Yes, Minister
One cold winter evening in November a few years ago....... Oh wait. Where I come from, 'a cold winter evening' is a non-existent and unfamiliar idea. So, one humid post-summer evening a few years ago, when I was thirteen years old, and Donald Trump was still just someone who featured in a few Hollywood movies from time to time, (apart from being a businessman, that is) I decided it was time to pester my mother until she suggested something to keep my restless mind engaged. We got round to talking about her childhood and how she killed time back in the day.
The conversation between people of different generations that discusses how the idea of childhood seems to have evolved over the years is ubiquitous. Typically, the sexagenarians fondly recall a time when life was simple, everyone knew everyone and streets were filled with children instead of cars. Our parents grew up in an era of transition- the world was changing but life was still uncomplicated, you knew everyone in your street and the few children with novel luxuries such as television sets or cars happily shared them with their friends. As a millennial, I feel I have enjoyed the best of both worlds. From the ages of eight to probably twelve or thirteen I was blissfully unaware to notions such as the internet of things and spent my days playing ridiculously inventive games with my sister and friends. However, with the arrival of my phone, things seem to have changed. I communicate with my friends much more than I used to earlier, and while this feels good, I miss the happiness that I used to feel when I spoke to my friends after the holidays or even the weekend.
Anyway, (coming back to the point) my mother suggested I watch a certain British satirical show called Yes, Minister in an attempt to make me zip my mouth for a while. To my thirteen year old mind, the first episode was extremely unappealing and consequently I dismissed it entirely. Over the next three years, I began watching countless other British and American shows but never really bothered to revisit Yes, Minster. By the summer of 2017, however, my taste and appreciation for humour seem have evolved and I find much of the content in the 'comedy' genre frivolous. Subsequently, I decided to give Yes, Minister another shot and not surprisingly, was bowled over by its genius.
The programme draws on the age-old theme of Minister vs Bureaucracy and thrives on capturing the trivial complexity of human nature in subtle yet powerful ways. The retired editor of a leading magazine, the naive Jim Hacker plunges into the sea of British politics when he is made Minster of the fictitious Department of Administrative Affairs after his party's victory in the general elections. Not privy to the finer tricks of the trade, Hacker genuinely wishes to use his political authority to successfully introduce sweeping changes such as one governance and keeping the number of civil servants employees under control. This annoys his Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby. He is a manipulating civil servant who takes immense pride in the red-tape that the bureaucracy is well known for and blocks any and all pathbreaking legislation proposed by the minister. Almost always he is on top of affairs, while simultaneously giving Hacker the illusion that he is the one calling the shots.
The Minster's Principal Private Secretary, Bernard Wolley, is typically caught in between the two broad ends of the spectrum. He is, after all, the Principal Private Secretary to the Minister, but his career is under the tight grip of Sir Humphrey. Bernard therefore operates at exacting heights of diplomacy, often performing the balancing act of a trapeze artist in order to avoid ruffling any feathers.
The verbal banter that ensues during the twenty minutes of each episode exemplifies some fine dialogue writing. On the flip side, it requires the spectator to pay maximum attention to every thing that is being said onscreen, lest he or she loses track of the events culminating in the turning point of the story.
Something that has been bothering me for a while now is whether Yes, Minister draws on real life incidents as bases for some of its funniest plots. After all, truth is sometimes stranger and funnier than fiction. Irony, Murphy's Law and sheer fate sometimes conspire to concoct unbelievably hilarious real life incidents and if the writers were privy to the mysterious goings-on inside Parliament during the day I think it is safe to say that the show is a fine example where 'Art imitates life'.
There are three seasons and a sequel Yes, Prime Minister (Yes, you read that right. Hacker somehow becomes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 😂😂😂 ) in all and I have completed watching around seven episodes. I must not keep the next episode waiting any longer.
Till then, adieu! See you soon!
The conversation between people of different generations that discusses how the idea of childhood seems to have evolved over the years is ubiquitous. Typically, the sexagenarians fondly recall a time when life was simple, everyone knew everyone and streets were filled with children instead of cars. Our parents grew up in an era of transition- the world was changing but life was still uncomplicated, you knew everyone in your street and the few children with novel luxuries such as television sets or cars happily shared them with their friends. As a millennial, I feel I have enjoyed the best of both worlds. From the ages of eight to probably twelve or thirteen I was blissfully unaware to notions such as the internet of things and spent my days playing ridiculously inventive games with my sister and friends. However, with the arrival of my phone, things seem to have changed. I communicate with my friends much more than I used to earlier, and while this feels good, I miss the happiness that I used to feel when I spoke to my friends after the holidays or even the weekend.
Anyway, (coming back to the point) my mother suggested I watch a certain British satirical show called Yes, Minister in an attempt to make me zip my mouth for a while. To my thirteen year old mind, the first episode was extremely unappealing and consequently I dismissed it entirely. Over the next three years, I began watching countless other British and American shows but never really bothered to revisit Yes, Minster. By the summer of 2017, however, my taste and appreciation for humour seem have evolved and I find much of the content in the 'comedy' genre frivolous. Subsequently, I decided to give Yes, Minister another shot and not surprisingly, was bowled over by its genius.
The programme draws on the age-old theme of Minister vs Bureaucracy and thrives on capturing the trivial complexity of human nature in subtle yet powerful ways. The retired editor of a leading magazine, the naive Jim Hacker plunges into the sea of British politics when he is made Minster of the fictitious Department of Administrative Affairs after his party's victory in the general elections. Not privy to the finer tricks of the trade, Hacker genuinely wishes to use his political authority to successfully introduce sweeping changes such as one governance and keeping the number of civil servants employees under control. This annoys his Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby. He is a manipulating civil servant who takes immense pride in the red-tape that the bureaucracy is well known for and blocks any and all pathbreaking legislation proposed by the minister. Almost always he is on top of affairs, while simultaneously giving Hacker the illusion that he is the one calling the shots.
The Minster's Principal Private Secretary, Bernard Wolley, is typically caught in between the two broad ends of the spectrum. He is, after all, the Principal Private Secretary to the Minister, but his career is under the tight grip of Sir Humphrey. Bernard therefore operates at exacting heights of diplomacy, often performing the balancing act of a trapeze artist in order to avoid ruffling any feathers.
The verbal banter that ensues during the twenty minutes of each episode exemplifies some fine dialogue writing. On the flip side, it requires the spectator to pay maximum attention to every thing that is being said onscreen, lest he or she loses track of the events culminating in the turning point of the story.
Something that has been bothering me for a while now is whether Yes, Minister draws on real life incidents as bases for some of its funniest plots. After all, truth is sometimes stranger and funnier than fiction. Irony, Murphy's Law and sheer fate sometimes conspire to concoct unbelievably hilarious real life incidents and if the writers were privy to the mysterious goings-on inside Parliament during the day I think it is safe to say that the show is a fine example where 'Art imitates life'.
There are three seasons and a sequel Yes, Prime Minister (Yes, you read that right. Hacker somehow becomes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 😂😂😂 ) in all and I have completed watching around seven episodes. I must not keep the next episode waiting any longer.
Till then, adieu! See you soon!
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