Delivery on that "The Russians are too strong" line is just perfect

@SierraSierraFoxtrot

2 жыл бұрын

A true word spoken in jest.

@alexbraun2243

2 жыл бұрын

The afghans are too strong

@jimtaylor294

2 жыл бұрын

Quite the contrast to the Russo-Japanese War, where the Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron almost had to fight a British fleet many times it size.

@izaakwedgwood9153

2 жыл бұрын

@@alexbraun2243 to paraphrase a historical saying the real issue is that the afghans are too poor

@Squashed8Ball

2 жыл бұрын

Only the Kremlin knows ..

only the kremlin was the most perfect line in anything ever

Hacker: Who knows Foreign Office secrets other than the Foreign Office? Bernard: That's easy. The Kremlin. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@baardkopperud

2 жыл бұрын

There's another episode where (I think) they talk about weapons-systems, and Bernard says something along the line of "The Kremlin knows before the information trickles down to us at Number 10".

@vastariner

2 жыл бұрын

I often wonder whether the series were broadcast in the Soviet Union. The programme was never insulting of the USSR, but acknowledged its much greater power. I reckon Brezhnev would have loved it.

@RonJohn63

2 жыл бұрын

The Foreign Office (and the US State Department) were always full of Commies and sympathizers.

@maximbravo6835

2 жыл бұрын

@@vastariner no, it was never broadcast there until late 90’s when the Soviet Union was dead and gone.

@qichen85

2 жыл бұрын

@@vastariner Not sure about Russia, but the Series made at least partial runs in China until the chief translator died, so the rest of the series was delayed until 1990s. Fun fact, the first translator for the book series of Yes Minister to Chinese is by Cheng Hong. She is the wife of Li Keqiang, who is the current Premier of the People's Republic of China. The yes minister series is considered one of the most popular British series in China, potentially even beating out 007.

Haha, "Who knows foreign office secrets, apart from the foreign office? Oh that's easy; only the Kremlin". Absolute gold.

Hacker: "Now look Humphrey, just who does the Foreign Office work for?" Humphrey: "Themselves"

"We must defend democracy, its freedoms and the people who hold them, wherever they may be found...assuming we can actually find them in the first place."

@seanmoran6510

2 жыл бұрын

People love Big Brother

@jamesnewcomer4939

2 жыл бұрын

@@seanmoran6510 Big Brother...at that level of competence...is loved by ALL the people they can't even find on a map!

@xsu-is7vq

2 жыл бұрын

or more precisely “assuming we want to find them”

RIP such intelligent and well-written comedy. And also to the wonderful 3 actors who delivered it so perfectly.

I have always been saddened by how short this series was. I can only rewatch so many times and I keep wanting more! Such a classic

@andyhannon255

2 жыл бұрын

While I agree with you in principal. Creative energy is hard to keep up. I would rather have a short banger of a show than a show that starts strong but trails off in quality :)

@beachbum4691

2 жыл бұрын

@@andyhannon255 I very reluctantly agree, brilliance that tapers off to mediocrity is worse than frustration at too few episodes :(

@TheNefastor

2 жыл бұрын

@@andyhannon255 guys, 3 seasons is very respectable already 😊

@Rapscallion2009

2 жыл бұрын

Yep. But that's true of a lot of classic British shows. Fawlty towers. Monty python. The trend today seems to be to keep going indefinitely long after the premise is mined out. I like the approach breaking bad took - told the story, ended it and did spin offs with new characters.

@TheNefastor

2 жыл бұрын

@@Rapscallion2009 Babylon 5 did something similar : wrapped up nicely at a conclusion that was written before they started filming season 1. The spin-off didn't pan out, unfortunately.

2:06 - “The Indian Ocean…” Luke’s contempt for their naivety and ignorance 😂😂

the actors who played Sir Humphrey, Jim Hacker and Sir Bernard are all gone now. this was a much love, well acted and well written comedy of the 1980s. Margaret Thatcher's favourite tv show, apparently

@lomax343

2 жыл бұрын

John Nettleton is still going strong at 92. Somehow it's not surprising to see Sir Arnold out-living everyone.

@SamvedIyer

2 жыл бұрын

@@lomax343 He must certainly have outsmarted the god of death to still be going strong.

@fitrianhidayat

2 жыл бұрын

she probably declared it so to make it all looks like nothing but a mere jokes that doesn't reflect reality

@titanuranus3095

2 жыл бұрын

At least she is also gone, to there is some silver lining

@blueberry7keys

Жыл бұрын

Bernard was given a knighthood??

