading, and in so doing make people hold certain views on them.

[@artofthepossible7329]

@@candlestorms That is dedication to the uniform.

[@kapitankapital6580]

@rpbsjy exactly right

[@markwalshopoulos]

What, economists understand what's in the FT, its quite light compared to working papers

[@Account.for.Comment]

@@markwalshopoulos I thought that he meant economists function as uniforms nowaday. Rather understand or agree with them, people use them to puff their status.

[@littleniyah]

You know it was Alan Clark that fed all this stuff to the writers. It is totally accurate. Thatcher was outraged at giving away all the secrets like this, but she couldn't catch Alan Clark no matter how hard she looked. He was always such a maverick.

[@tombarter3287]

Yes Minister was her favourite sitcom. The Iron Lady was a maverick herself.

[@tombarter3287]

She wrote a very funny scene for it herself and gave herself all the funniest lines lol.

[@helenamcginty4920]

​@@tombarter3287 sounds rather far fetched.

[@helenamcginty4920]

​​@@tombarter3287Thatcher was no maverick. She was a typical bright woman of her generation. She spent her adult life trying to ape what she would have been brought up to believe, were her betters. Her tortured accent. The practiced little smile. The incredibly boring clothes. She was the epitome of the upper working class girl aping the rich. I think it was a generational thing. They were all over the place. They were my parents and their contemporaries. People were finally waking up to the realisation that their 'social betters' were not in fact better. Very often hadnt 2 brain cells to rub together. My Dad reckoned it was seeing the "upper classes" at close quarters during the war that broke the spell. But that generation had had the idea of inferiority to the rich drummed into them and rail as they could were never truly able to throw off that yoke. I never admired Thatcher. Her espousal of moneyterism was all part and parcel of toadying to the rich in the city instead of enduring that the country had a manufacturing industry to provide decent well paid jobs that folk could take a pride in. Etc.

[@tombarter3287]

@@helenamcginty4920 What does?

[@AdurianJ]

He becomes the Governor of the Bank of England in Yes prime minister. Which is funny since he was the Governor of the Bank of England in Goldfinger, where he was more competent ;)

[@DreamteamCarlo]

This series is such a gem.. Tbh I like watching the individual scenes on Yt, it's easier to focus on all the brilliant details than when watching a full episode.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

I remember, when I first watched this series, being shocked to realize that the officials in my own town behaved exactly as the officials in this "satire". It's as if they all go to the same school.

[@Bloodlyshiva]

They got a lot of that even at the time. "How did you hear about that?" "We...didn't? We made it up whole cloth...."

[@JimC]

@@Bloodlyshiva Read the book "A Very Courageous Decision" by Graham McCann (available on hoopladigital via many USA public libraries). I haven't finished it, but they said they didn't make up many things. They did a lot of research and found stuff that *had* been in the news but not prominently, e.g., the hospital with a full support staff but no medical staff and no patients.

[@Bloodlyshiva]

@@JimC I did. That's where I got it from.

[@kimphilby7999]

And mein to !

[@nigelrg1]

Still one of the funniest and most relevant TV series ever.

[@abdullahikimam1915]

This one clip says everything about the relationship between politicians, civil servants & the business community

[@grahamwinston3692]

Replace Desmond with the CEO of Pfizer and you get to see how we got the whole pandemic scam

[@kirajlerner]

This wonderful clip is from "The Quality of Life," from Yes Minister, Series 2 Episode 6. Banker Sir Desmond Glazebrook wishes additional storeys built on his bank's high rise and needs Cabinet Minister Jim Hacker's permission; unfortunately, Hacker's publically committed to preventing such growth. Sir Humphrey--who wants a directorship on the bank's board upon retirement--schemes with Sir Desmond on how to convince the minister "eat his rice pudding.'

[@alienscientist8893]

Thanks for contextualising that.

[@ThePrimeMinisterOfTheBlock]

Thanks for explaining what we could easily have seen for ourselves by watching the video

[@shelbynamels973]

This scene serves as a set-up for later when Glazebrook offers Hacker a way out of the predicament he got himself into when he authorized the conversion of a city farm to a carpark. Glazebrook makes a passing mention that he read about Hacker's plan in the FT, while in this earlier scene he admits to never reading it.

