The "neck-hanging" gesture is referring to "honours", like "K.B.E" (Knight of the Order of the Brirish Empire"), which are notionally hung round necks or pinned on the bosom. Humphrey already has a number which he wants to display with pride. Honours will come up again with their own episode.
@Keith Beall Sir Humphrey is already Sir in this episode. He wants an upgrade to an even higher Order of honours... The ultimate is Order of the Garter
@@hoorooblu I can't remember what Knighthood he currently holds at this point in the series but it isn't Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael & St George (GCMC: God Calls Me God).
You'll find throughout Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister series that sometimes Jim Hacker wins in an episode, and sometimes Humphrey wins. That's part of the enjoyment that you're not sure who is going to come out on top. Thanks for doing these reactions. Very enjoyable watching these again.
What I always loved with Yes Minister was how everyone has their price, and you can imagine this to be so accurate. Politicians, Civil servants, union leaders, the press, the BBC, the Church of England, the EU, literally everyone could be bribed 🤣
KBE means Knight of the British Empire. Bernard mentioned earlier that Humphrey is in line to getting this honour (order/medal), so Hacker mentioned it to him at the end to suggest that he could use his influence to speed up Humphrey receiving it. He effectively bribed Humphrey with the medal and title. That's why he says "everyone has his price". The President gets his essentially free oil rigs, Hacker avoids a diplomatic desaster and saves the scottish elections for his party and Humphrey gets his desired status upgrade. They are all joined in corruption.
"Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire", A small correction, but a vital one if you want to understand what the various awards are. Many people say someone got the "OBE" - Order of the British Empire; but it ACTUALLY stands for "Officer of the Order of the British Empire". Without the correct names, you cannot workoit what the relative value of the MBE, OBE, CBE and BE are.
A By-election is a constituency (special) election held outside a General Election because the 'seat' has become vacant by way of retirement, resignation or death of the sitting member of parliament; it's rare for these by-elections to bunch but it can happen if there are scandals involving a number of MPs.
Or after a change of government at a general election (which happened at the start of Yes Minister) when there can be a group of retirements from the former government now in opposition leading to a bunch of by-elections on the same day.
Or MP's are offered Diplomatic Posts, you win government and have a bunch of people from one of the other party factions you want to move aside in they are senior and old enough you send them off to the Lords, if they are not you make them Ambassadors or back then pack them off to the EU Parliament, their Seats become Vacant and you have to hold what the Yanks call a "Special Election".
"This show is so awesome because it's not even satire, it's real." You are so right - it was Margaret Thatcher's favourite show. She said it was the closest portrayal of the British Civil Service she had ever seen.
Unfortunately I think our western leaders (certainly in Australia) are now using it as a training tool. I can’t believe how many press statements in the last 2 years have been almost direct quotes.
tended to use that for a telly that failed to work, the picture would come up, then collapse back down again, a swift hand slap to the right hand side fixed it for a while.
I live in Queensland in Australia.. the State Government here recently announced they have scrapped a Parliamentary rule that required all Cabinet deliberations to remain secret for 30 years and have introduced a rule to release Cabinet deliberations after 30 days. The reasons for the 30 year rule were all about privacy and protection of sensitive matters, the reality was no politician or public servant was likely to still be in the job 30 years later and couldn’t be held responsible for what happened and it could be fobbed off with well , that wasn’t us,that was a previous Government and it’s all in the past .
At 08:12 when Jim Hacker says about Scotland: “It’s the pink bit about 2 feet (on the map) above Potters Bar”. He’s being sarcastic about Humphrey’s disdain for anything outside of London. Potters Bar is in Hertfordshire on the borders of North London.
Freddie Laker was an entrepreneur who shook up the largely Government owned and run airline industry by founding Skytrain, intended to be a budget walk on-walk off operation. Huge resistance from all the big boys but he fought his way through and it was a great success to begin with.
Yes, when I got the DVD box, I was surprised at first that the intro for the first episode was different. "Have they changed that classic intro for the DVD release??" is what I wondered, thinking maybe that there might have been some rights issues. I was very relieved when the second episode's intro was as I remembered it.
What was amazing about the very first viewings of Yes Minister etc, was that it was just uncanny how we watched any episode about a particular topic and the national press reported on something in real life during the next week or so. The writers really knew how Humphrey's department, etc. went in real life. And over the years it was shown it got 'worse'...wonderful!
A By-election fills an unexpected vacancy in Parliament during the interval between General Elections. You probably have a different word for the same thing.