Nothing has changed! This series was very well researched and stands scrutiny today!

@AzguardMike

2 жыл бұрын

in the doccumentry on the dvd, they said how they actually had 3 leaks from number 10 feeding them files on things that happened. The episodes are based off actual things. Theres also a awards clip on youtube where they interview two of the MP's who leaked things and they compare Hacker and Humphrey to other PM's and ministers in the late 80s and 90's and its terrifying how close to real it is. Complete with the whole "avoiding the question by playing for time, talking nonesense and rewording the question etc"

@beckyenglish4783

2 жыл бұрын

Yes - it’s scary how little has changed.

@differous01

2 жыл бұрын

The plants are much Greener now than then, and less subtle (the one No10 having recently born fruit).

@ProbablyNotLegit

2 жыл бұрын

It's said that Thatcher was an avid viewer and wanted to write an episode herself - there are photos somewhere but I'm not sure if they were doctored

@sampuatisamuel9785

2 жыл бұрын

@@AzguardMike Well if they are based on leaks from No 10, then of course it's very close to the truth

I love it when Bernard sounds like Humphrey

@stephenphillip5656

2 жыл бұрын

He was learning from the master....

One of the finest documentaries ever!

I love how frantic they were spinning that globe trying to find the island 😅

I just love "the enemy knows our secrets better than we do" jokes.

Probably one of the greatest comedies ever. Well written, brilliantly acted and so true then and now. It was said to be Mrs Thatchers favourite TV show. They can’t do anything this good now.

@barryfoster453

2 жыл бұрын

God forbid the BBC doing a Yes, Prime Minister now! I think we can all guess who/what the characters would be. I just watched Mrs Wilson on Netflix, and saw the BBC's agenda on display - and it's set in 1960!

@andrew7taylor

2 жыл бұрын

They did do something this good. The Thick of It (and the movie In the Loop). As well written, brilliantly acted and true.

@beachbum4691

2 жыл бұрын

@@barryfoster453 God forbid indeed, such a series with Boris in charge would be a worry indeed.......

@matthewcampbell7286

2 жыл бұрын

@@barryfoster453 It could be done. just get peter capaldi and basically do a version of "The Thick of It"

@judiththomas9995

Жыл бұрын

Nothing like it these days.... If there was anything half as good it would be cancelled for being offensively good.

Bernard just proved he can be successor to Humphrey

“The Russians are too strong” resonates with me today (the day russia invaded ukraine)

@georgemorley1029

2 жыл бұрын

And yet they’re not actually that good at fighting. Their logistics has failed, their command and control is a joke, and they’re only succeeding at indiscriminately shelling and bombarding civilian populations that can’t fight back. Their only hope to stop NATO rolling up all their conventional forces is to wave tactical nukes around to de-escalate their losses, i.e. a big man being beaten up by a smaller boxer threatening to pull the pin out on a grenade.

@andrewsuryali8540

2 жыл бұрын

@@georgemorley1029 You've just perfectly described the US military for the past 20 years. By this measure the Russians must be incredibly powerful indeed.

@user-ym9rv4ur3i

2 жыл бұрын

​@@andrewsuryali8540 The US military was extremely effective in the actual invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan; they just failed miserably at building a replacement government. American (and NATO) air power is simply overwhelming and they would have easily achieved complete air superiority by now. Civilian deaths are pretty much unavoidable in any sort of urban combat, but the US also has much more precise munitions and consequently there's less collateral damage. Russian artillery is incredibly powerful but can't be effective without also hitting high numbers of civilians. Russia's already lost about as many men as the US did over the past 20 years (~6,000), and the actual invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan combine to less than 200 American deaths. Russia hasn't even defeated Ukrainian regular forces, let alone destroyed an insurgency and installed a viable puppet government.

@VodShod

2 жыл бұрын

@@user-ym9rv4ur3i the US military is like the kid at the beach who is skilled at getting past people to kick down their sand castles, but the sand castle they make is so unstable it falls apart from the gust of wind made by another kid who was planning on kicking it down.

@deafshark9932

2 жыл бұрын

@@user-ym9rv4ur3i Hundred of thousands of Iraqis has been killed in a span of one month during Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL), the Russians have more soldiers killed by Ukranians than civilian casualties. That alone means that the US does not care about civilian casualties no matter how accurate their munitions are.