[@LattiMonstaaa]

Im sure theres a Milton Keynes

[@joyhancock2703]

There is but it is a place not a person.

[@zitongzhang5610]

Former MK resident is laughing his A off.

[@meerkatm-h7409]

Style council fan laughing his ass off.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

I didn't even get that joke.

[@pineapplepenumbra]

@@cockoffgewgle4993 Ah, but where do you live?

[@logik99]

“If you’re going to join the board after you retire…” “..ssshhh” Best portrayal of politics.

[@danieloliver4558]

“And our minister is very average” 😂😂😂

[@wbdrugstrat]

That was an spectacular show. In this times of political illiteracy and complacency, we need such displays of Socratic depth.

[@Jeroen3052]

Humphrey's sharp wit lives forever

[@marcwolf60]

Sadly when Sir Nigel retired he became senile and suffered a complete disconnect between the brain and the larynx. Thus he contiinued to ramble 'Governmentease' until his final breath - his last words being 'Further more...'

[@Isospinsymmetries]

The lines themselves aren't just excellently constructed but their delivery is perfectly timed to. Brilliant.

[@KerbalRocketry]

"I'm sure there's a milton keynes"

[@Iosephus_Michaelis]

Oh wow I just got that!

[@Golkarian]

Not from England, are they referring to the place?

[@KerbalRocketry]

Golkarian yes

[@robharris5467]

Me neither but it's an outlying area near London. Bletchley Park where the codes were cracked in in MK

Yes Milton Keynes is a hotbed of cryptology.

[@knicknak1]

Yes minister Was pure British gold What class of writing comedy

[@adamkownacki462]

From 1:51, Hawthrone's acting is just so convincing! What a legend that man was.

[@frankhogan7541]

Nigel Hawthorne And Paul Eddington God Rest Them Both would Have A Field Day with The Current Shambles.

[@DavidOfWhitehills]

All Criminally Tragic Twenty-Four Floors Of It.

[@Treblaine]

What an utter banker.

[@daysofthunder6110]

* wanker

[@Cbricklyne]

@@daysofthunder6110 *That's the joke

[@karl4834]

@@daysofthunder6110 Oh, don't be so obvious, darling. We all know what dear Treblaine meant, so you don't have to be so common. Rather clever our Treblaine, we do so enjoy it when he pops by for a sherry.

[@pineapplepenumbra]

@@karl4834 I heard that the collective noun for a group of bankers is a "Wunch".

[@floris.927]

Very droll.

[@kyrisgeorgiou9197]

This is the closest to perfection that any series has every been.

[@rgadave]

I always regarded this series as a documentary rather than a satire/comedy programme.

[@shelbynamels973]

A documentary, a set of training videos, and, like the Simpsons, a prediction about the future.

[@obtuse1291]

"We will help him to pretend that he's already in fact doing what he said he would do in his manifesto" . This is not humour, this is factual reporting at its best. 😂😂

[@santosh386]

Brilliant performance. Evergreen comedy. Sir Humphrey and Sir Desmond Glazebrook hats off.

[@leanneblake4248]

One Of England's Great Shows. Fantastic Writing.

[@tobyruncorn2]

This series of genius was written by two men, one to the left and the other to the right. They got their stories from MPs to the left and right. To say it was a part of Thatcher is paranoid.. p.s. Desmond G has a lovely bit of timing in YESPM when seeing the total of a bill.

[@guguigugu]

+timothy evans haha i remember that

[@Sapiensiate]

+timothy evans What amazes me is just how well it holds up now. The same issues of the london skyline, scottish independence, new rail infrastructure, and the NHS are just as true today as they were when this was first broadcast. Like you say, a series of genius.

[@tobyruncorn2]

+Sapiensiate Thank you. I can watch it again and again and again. It is up there with Shakespeare; they both have something to say about most human conditions. If I could foresee them they would not be unforeseen.