Hey glad to get your reaction. Glad you get the Bernard/Bernet thing, I can accept that as I now know you get it etc etc. Just keep on reacting and enjoying. In very recent days, this has taken on even more relevance. Keep on reacting on...
much better than EP1 , the visual and verbal interaction comes into its own , with a belivable plotline while still introducing the machinations of state, etc.
A By election, an election to replace an MP who resigns, dies or for any reason has to be replaced before a General Election when the country as a whole elects a full set of MPs.
When I lived in China one engineer told me it was his favorite show. Likewise dubbed into Chinese but after the first few episodes the CCP banned the show and all books. The penny had dropped this show is not just about UK politics but could be applied to all politics including Chinese.
9:24 He was asking if Humphrey had many honours to his name. He made the hang gesture to indicate chains, and badges, which people with honours often wear at official meetings.
Yes, but this young man is patently one very smart guy. His desire to learn the arcane and vernacular is commendable and he realises that, once learnt, can be so rewarding. As an example, I recall an episode of Friends where Phoebe uses The Louisiana Purchase as a 'punchline' which prompted me to read up on it. What an interesting episode of America's history that was. So of course, he misses a few things but that is far outweighed by the value of what he learns.
Making your own point is can be but not always the same as missing someone else's. Two people can make two different points in the same conversation and still have it be a reasonable discussion, one emphasis placed on info not always being relevant to the audience, and another on how irrelevant information not always staying irrelevant.
Some things have changed, others haven't, but politics will forever be politics, even when what we argue over is fundamentally different. Throughout both history and prehistory, humans have discussed, argued and occasionally resolved ( in spirit but not letter) situations, opinions and opportunities, and regardless of who's doing this, whether it's the church, the government or average people, it stays relevant.
Sir Humphrey is against the proposal set by the president (an implied despot or dictator) up until the point where he is made to realise that he will be more likely to get another medal or title if he can stop him from making an embarrassing speech. That is essentially all you need to understand about the episode and most specifically the last few seconds of it. In a sense, this central theme is an inversion of what you saw in the pilot: there, Hacker was trying to stop a deal going ahead with another country (in that case, the US) that would appear to put British jobs at risk and Humphrey was in favour of it, or at least used it as a means to dispel Hacker's view of "open government". Here, Hacker wants to go ahead with a deal with another country (Burundi) and Humphrey is against it, but Hacker uses Humphrey's one weakness to get him to use his superior skills at diplomacy. This is probably why you like Bernard the most out of the characters: in a sense we *are* him, watching the constant manipulation and power play between his superiors directed at each other. He has the function of interjecting to voice concerns (often comically) with their arguments and raising the same questions we want to ask them and then, whenever you ask yourself whether Humphrey or Hacker is "right" (whether politically, morally or simply within the logic of the storyline), he either steps out of the room or remains silent.
You could look at an old UK TV series called house of cards it had a recent US remake set in the American political arena but the British original was excellent it was played straight no comedy but had some amazing dramatic points namely a comment made which passed in to actual political parlance “ you might very well think that, I couldn’t possibly comment”
Having watched both versions, whilst essentially telling the same story, I felt the US version had much higher production values and was a much better show as a result.
I wouldn't say that it had no comedy at all. It was all slightly exaggerated, and had some very dark humour, what with the main character being an outright villain. His name was Francis Urquhart in the British original, while his counterpart in the American remake was Frank Underwood. In either case, the initials were FU. Was that intentional? Well, "you may very well think so. I couldn't possibly comment." 😏
A "bye election", is where a new member of parliament elected outside of the normal General Election timing, usually because of the death or resignation of the previous member
To your point about politicians and the civil servants who actually work in government you have watch the episode about public access and security. I think it is called The Need to Know or something like that.
Well put, @stephendisraeli1143. And I also like the last scene particularly, because it's so well-planned and all gets pulled together. Apart from using his speech, Charlie is doing what Jim said he used to do at university, keeping people a bit off-balance. Couple other things you were asking about, @McJibbin . . . Yes, Buranda is fictitious but probably meant to sound a bit like Burundi. Re by-elections, each of the members of Britain's Parliament represents a certain area (electorate, or seat, or constituency). When one of them dies, or resigns, or gets "kicked upstairs" to the House of Lords or whatever, a by-election is held in their electorate to elect a new member there. So it isn't a full general election. Having a big reception in the region (including the monarch) is likely to sway some votes. And at 25:30, Charlie is making clear he knows why the reception is being held in Scotland at just that time. Yes, 14:22 is a play on the n-word, although the play is on the fact that Jim doesn't know the meaning of "enigma". The n-word is disparaging and racist, but doesn't invoke the same viscerality as in the US. And very well anticipated regarding the Ireland reference at 20:25!
TUC is the Trades Union Congress, the body that represents Trade Unions nationally. The CBI is the Confederation of British Industry, which represents big business.
