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Yes, Prime Minister - The Complete Series 1 [VHS] [1986]
 
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Yes, Prime Minister - The Complete Series 1 [VHS] [1986]

VHS ~ NIGEL HAWTHORNE
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Actors: NIGEL HAWTHORNE, DEREK FOWLDS
  • Directors: Peter Whitmore (II)
  • Format: HiFi Sound, PAL
  • Language English
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: 2 Entertain Video
  • VHS Release Date: 21 Sep 1992
  • Run Time: 240 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004CMJ9
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,535 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Video > Television & Documentary > Comedy > Television Classics > Yes Minister
    #8 in  DVD > Television > TV Series > Yes Minister
    #8 in  Video > Television & Documentary > Comedy > British

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn's superb sitcom Yes Prime Minister entered 10 Downing Street with Jim Hacker now Prime Minister of Britain, following a campaign to "Save the British Sausage". Whether tackling defence ("The Grand Design"), local Government ("Power to the People") or the National Education Service, all of Jim Hacker's bold plans for reform generally come to nothing, thanks to the machinations of Nigel Hawthorne's complacent Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey (Jeeves to Hacker's Wooster) who opposes any action of any sort on the part of the PM altogether. This is usually achieved by discreet horse-trading. In "One of Us", for instance, Hacker relents from implementing defence cuts when he is presented with the embarrassingly large bill he ran up in a vote-catching mission to rescue a stray dog on an army firing range. Only in "The Tangled Web", the final episode of series two, does the PM at last turn the tables on Sir Humphrey.

Paul Eddington is a joy as Hacker, whether in mock-Churchillian mode or visibly cowering whenever he is congratulated on a "courageous" idea. Jay and Lynn's script, meanwhile, is a dazzlingly Byzantine exercise in wordplay, wittily reflecting the verbiage-to-substance ratio of politics. Ironically, Yes Prime Minister is an accurate depiction of practically all political eras except its own, the 1980s, when Thatcher successfully carried out a radical programme regardless of harrumphing senior civil servants. --David Stubbs

Synopsis
A two-tape package featuring the complete first series of the TV comedy 'Yes Prime Minister'. 8 episodes including: 'The Grand Design', 'The Ministerial Broadcast', 'The Smoke Screen', 'The Key', 'A Real Partnership', 'A Victory For Democracy', 'The Bishop's Gambit' and 'One Of Us'.

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Humphrey, Bernard and Jim: sure to all your comedy buttons!, 18 Feb 2003
Every episode of Yes, Minister was a delight to watch. It is quite astounding, therefore, that the creators managed to surpass all their earlier work with series one of Yes, Prime Minister. We are allowed a glimpse into the murky world that surrounds No 10 Downing Street and bear witness to the continuous battle between Westminster and Whitehall, between what is right and what is administratively practical. The issues discussed may be complex, but the jokes come thick and fast and hit the spot every time. Paul Eddington's Jim Hacker is a man who the audience is more than willing to empathise with, as he tries time and time again to get the upper hand over the power of the civil service. Derek Fowlds' Bernard Wooley is believable as the private secretary who is torn between his role as a member of the service and his loyalty to his Prime Minister. The late great Nigel Hawthorne is in a league of his own as the almost Iago-like Sir Humphrey Appleby. While the audience may feel distaste towards Humphrey's complete lack of principle ("I've never believed in anything my whole life"), we cannot help but be delighted by his magnificant ability to manipulate those around him. If you want a comedy series where the comedy is guaranteed to please and the actors are enchanting to watch, I would recommend series one of Yes, Prime Minister to you with all my heart!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Star Satire From Start to Finish!!, 7 Sep 2001
By A Customer
Absolutely wonderful acting, superb script and portrayal of life behind the scenes in government circles. I enjoyed this video series as much as the "Yes, Prime Minister" book and shared many hours of viewing laughter with my family. Along similar satirical laugh-lines, I would very much like to recommend, MANAGEMENT BY VICE, at present still a witty-sharp book, but which in the mind's eye plays much like a fast-paced "Yes, Prime Minister" video. With candid and hilarious flair it describes "behind-the-bench" R&D scenes in a typical American high-tech company with assorted bombastic, bungling managers and frustrated technical staff, struggling to salvage their inventions from a short-sighted hierarchy rife with company politics! Thanks BCC and cheers for "Yes, Prime Minister". Please let's see more of such great humor on video!
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, 5 Feb 2001
By A Customer
This is a truly brilliant collection of one of the most skillfully written satires in TV history. It contains some classic episodes such as 'The Key', displaying the tremendous acting skills of its stars as well as the brilliant writing style of Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. This is a series which demands a place in any self-respecting video collection.
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5.0 out of 5 stars An all-time great
Anybody who doesn't get this is either severely lacking the intellect to understand the big words or has had a humour-bypass because it stands alongside the likes of Only Fools.. Read more
Published on 7 Jul 2000 by oldstuff

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