*2022* "We should defend the weak against the strong!" "Then why don't we send troops to Ukraine to fight the Russians?" "...The Russians are too strong."

@johoreanperson8396

2 жыл бұрын

Or they have nukes

@ErikPT

2 жыл бұрын

@@johoreanperson8396 Yeah, it's literally the end of the world lol

" He's A Plant !" Should We Water Him ??

St George's Island is a parody of Grenada who's capital is St George's.

@roadwarrior144

2 жыл бұрын

Oh…..(goes to fetch a globe)

@randomactpg57

2 жыл бұрын

Huh. Cool. I always thought St. Georges was a metaphor for The Falklands

@mizzyroro

2 жыл бұрын

@@randomactpg57 the Soviets had nothing to do with the Falklands. The democratically elected government of Grenada was overthrown by a Cuban/Soviet backed communist regime in 1979.

@mizzyroro

2 жыл бұрын

@@roadwarrior144 @Robert Mintun 1:28 when they start their search the part of the globe facing the camera is the Caribbean. St George's Island is in the Arabian Sea, Grenada is in the Caribbean Sea. Soviet Controlled Afghanistan is north of St George's Island and Soviet controlled Cuba is north of Grenada. They both are believed to be geo-strategic objectives for Soviet control. Finally, 2:00 the camera is again pointing on the Caribbean on the globe. If you follow the details of St George's Island in this episode there are striking similarities with the Grenada revolution not the least is the name of St George's which is the capital of Grenada. That's the clincher for me. Some believe that it is referring to the Maldives which does have a similar history but Grenada is a former British colony and although attained independence in 1974 from Britain, the queen is still it's head of state as it is a constitutional monarchy and member of the Commonwealth. So the foreign office would have a keen interest in Grenada as it did in St George's Island. As a matter of fact, the Governor General of Grenada, the queen's representative, was placed under house arrest during the Grenada revolution.

@PulkitAgrawal1999

2 жыл бұрын

Never heard of Grenada.

Luke lingering in the background is perfect lol

Humphrey, are you saying that Britain should not support law and justice? No prime minister, we shouldn't let it affect our foreign policy. That's Glasgow COP summit in a nutshell. Not only for Britain

Surely one of the most finely-scripted TV shows of all time..

@tonyb9735

2 жыл бұрын

Unquestionably, and widely recognised as such.

I absolutely adore this show,its a shame that comedy is no longer this amazing.

@Terrorrai1

2 жыл бұрын

Once you realise it's real, it's not as funny anymore

@davidwuhrer6704

2 жыл бұрын

@@Terrorrai1 Well, it's only funny because it's true.

"Only the Kremlin" - underrated line.

@nathanwilliams2152

9 ай бұрын

Would you add the CIA and Tianenmen Gate to that list as of 2023?

Hacker was a noble politician, he wanted what was best for democracy and British people while Humphrey is the establishment doing whats best for His high class chums and way of living. This is why I like the characters, Hacker is a man looking at politics with Rose tinted glasses whil Humphrey does everything in His power to take those glasses off and make Hacker step in line. Then we have Bernard the middle man agreeing with both sides but also giving great insight to the topic at hand. A great trio, the Good, the bad and the Bernard

@stuartd9741

2 жыл бұрын

@randomguy8196 I think any politician would have to be an opportunist. See also; Boris Johnson. Question is: does Humphrey over step the mark. In other words, prevents Hacker achieving his goals..

@stuartd9741

2 жыл бұрын

The big question in real life. Who runs the country. Politicans or civil servants ?

@richardlloyd2589

2 жыл бұрын

@@stuartd9741 They will each both tell you that the other does.

@GoldenSunAlex

2 жыл бұрын

@randomguy8196 That's the problem with democracy. An elected politician will genuinely believe that simply by getting in power and stopping the opposition enacting their policies, he is serving the country. That will always be the first priority. Enacting his policies is secondary - the most important thing is to stop the opposition from damaging the country.

@reddwarfer999

Жыл бұрын

@@GoldenSunAlex This seems more prevalent in the US than the UK but everytime a President from the other party is elected the first thing they want to do is to reverse all the policies of the previous administration rather than coming up with new ideas of their own.

Their skill as actors is clearly shown in how they keep a straight face.