The thing is that Sir Humphry doesn't represent conspiracy as much as reality. Part of his job is making sure that a moron politician can't burn down the whole country on a whim.
Yes it is timeless and universal, in fact Margaret Thatcher the British prime minister at the time, thought the programme was totally accurate, she did a re-enactment and appeared with the actors.
I love that you struggle with 'Bernard'......I did too when I lived in the States. We both have same spelling but you emphasise the second syllable and here we emphase the and totally swallow the second - in posh circles anyway. So try doing that and it will sound good here. (I remembered to spend time on the second syllable, with a very long aaarrrd at the end in the US)
With respect to your comment about the Civil servants telling the minister that he can’t do something he was elected to do. In one of the episodes to come Bernard asks a similar question to Humphrey. Humphrey explains that if the Civil Service shifted and embraced the leanings of the government of the day they would bounce back and forth to the Left and the politically Right depending on the Government Party. To take an issue from the USA, the day before the election the Civil Service might be totally in favour of Gun Control and then totally against Gun Control after the election for no other reason than the other party won. So their job in the Civil Service is not to tell the new government what they can or can’t do but to predict the likely outcome of a particular decision. The negotiation in this episode is a prime example. Humphrey never said the minister cannot agree to this loan request, he pointed out that an interest free loan is like lending them twice the money they are asking for and only half will be paid back. The Civil Service does not determine which way the “Ship of Government” turns but it does try to steer it away from the rocks that will sink it.
ive no idea why you dont shoot these videos as a livestreams, at least then viewers could interact with you and tell you all the bits you dont understand.
@@Steve-gc5nt he has done Google searches in the past but it is distracting from the flow of the reaction, so it’s good that he uses his judgement on whether or not to do a Google search.
I think the gesture at the neck was pretend-tugging on a white bow-tie, which is what you wear with extraordinarily fancy white-tie suits to formal events at the highest level of society. The referral to the Honours List - receiving a knightship or lordship - comes just after the tugging gesture at both sides of the throat.
...no, he is referring to Honour medals, which are worn around the neck. Lesser status medals are worn pinned over the heart, which is the preceeding motion. Jim is asking if Humpy has received any such awards, which is why Bernard replies 'several, and he's on the list for a KBE this year.' a line which makes zero sense if you think Jim is talking about a bowtie.
I get exactly what you were saying at the end. The pretense of democracy, not in that the people most voted for don't end up in the top jobs, but in that the country isn't really run by those that win elections, but by those already in positions of power that don't have to be elected every 4 years.
Conor, re your commentary at the end , yes I get your gist ! It comes down to three phrases . 1. Real Politique. 2. Vested interests and 3. Pragmatism All 3 are what normally proves insurmountable to zealous new reformer politicians who’s vision normally gets watered down over time , just like Jim Hacker in the tv series 👍🏴
Civil servants at Humphrey’s level were often awarded “honours “ by her majesty. They are letters after your name. One of the most often used is OBE. Order of the British empire. You can google them all. You will have noticed that Humphrey is a Knight. Sir Humphrey! Similarly another honour. You really must distinguish between civil servants and Ministers who are elected politicians elevated by the Prime Minister into running Departments of State which is what Jim does. Until the programme becomes yes PM when his colleagues elect him to the top job. He then elects to promote Humphrey an£ Bernard to his officials in his new job.
Wow, that's a great selection of British comedies that you intend viewing. Much for us to enjoy therefore too - Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Peep Show, Inbetweeners. Excellent , perfect imo, if you also do Alan Partridge, and The Office, (original, UK, version). 👍👍👍
A by-election is where a 'sitting' MP dies, resigns or is removed (usually due to criminal activity). There is then a vacancy in the constituency and a mini election is called to replace the departed MP. It is quite common for the governing party to loose these as a protest vote.
Conor , a by-election is an election for an MP that is out with normal time term of office . Usually these occur when a sitting incumbent dies or resigns during his term , usually due to a scandal OR in some cases when a sitting MP suddenly decided he wants to swap parties and feels he needs to legitimise that change by resigning and forcing another vote . 👍🏴
No, you're right about "Bernard" - we don't pronounce it the way Americans do. This side of the Atlantic the emphasis is on the "Bern" part whereas you put the stress on the "nard" bit. So the British style sounds sort of "BERN-ud" whereas the American style is almost French - "Ber-NARD".
Did remind me of the fact that the U.S. Govt. gives Israel, despite that country having a GDP similar to that of Spain, a substantial amount of foreign aid which, in turn, they use to purchase American arms, thereby actually subsidising the U.S . arms industry with American tax payers' money. Who in America has interests in the companies that produce weaponry of all types one can only speculate!