[@Ksamp313]

+timothy evans Both Yes, Minister and Yes Prime Minister are probably the greatest civics lessons ever given by anybody.

No it's trite and confuses the reality of politics with the simple minded clarity of unaware sociopaths.

[@XKT035]

Richard Vernon (Sir Desmond) also played a banker in Goldfinger, and was also Slatibartfast in the HHGTTG TV series

[@Saanichian]

XKT035 My name is unimportant.

[@rogerhudson9732]

I first saw him in 'The man in room17' but that was in the days of live to air TV acting and I don't think it was ever recorded.

[@lukebrennan5780]

And on the train, with The Beatles!!!

[@vvvvvv2086]

“I’m sure there is a Milton Keynes.” Classic.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

The banker, Sir Desmond Glazebrook (Richard Vernon), was also Colonel Smithers, an executive at the Bank of England in James Bond's "Goldfinger" (1964).

[@dannyarcher6163]

Gone are the days the BBC produces actual comedy.

[@robertjones9691]

This was brilliantly written and deservingly owned by the cast.

[@Marshal_Dunnik]

Sir Humphrey Appleby and Sir Nigel Hawthorne, the perfect marriage of character to actor.

[@willmartin1033]

"Surely a decision's a decision isn't it?" "Only if it's the decision you want" Art so good it took life 35 years to imitate it.

[@peterjames7073]

Love it ! 1970's and 1980's Script waiters, I mean, Script WRITERS , will be the future Prophets and Profits in 2323 , give or take 20% V.A.T.

[@Delightfully_Witchy]

35 years nothing: That was always true.

[@CheeseOfMasters]

@@Delightfully_Witchy This

[@mattevans4377]

"Surely, a decision's a decision" "Only if it's the one you want. Till then, it's just a temporary setback" Brexit in a nutshell.....

[@mattevans4377]

@Berty Wooster Out of curiosity who did you, or who would you have (if you aren't American), voted for...

[@mattevans4377]

@The Shield I have a hunch, and wanted to know if it was correct. I'm getting a similar hunch about you....

[@mattevans4377]

@The Shield Being a democrat voter. Or at least a democrat supporter.

[@SimonNoina]

Richard Vernon as the banker - brilliant character actor!

[@CompanyLagoon]

when people tell me that Friends is the funniest show ever I just want to tie them up to a chair, tape their eyes wide open and make them watch this.

[@paulmerviel1617]

Yes Minister is good, but it is nothing compared to Only Fools & Horses.

[@CompanyLagoon]

+Dat_French_Dude Haven't seen it besides s few clips but I doubt that I personally would enjoy it add much as Yes, Minister. That being said, it's doesn't seem bad.

[@paulmerviel1617]

I reccomend you see the entire series, but also stop watching it at the end of the episode "Time on our Hands". It was supposed to end there, but it kept going on, and the rest wasn't all that funny. There are loads more series which you should check out too (Blackadder, Red Dwarf, Fawlty Towers, Jeeves & Wooster...)

[@CompanyLagoon]

+Dat_French_Dude Seen Blackadder, the WWI series is the best imo. ATM I'm watching The Good Life.

[@paulmerviel1617]

Yeah, ww1 series is definitely the best. Never heard of The Good Life tho. What's it like?

[@mickeymcnaughton2555]

Thank you. This was one of the most memorable performances from "Sir Desmond" (Richard Vernon) and I've no doubt that the script written for it would still apply (in part) to this day :-)

[@shelbynamels973]

I'm watching him right now as "C" in "The Sandbaggers". Check it out and thank me later.

[@mickeymcnaughton2555]

​@@shelbynamels973 Indeed. "Sir Richard Greenley" or "C" from that (late 70's) series "Sandbaggers". And another actor I remember very well from that series is Roy Marsden ("Neil Burnside") who is probably particularly well remembered for his role as "Jack Ruskin" in the Yorkshire Television series "Airline", although many would be more likely to remember him from the TV series "The Green Green Grass". Still, Richard Vernon played many fine roles throughout his performing career, and I've no doubt that he is still well missed. Cheers.