This series is never loses its relevancy or its talent to amuse. A razor sharp disection of political pitfalls combined with brilliant casting. Sir Humphrey represents a timeless governmental position well portrayed by Charles Dickens (who began his career as a parliamentary reporter, as "The Circumlocution Office" whose only purpose is to explain why things cannot be done, or (in some remote reality) CAN be done but shouldnt be.!!

I'm 43 and I have the entire series on Audiobook. I've listened to it dozens of times and quote this series regularly... much to the ignorance of my friends. Such brilliant writing and political satirisation... it is all still relevant to government today (2024).

Writing and delivery make or break any show. Yes, minister has both in heaps of quality!

“Shall we look at the globe 🌏 “ how wonderfully old-fashioned. Missing globes 😁

"The Russians are too strong." 🤣🤣🤣

Bernard had such terrific lines. I wonder how many takes that one took.

Such an incredibly well written show... Excellent ensemble, brilliant acting, etc. Nothing on TV even today even compares....

I believe that scene about the prime minster searching for an small country on the globe is a reenactment of something that either happened in No. 10, or was rumored to have happened.

@RJSRdg

2 жыл бұрын

Much of the series was. Certainly the "communications room" at the Qimrani Embassy and the hospital that was full of administrators but had no medical staff were absolutely true - except that in the case of the latter, it was actually six hospitals!

Before Google Maps!! LOL!!

One of the episodes where Hacker gets one over on everyone, thanks to a little intelligence from Israel.

0:36 - 0:45 I LOVE this part.

Such brilliant acting - every one of them gone now: you really don't know what you've got till it's gone. Brilliant writing, too - not to mention highly topical.

MONICA GELLER: They don't know that we know!! LOL!!

One of the best documentaries ever made.

amazing how relevant this old satire is in 2022. I need to buy the whole series!

@stephenphillip5656

Жыл бұрын

Available on DVD.

abosolutly topqualety intertainent wirh fantastic dialog. Bedst serie ever with the brdst actors ever !!!

Got to be the most cleverest,funniest and intelligent comedy in tv history without doubt..an absolute masterclass of a show..

@stephenphillip5656

Жыл бұрын

...which is why we'll never see its like again. The "Race To The Bottom" in "comedy" (& many other facets of TV output) has seen to that. "Love Island".....I rest my case.🙄

Nothing changes, just the names and situations. 😆❤️

That's easy, only the Kremlin Pissed myself

When the BBC did programmes worth watching.

@beckyenglish4783

2 жыл бұрын

Yes - just imagine the BBC doing something like this now!

Brilliant!

Priceless!!!

Fortunately have box set of both Yes Minister and Prime Minister

BRILLIANT!!!!

Only the Kremlin had me laughing for ages.

The writers of this series were soooooooo far ahead of the time, yet here we are on 2022 and nothing has changed, well other than the Politicians who have now been for some time what I refer to as Pondlifeticians.

such a great docuseries

Bernard’s long & winded sentence here are resembling Sir Humphrey’s long winded ones. Brilliant.

@reddwarfer999

Жыл бұрын

I was expection Hacker to say something along the lines of - You sound more like Sir Humprey than he does!

Bernard did not know the location of Upper Volta as well

@io4439

2 жыл бұрын

Ouagadougou to you too 😎

@andyray89

2 жыл бұрын

@@io4439 I see your Ouagadougou and raise you an N'Djamena

@paimanish

2 жыл бұрын

Nor did he know the capital of Chad

Never never gets old

As time goes by , this became more and more real...

Line "Russian are too strong" has aged too well. 🙏

@ElBandito

5 ай бұрын

Aged like milk. Russia has shown itself to be a joke--far cry from its SU days.

A comedy like this couldn’t exist today

Our current Foreign Secretary thinks Australia is in the Atlantic Ocean, and our last Foreign Secretary didn’t know what Dover is or does. 🤔

@highpath4776

2 жыл бұрын

Well Dover is in England and therefore not relevant for the FO ?

@stuartd9741

2 жыл бұрын

You think that's ok for a minister, in let's be said, high profile government position doesn't know where Dover is. More importantly it's function? In respect of [facilitation of ] the economy.??

@666Tomato666

2 жыл бұрын

​@@highpath4776 I would say that one of the most important links with the continent, and home of the authority responsible for the Strait of Dover is very much in the purview of the FO

@ThinPicks

5 ай бұрын

@@666Tomato666 Still the busiest passenger port in Europe (possibly the world), not to mention the illegals on the boats!☹️

3:35 Bernard about "unknown unknowns".