The mime was medals and honours, where they are normally worn on the chest and around the neck. A by election is an election for a single seat in the House of Commons outside of the normal general election. They are normally an excuse to vote against the government and embarrass them.
If the elected politicians know little about their jobs when they become ministers, then perhaps it is just as well that there are experienced and knowledgable civil servants in their offices to explain and actually run things. Which is what this sitcom is about, I guess.
If an MP pops his socks between general elections, or otherwise becomes indisposed, there has to be a by election in his constituency, to elect his replacement.
A by-election is when a single MP is elected for a constituency, due to the incumbents death, elevation to the House of Lords etc. it would be equivalent to a single seat in the House of Representatives being decided on its own.
Jim’s concern for his Political Party ( American equivalent, Democrats and Republicans) is in conflict with his role in the Government. Humphrey is rarely interested in Party politics, it doesn’t matter which colour is in government. Jim see’s the visit of the African leader in Scotland rather than England as a plus for his Party because there are marginal seats there ( regions where MP’s seats are vigorously contested as only a few votes separate the fighting parties)
By-election is an election for a parliamentary seat outside a general election caused by maybe the death of the present incumbent, or some other reason why they can't perform their duty as a member of parliament
Politicians join a system that was set up many hundreds of years ago and that system was designed to maintain the elite in their elite position and the people really are just a cog in that system .The neck reference was an indication of rewards such as K.G.B. or a Knighthood that further enhance the elite ,which are also handed to ordinary people in order that the rewards can continue and does not appear exclusive to the elite and makes the corrupt system workable in a democracy. This applies to all world leaders be they capitalist or communist.
The "neck-hanging" gesture is referring to "honours", like "K.B.E" (Knight of the Order of the Brirish Empire"), which are notionally hung round necks or pinned on the bosom. Humphrey already has a number which he wants to display with pride. Honours will come up again with their own episode.
Well said.
Humphrey is hoping to become Sir Humphrey
@Keith Beall Sir Humphrey is already Sir in this episode. He wants an upgrade to an even higher Order of honours... The ultimate is Order of the Garter
@@hoorooblu I can't remember what Knighthood he currently holds at this point in the series but it isn't Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael & St George (GCMC: God Calls Me God).
@@Kian2002 oh! 😂
I’m back to this channel because I hear you’re doing yes minister and no one else is doing it. PLEASE continue. It gets better and better.
Medals, honours.
You'll find throughout Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister series that sometimes Jim Hacker wins in an episode, and sometimes Humphrey wins. That's part of the enjoyment that you're not sure who is going to come out on top.
Thanks for doing these reactions. Very enjoyable watching these again.
What I always loved with Yes Minister was how everyone has their price, and you can imagine this to be so accurate.
Politicians, Civil servants, union leaders, the press, the BBC, the Church of England, the EU, literally everyone could be bribed 🤣
And atleast in one episode, if memory serves me, they both win in the end. :)
KBE means Knight of the British Empire. Bernard mentioned earlier that Humphrey is in line to getting this honour (order/medal), so Hacker mentioned it to him at the end to suggest that he could use his influence to speed up Humphrey receiving it. He effectively bribed Humphrey with the medal and title. That's why he says "everyone has his price". The President gets his essentially free oil rigs, Hacker avoids a diplomatic desaster and saves the scottish elections for his party and Humphrey gets his desired status upgrade. They are all joined in corruption.
KBE - Knight Commander of the British Empire - one of all sorts of awards and medals handed out to Important People like Humphrey.
"Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire", A small correction, but a vital one if you want to understand what the various awards are. Many people say someone got the "OBE" - Order of the British Empire; but it ACTUALLY stands for "Officer of the Order of the British Empire". Without the correct names, you cannot workoit what the relative value of the MBE, OBE, CBE and BE are.
@@martinbynion1589 I stand corrected.
"I know it's Burn-ahhhd" is an awesome clarification. Never change!
So funny, one of my all time favorite shows, and shines a light on the real workings of politics.
A By-election is a constituency (special) election held outside a General Election because the 'seat' has become vacant by way of retirement, resignation or death of the sitting member of parliament; it's rare for these by-elections to bunch but it can happen if there are scandals involving a number of MPs.
Or after a change of government at a general election (which happened at the start of Yes Minister) when there can be a group of retirements from the former government now in opposition leading to a bunch of by-elections on the same day.
Or MP's are offered Diplomatic Posts, you win government and have a bunch of people from one of the other party factions you want to move aside in they are senior and old enough you send them off to the Lords, if they are not you make them Ambassadors or back then pack them off to the EU Parliament, their Seats become Vacant and you have to hold what the Yanks call a "Special Election".