[@shelbynamels973]

@@mickeymcnaughton2555 I remember him primarily as Insp. Dalgliesh in the P.D. James mysteries. His persona here is quite a departure from it.

[@mickeymcnaughton2555]

​@@shelbynamels973 Yes, you're right Shelby. I'd not included him in relation to that series earlier on. "DCI (later Commander) Adam Dalgliesh", to be played by Bertie Carvel in the (2021-2022) TV series, "Dalgliesh".

[@scottwyatt1691]

One of the most well written and acted satires of all time. I also enjoy The Thick of It as well.

[@johnking5174]

Armando Iannucci - the creator and chief writer of The Thick of It is a huge fan of Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister - he championed it as the best British sitcom for the BBC in 2004.

[@HSMiyamoto]

Sir Humphrey Appleby: Always the "smartest guy in the room."

[@gdwnet]

It doesn't matter how many times I watch this I still laugh. It must be the best scene in all of Yes, Minister and there are so many good ones.

[@mrlargon]

I like the face of Sir Hump when he tries to contain him self from correcting Sir Desmond. Sometimes when i meet people who say studpid things it is hard to take them serious and hard to keep face. Sir Humpres expression and stracht to the head is priceless. It hard to deal with stupid superiors. One has to watch it.

[@RonnieSoakers]

30 years on and it's still as funny as it is accurate.

[@QuinctiliusVarus]

The actor playing the banker is superb.

[@thedarknesscallingme]

"a decision is only a decision when it's a decision you want, otherwise it's only a temporary setback" perfectly sums up the SNP's desire for independence

[@Uriel-Septim.]

+thedarknesscallingme Or the European election in my Country Denmark, we voter No back in 1992, got a new election with out the police state, the euro economy aso, now we will have a vote to remove them exceptions and get us in as full members and even if it is going to be a legit election and we end up with a No we will still be in the EU !

[@haberdasherfetishist7208]

perfectly sums up every desire held by every political party that's the whole point of political parties

[@kevincasey5035]

..and the recent Brexit referendum!

[@Uriel-Septim.]

Let see, as I read, they already began to talk about a re-vote, only reason they might be allowed to leave in 2 years time, is the fact that the EUSSR is set up to collapse before that

[@robharris5467]

Same in NZ with the flag change referendum

[@godfreygalea7278]

Cannot understand why 44 viewers didn't like this episode! Sheer brilliance. Maybe they don't know that Milton Friedman and Maynard Keynes were economists having opposing views, whilst Milton Keynes is a town to the north of London and famous for Bletchley Park, Britain's code-breaking centre during WW2

[@somethinglikethat2176]

Maybe they're bankers

[@bmniac]

godfrey galea You are right about both the economists and the "new town" Milton Keynes but where does that leave Milton Shulman?

[@jamessergeant2136]

bmniac - he was the theatre critic on the London 'Evening Standard' for several decades.

[@squirrelpatrick3670]

The town was named after the economists!

[@cfb15jan]

@@bmniac On the wrong platform?

[@nectismanta8080]

"Ministers are like small children, they act on impulse" Ooops

[@NorybDrol82]

Ministers or president?

[@Hacienda_27]

One of the Best scenes of the series

[@spodule6000]

Wow that guy can download cigars thru his phone. What app is that?

[@MyLateralThawts]

spodule6000 oh thank you for giving me the best laugh so far today.

[@paulhand116]

Top gag fella 🤣🤣

[@MyVanir]

@TheRenaissanceman65 I'm fairly certain that humor is an even more old fashioned concept, one you clearly never heard of.

[@StevieObieYT]

"And you know why he's called the Minister of the Crown? Don't you? Because he's always talking off the top of his head... Or through the back of it." 😂

[@67lionsoflisbon37]

A must for all students of politics. Brilliant comedy all round.

[@ejcmoorhouse]

I've seen this dozens of times I only just got the Milton Keynes joke

[@johnking5174]

Yes, Milton Keynes is a town in Buckinghamshire in England.