So true

Obviously Bernard was Rumsfeld’s private tutor.

I wonder how Jim Hacker would have handled the current crisis in the Ukraine?

Do you understand - Yes. No! 😆😆😆

_Russia has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last 400 years: to acquire a warm water port. In that cause, they built St. Petersburg and Vladivostok, kept Kaliningrad and the Kurils after the war, attempted to fight through to the Persian Gulf, made friends with Iran, and have taken Sebastopol._

Luke creeps up like a panther on its prey…

Brilliant. From those long distant days when the BBC had the balls to speak the truth!

Is the episode title and number somewhere in the details?

Babara Castle wrote in her book about the civil service..this program was spot on

The novelization had Hacker say some fairly nasty things about Luke. He called him an Aryan that Hitler would be proud of! XD

@Ghurshah

Жыл бұрын

What else do they say about Luke ? Why is he so sure the Russians would not have invaded Pakistan?

@ackbarfan5556

Жыл бұрын

@@Ghurshah Mostly just what he is, a slimy little spy for the Foreign Office. As for the Pakistan situation, the Soviets were having trouble holding Afghanistan; Pakistan is much larger and has a bigger population that would do much of the same; plus the US would probably intervene.

Sitcom pure gold end of

If that is a serious question BBC, the serious reply has to be ~ pay attention

The writers wrote timeless dialogues, "Russians are too strong", is going to happen soon for Ukraine...poor Ukrainians...

😂😂😂

>Hesitance towards taking on Russia >Foreign office wanting to attack Zionism How topical

Clive Francis is brilliant as ever 😂

still relevant today

At last something is made clear, if any senior minister in the British government needs to know something of consequence with regard the British foreign policy he can go through the usual channels which could take months, or he could contact any British spies operating within the Kremlin who would sensibly be able to supply the real answer in a matter of hours. Most helpful. (You know I'm right) and you're quite correct, I don't drink enough of the modern world either................ ;)

😆😂🤣

Clive Francis has an amazing voice.

Days before Google! 😀

And that is why you have a red phone to your enemy.

The technology may have moved on in 4 decades……but the mindset hasn’t!

@tonyb9735

2 жыл бұрын

Back then, it was assumed that the Prime Minister was ineffective but basically honest and trying to do the best thing for the country. That's changed.

" the lifeline of the wast"

"the Indian....Ocean"...

what does it say about hoomans that the truth always must be hidden in "comedy"!?

That's easy - only the Kremlin 😁😁

I do wonder if the Russian government personnel enjoys this programme as much as we do!

Seems the current Foreign Sec is living up to that depiction

The more the things change more they stay same

Only the Kremlin 🤣

American produces The West Wing: see noble character of Big Chief, Mr. President, and his team fighting for justice. Britain produces Yes Prime Minister: see a bunch of fools.

I am so glad that the fake laughter cue has gone away, imagine if Dr Who had the laughter cue, it would ruin the entire series

The plants are much Greener now than then, and less subtle (the one at No.10 having recently born fruit).

We now know there have always been known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns. Rumsfeld probably liked this show. But we don't know for sure. It might be an unknown known.

@davidwuhrer6704

2 жыл бұрын

We may never know, unless we do, in which case we will have known all along. But for now we must resign to our knowing that we don't know if we'll ever know if we will have known now that we have known after all, whether we will have known or not.

@benzen1904

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidwuhrer6704 Roland Kirk who was a fabulous multi-instrumentalist (he could play 3 saxophones simultaneously) AND blind said: The Nose Knows. I think that solves the riddle. But Rumsfeld didn’t know that.

@davidwuhrer6704

2 жыл бұрын

@@benzen1904 A classic case of an unknown known.

@benzen1904

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidwuhrer6704 Yet, modern cases will have it that it is all a matter of know how and know when or as Charles Mingus put it: New Now Know How Is that unbeknownst to you?

@davidwuhrer6704

2 жыл бұрын

@@benzen1904 And how.

Uhhhh....yes

@highpath4776

2 жыл бұрын

Another one of the known unknowns lines.

interesting you should say that about Afghanistan

@davidwuhrer6704

2 жыл бұрын

It was never under Soviet control, but it did have a treaty of friendship with Russia dating back to when the British Empire invaded Afghanistan. Twice. The Soviet Union decided to honour that treaty when the democratically elected Afghan government asked them for help against religious fanatics from Pakistan recruited by the CIA. I think we all know how that turned out.