@@oneeyedrichmond death, elevation to the lords or retirement to the chiltern hundreds.
I loved your reaction when you understood Humphrey's long winded speech. It is a real coup if you can understand him.
Greatest sitcom ever imo. Even now i still laugh my arse off watching it
It's "bern-erd". There is an episode where Bernard explains the meanings of the honors.
"This show is so awesome because it's not even satire, it's real." You are so right - it was Margaret Thatcher's favourite show. She said it was the closest portrayal of the British Civil Service she had ever seen.
Always a joy to watch your reaction to this wonderful series. I hope you get to watch more and see how Hacker finally gets the top job.
Yes Minister/Prime Minister - part comedy part documentary.
Unfortunately I think our western leaders (certainly in Australia) are now using it as a training tool. I can’t believe how many press statements in the last 2 years have been almost direct quotes.
"On the blink" is a common idiom that means intermitantly faulty, think of an electic or neon light that keeps flickering on and off
Also known as 'On the Fritz' though that might not be an Americanism either. . .
tended to use that for a telly that failed to work, the picture would come up, then collapse back down again, a swift hand slap to the right hand side fixed it for a while.
I live in Queensland in Australia.. the State Government here recently announced they have scrapped a Parliamentary rule that required all Cabinet deliberations to remain secret for 30 years and have introduced a rule to release Cabinet deliberations after 30 days. The reasons for the 30 year rule were all about privacy and protection of sensitive matters, the reality was no politician or public servant was likely to still be in the job 30 years later and couldn’t be held responsible for what happened and it could be fobbed off with well , that wasn’t us,that was a previous Government and it’s all in the past .
At 08:12 when Jim Hacker says about Scotland: “It’s the pink bit about 2 feet (on the map) above Potters Bar”. He’s being sarcastic about Humphrey’s disdain for anything outside of London. Potters Bar is in Hertfordshire on the borders of North London.
There was also the Alf Garnett mentality at the time of "They're all heathens north of Potter's Bar, and the wogs start at Calais."
Well, a bit, it's mostly a rejoinder to Humphrey saying Buranda is the 'red bit two inches below the mediteranean"
@@Belzediel yes, you’re right, again!
Freddie Laker was an entrepreneur who shook up the largely Government owned and run airline industry by founding Skytrain, intended to be a budget walk on-walk off operation. Huge resistance from all the big boys but he fought his way through and it was a great success to begin with.
Until the banks asked for the loans to Laker Airways. I don't know if the big airlines had anything to do with it.
Ah, that classic caricature intro! Only began with the second episode but glad it remained!
Yes, when I got the DVD box, I was surprised at first that the intro for the first episode was different. "Have they changed that classic intro for the DVD release??" is what I wondered, thinking maybe that there might have been some rights issues. I was very relieved when the second episode's intro was as I remembered it.
Connor....here, BERnard, in the US, BerNARD. Same thing with Cyril, I think.
The cartoons at the start were done by Gerald Scarfe, who also worked with Pink Floyd on The Wall
By election: An MP has resigned their seat or has died. So the constituency holds an election for a new MP mid-parliament
Hilarious train scene - paying homage to the Marx Brothers ( "A Night at the Opera" ) 😂
That was quite tense with some twists and turns but was ultimately quite anti-climactic. I'm talking about Connor's sneeze attempt not Yes Minister 🤧
Hello from The Netherlands, thank you for the vid young sir.
What was amazing about the very first viewings of Yes Minister etc, was that it was just uncanny how we watched any episode about a particular topic and the national press reported on something in real life during the next week or so. The writers really knew how Humphrey's department, etc. went in real life. And over the years it was shown it got 'worse'...wonderful!
I cant beleive this is over 40 years old... its as fresh today as it was then (if you excuse the references to the period)..wonderful stuff.
That's both the blessing and curse of politics, is that it stays relevant both when you think it should and when you think it shouldn't.
Derek Fowlds (Bernard) tried to buy an original of one of the Scarfe caricatures and found he couldn't afford it.
A By-election fills an unexpected vacancy in Parliament during the interval between General Elections. You probably have a different word for the same thing.
I think the US term is Special Election.
Hey glad to get your reaction. Glad you get the Bernard/Bernet thing, I can accept that as I now know you get it etc etc. Just keep on reacting and enjoying. In very recent days, this has taken on even more relevance. Keep on reacting on...
much better than EP1 , the visual and verbal interaction comes into its own , with a belivable plotline while still introducing the machinations of state, etc.
LSE = London School of Economics. A recurring joke as it's not seen as on the same level as the other universities; both of them.