[@ejcmoorhouse]

John King Yes I know where Milton Keynes is.

[@johnking5174]

Sorry

[@PlanetBongoSan]

Fair play to you mate, there can't be many non-uk residents who know about this series

[@kael13]

Didn't originally get it because he puts a different accent on the 'Keynes'

[@henrikutvik7117]

One of the most quotable scenes of this wonderful series :D

[@saltburner2]

Superbly written and acted. Nigel Hawthorne was a genius, and so versatile.

[@alanfox8928]

“I’m sure there’s a Milton Keynes” always absolutely slays me.

[@jdrancho1864]

This clip is part of an episode involving Hacker unwittingly closing down a local park and petting zoo, and getting a lot of heat over it from incensed constituents. The bit with the Financial Times news paper gets a nod later when Sir Desmond offers Hacker a compromise solution for the park in exchange for getting the extra floors in his office building that Hacker now has no choice but to agree to.

[@davidk6264]

On the other hand even children learn that the word NO from mum and dad is just a temporary setback.

[@Zzyzzyzzs]

0:41-0:44: Thanks to the news, the people on the Internet, commuters and colleagues, I make those exact expressions several times a day.

[@DoubleGauss]

Did Humphrey forget his line at that point ?

[@MarkJSau]

No, the character is totally flummoxed. And Sir Nigel portrays that perfectly.

[@elizdonovan1965]

Reality dressed up as comedy! ☘️🙂🌲

[@williamdrijver4141]

The secretary looks absolutely stunning!

[@diomedes8791]

The actor playing the banker deserves to be named: Richard Vernon. His delivery of utter bumbling cluelessness is done with style, grace and finesse of the highest order. If you can get hold of Michael Palin and Terry Jones’ post-Python series Ripping Yarns, you’ll see him play more or less the same part as Michael Palin’s father in the episode «Roger of the Raj» (the mother being played by the priceless Joan Sanderson, otherwise known as the fatal accident Mrs Richards from the Fawlty Towers episode Communication Problems.

[@Krzyszczynski]

He also saw off all four Beatles on that train journey in the early part of A Hard Day's Night. Surprised to find that RV was only in his late thirties at the time - he looked much older.

[@shelbynamels973]

@@Krzyszczynski early baldness. I just watched him in an early Sixties episode of "Maigret" with Rupert Davies. His hair is still dark, but most of the top of his dome is already bald.

[@shelbynamels973]

Just amazing how many great actors were at work in British TV over the years. I enjoyed Joan Sanderson playing the type in "After Henry". I am currently watching Richard Vernon, quite against type, as "C" in "The Sandbaggers". Greatly recommended.

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Sir Desmond Glazebrook. He was always my favourite Yes Minister character.

[@mattmatt7305]

Terrifyingly accurate even today.

[@patshiels5429]

One off the best clips

[@huqiao]

“Oh you know, it's part of the uniform.”

[@santiagoflores4913]

pure genius, ...simply pure genius

[@eltigre001]

Humphrey speechless! :D :D LOL

[@PlanetBongoSan]

"twenty less intelligent" what are you blithering on about man? My dog Cyril is at least seven or eight more betterer than you at inglish

[@ttnnnaa4500]

LOLOLOLOL... "I'm sure there's a Milton Keynes" HAHAHAHHAHAHA such a clever joke, set up so perfectly

[@tornagawn]

To paraphrase “there are 2 things the people don’t need to know:- how. Government works and what goes into sausages”

[@rajeswaridantuluri2181]

One should read the book before watching these ever-green classics to wonder and appreciate how the three main actors brought life to the three characters in the book.It is amazing.😂🤣

[@stuartcrossland1746]

Probably the most truthful series ever seen on the BBC.

[@navyreviewer]

Am I the only one that's going to mention how he hushed him about his plan to retire to the bank's board? Ancient Rome. England. The US. China. The Soviet Union. Take your pick, only the names change.

[@DenisMclean-e9o]

One comedy that the American tv couldn’t copy.

[@mikeb1040]

Immaculate tailoring.