A By election, an election to replace an MP who resigns, dies or for any reason has to be replaced before a General Election when the country as a whole elects a full set of MPs.
It took me decades to get the Enigma joke.
This programme was dubbed into Russian and shown through the USSR. It became a firm favourite there. So Russian politicians are the same!
When I lived in China one engineer told me it was his favorite show. Likewise dubbed into Chinese but after the first few episodes the CCP banned the show and all books. The penny had dropped this show is not just about UK politics but could be applied to all politics including Chinese.
9:24 He was asking if Humphrey had many honours to his name. He made the hang gesture to indicate chains, and badges, which people with honours often wear at official meetings.
What your trying to say at the end has a sardonic saying. "It dosen't matter who you vote for, the government always gets in!"
For a young American guy, unless you're a student of twentieth century British political history, a lot of this would seem quite obscure
Yes, but this young man is patently one very smart guy. His desire to learn the arcane and vernacular is commendable and he realises that, once learnt, can be so rewarding. As an example, I recall an episode of Friends where Phoebe uses The Louisiana Purchase as a 'punchline' which prompted me to read up on it. What an interesting episode of America's history that was.
So of course, he misses a few things but that is far outweighed by the value of what he learns.
@@bayadere8308 I think you missed my point, I'm quite impressed.
Making your own point is can be but not always the same as missing someone else's. Two people can make two different points in the same conversation and still have it be a reasonable discussion, one emphasis placed on info not always being relevant to the audience, and another on how irrelevant information not always staying irrelevant.
over 40 years on...and Nothing Has Changed! This is how the world works.
Some things have changed, others haven't, but politics will forever be politics, even when what we argue over is fundamentally different. Throughout both history and prehistory, humans have discussed, argued and occasionally resolved ( in spirit but not letter) situations, opinions and opportunities, and regardless of who's doing this, whether it's the church, the government or average people, it stays relevant.
Sir Humphrey is against the proposal set by the president (an implied despot or dictator) up until the point where he is made to realise that he will be more likely to get another medal or title if he can stop him from making an embarrassing speech. That is essentially all you need to understand about the episode and most specifically the last few seconds of it.
In a sense, this central theme is an inversion of what you saw in the pilot: there, Hacker was trying to stop a deal going ahead with another country (in that case, the US) that would appear to put British jobs at risk and Humphrey was in favour of it, or at least used it as a means to dispel Hacker's view of "open government". Here, Hacker wants to go ahead with a deal with another country (Burundi) and Humphrey is against it, but Hacker uses Humphrey's one weakness to get him to use his superior skills at diplomacy.
This is probably why you like Bernard the most out of the characters: in a sense we *are* him, watching the constant manipulation and power play between his superiors directed at each other. He has the function of interjecting to voice concerns (often comically) with their arguments and raising the same questions we want to ask them and then, whenever you ask yourself whether Humphrey or Hacker is "right" (whether politically, morally or simply within the logic of the storyline), he either steps out of the room or remains silent.
Monsieur wiv dees long episodes you are shpoiling uzzz.
Another whole one ! 😮
You could look at an old UK TV series called house of cards it had a recent US remake set in the American political arena but the British original was excellent it was played straight no comedy but had some amazing dramatic points namely a comment made which passed in to actual political parlance “ you might very well think that, I couldn’t possibly comment”
Having watched both versions, whilst essentially telling the same story, I felt the US version had much higher production values and was a much better show as a result.
I wouldn't say that it had no comedy at all. It was all slightly exaggerated, and had some very dark humour, what with the main character being an outright villain. His name was Francis Urquhart in the British original, while his counterpart in the American remake was Frank Underwood. In either case, the initials were FU. Was that intentional? Well, "you may very well think so. I couldn't possibly comment." 😏
The pink bits on the map are British territories, commonwealth countries and colonies
A "bye election", is where a new member of parliament elected outside of the normal General Election timing, usually because of the death or resignation of the previous member
To your point about politicians and the civil servants who actually work in government you have watch the episode about public access and security. I think it is called The Need to Know or something like that.
Well put, @stephendisraeli1143. And I also like the last scene particularly, because it's so well-planned and all gets pulled together. Apart from using his speech, Charlie is doing what Jim said he used to do at university, keeping people a bit off-balance. Couple other things you were asking about, @McJibbin . . .
Yes, Buranda is fictitious but probably meant to sound a bit like Burundi.
Re by-elections, each of the members of Britain's Parliament represents a certain area (electorate, or seat, or constituency). When one of them dies, or resigns, or gets "kicked upstairs" to the House of Lords or whatever, a by-election is held in their electorate to elect a new member there. So it isn't a full general election. Having a big reception in the region (including the monarch) is likely to sway some votes. And at 25:30, Charlie is making clear he knows why the reception is being held in Scotland at just that time.
Yes, 14:22 is a play on the n-word, although the play is on the fact that Jim doesn't know the meaning of "enigma". The n-word is disparaging and racist, but doesn't invoke the same viscerality as in the US.
And very well anticipated regarding the Ireland reference at 20:25!
A by-Election is aclocal election to elect the local representative for a constituency when the existing representative steps down, dies or resigns.
TUC is the Trades Union Congress, the body that represents Trade Unions nationally. The CBI is the Confederation of British Industry, which represents big business.
The thing is that Sir Humphry doesn't represent conspiracy as much as reality. Part of his job is making sure that a moron politician can't burn down the whole country on a whim.
Yes it is timeless and universal, in fact Margaret Thatcher the British prime minister at the time, thought the programme was totally accurate, she did a re-enactment and appeared with the actors.
You need to watch more, they explain how the system is designed to stop the government from Carrying out its policies in season 3.
Love your intro you dig a hole then jump out.
I love that you struggle with 'Bernard'......I did too when I lived in the States. We both have same spelling but you emphasise the second syllable and here we emphase the and totally swallow the second - in posh circles anyway. So try doing that and it will sound good here. (I remembered to spend time on the second syllable, with a very long aaarrrd at the end in the US)
I was eager to see how you’d react to the enigma bit. Always flew over my head as a kid as as an Aussie I’d had no exposure to the other word
With respect to your comment about the Civil servants telling the minister that he can’t do something he was elected to do. In one of the episodes to come Bernard asks a similar question to Humphrey. Humphrey explains that if the Civil Service shifted and embraced the leanings of the government of the day they would bounce back and forth to the Left and the politically Right depending on the Government Party.
To take an issue from the USA, the day before the election the Civil Service might be totally in favour of Gun Control and then totally against Gun Control after the election for no other reason than the other party won. So their job in the Civil Service is not to tell the new government what they can or can’t do but to predict the likely outcome of a particular decision.
The negotiation in this episode is a prime example. Humphrey never said the minister cannot agree to this loan request, he pointed out that an interest free loan is like lending them twice the money they are asking for and only half will be paid back.
The Civil Service does not determine which way the “Ship of Government” turns but it does try to steer it away from the rocks that will sink it.
The best character in the whole series works on the street with chaps
Note they forgot to put a roof and the train car they are all piled into.
ive no idea why you dont shoot these videos as a livestreams, at least then viewers could interact with you and tell you all the bits you dont understand.
Good idea. Plus our guy often forgets he has Google at his finger tips!
@@Steve-gc5nt he has done Google searches in the past but it is distracting from the flow of the reaction, so it’s good that he uses his judgement on whether or not to do a Google search.
Yes yes yes! Thank you thank you thank you!
Byelection is when an election occurs outside of normal election time.
I think the gesture at the neck was pretend-tugging on a white bow-tie, which is what you wear with extraordinarily fancy white-tie suits to formal events at the highest level of society. The referral to the Honours List - receiving a knightship or lordship - comes just after the tugging gesture at both sides of the throat.
...no, he is referring to Honour medals, which are worn around the neck. Lesser status medals are worn pinned over the heart, which is the preceeding motion. Jim is asking if Humpy has received any such awards, which is why Bernard replies 'several, and he's on the list for a KBE this year.' a line which makes zero sense if you think Jim is talking about a bowtie.
I'm sure you've figured it out by now, that the last line of dialogue in each episode is "Yes, Minister" then "Yes, Prime Minister".
I get exactly what you were saying at the end. The pretense of democracy, not in that the people most voted for don't end up in the top jobs, but in that the country isn't really run by those that win elections, but by those already in positions of power that don't have to be elected every 4 years.
Conor, re your commentary at the end , yes I get your gist ! It comes down to three phrases . 1. Real Politique. 2. Vested interests and 3. Pragmatism
All 3 are what normally proves insurmountable to zealous new reformer politicians who’s vision normally gets watered down over time , just like Jim Hacker in the tv series
👍🏴
Nigel Hawthorne was in a movie callled the madness of king George
KBE = Knight of the Order of the British Empire. A "by election" is to fill a vacancy. In America they are called "special elections".
you are correct this show is timeless
Loveeee this series. Each series gets better and better
16:40 - "...charted from Freddie Laker..." Laker was the owner of early budget airline.
We all love Burnett now!
Buranda is a fictional country. Sounds like a cross between Burundi and Uganda
One of my favorite britcoms.
There's a line later on in the series which sums it up: the foreign office isn't there to do things it's to explain why things can't be done!
I give you Sudan last week
Politicians are not born, they are excreted.
Civil servants at Humphrey’s level were often awarded “honours “ by her majesty. They are letters after your name. One of the most often used is OBE. Order of the British empire. You can google them all. You will have noticed that Humphrey is a Knight. Sir Humphrey! Similarly another honour.
You really must distinguish between civil servants and Ministers who are elected politicians elevated by the Prime Minister into running Departments of State which is what Jim does. Until the programme becomes yes PM when his colleagues elect him to the top job. He then elects to promote Humphrey an£ Bernard to his officials in his new job.
Wow, that's a great selection of British comedies that you intend viewing. Much for us to enjoy therefore too - Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Peep Show, Inbetweeners. Excellent , perfect imo, if you also do Alan Partridge, and The Office, (original, UK, version). 👍👍👍
A by-election is where a 'sitting' MP dies, resigns or is removed (usually due to criminal activity). There is then a vacancy in the constituency and a mini election is called to replace the departed MP. It is quite common for the governing party to loose these as a protest vote.
the removal is normally by way of Recall ?
26:53, be warned, the "minispeeches" will get more convoluted in future episodes. Subtitles *will* help.
Medals he has lots of medals and honours.
By-election is what in the US is called a special election. Marginal is equivalent to US "swing", as in a swing state.
When you finish doing Yes Minister, check out 'The New Statesman' with the late great Rik Mayll.
Conor , a by-election is an election for an MP that is out with normal time term of office . Usually these occur when a sitting incumbent dies or resigns during his term , usually due to a scandal OR in some cases when a sitting MP suddenly decided he wants to swap parties and feels he needs to legitimise that change by resigning and forcing another vote .
👍🏴
Bernard
Jim Hacker was the best Prime Minister that Britain never had.
Gongs - OBE, MBE CBE Order of the British Empire etc. The K is for a Knighthood.
A "by-election" happens when a seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant between general elections, usually if an MP dies or resigns
No, you're right about "Bernard" - we don't pronounce it the way Americans do. This side of the Atlantic the emphasis is on the "Bern" part whereas you put the stress on the "nard" bit. So the British style sounds sort of "BERN-ud" whereas the American style is almost French - "Ber-NARD".
Did remind me of the fact that the U.S. Govt. gives Israel, despite that country having a GDP similar to that of Spain, a substantial amount of foreign aid which, in turn, they use to purchase American arms, thereby actually subsidising the U.S . arms industry with American tax payers' money. Who in America has interests in the companies that produce weaponry of all types one can only speculate!
Please continue!
On the blink = On the fritz.
The mime was medals and honours, where they are normally worn on the chest and around the neck. A by election is an election for a single seat in the House of Commons outside of the normal general election. They are normally an excuse to vote against the government and embarrass them.
one day Lord Buckethead will win
If the elected politicians know little about their jobs when they become ministers, then perhaps it is just as well that there are experienced and knowledgable civil servants in their offices to explain and actually run things. Which is what this sitcom is about, I guess.
If an MP pops his socks between general elections, or otherwise becomes indisposed, there has to be a by election in his constituency, to elect his replacement.
At 21:29 Abide with me is a song sung at funerals.
It was also the song being played by the band on the Titanic as it went under, which is what Humpy is referring to.
@@Belzediel Yes, you’re right!
@@dcoughla681 also sung at cup finals and the one time traditional eng vs scotland footy match
A by-election is when a single MP is elected for a constituency, due to the incumbents death, elevation to the House of Lords etc. it would be equivalent to a single seat in the House of Representatives being decided on its own.
Jim’s concern for his Political Party ( American equivalent, Democrats and Republicans) is in conflict with his role in the Government. Humphrey is rarely interested in Party politics, it doesn’t matter which colour is in government. Jim see’s the visit of the African leader in Scotland rather than England as a plus for his Party because there are marginal seats there ( regions where MP’s seats are vigorously contested as only a few votes separate the fighting parties)
Love you to def mate, but why can't you pronounce Bernard properly?
By-election is an election for a parliamentary seat outside a general election caused by maybe the death of the present incumbent, or some other reason why they can't perform their duty as a member of parliament
So clever!
Politicians join a system that was set up many hundreds of years ago and that system was designed to maintain the elite in their elite position and the people really are just a cog in that system .The neck reference was an indication of rewards such as K.G.B. or a Knighthood that further enhance the elite ,which are also handed to ordinary people in order that the rewards can continue and does not appear exclusive to the elite and makes the corrupt system workable in a democracy. This applies to all world leaders be they capitalist or communist.
Connor, have you watched Father Ted at all?