Yes, Prime Minister

Yes, Prime Minister was a television show that originally aired on BBC from 1986-1988. The series centered around Prime Minister Jim Hacker, played by Paul Eddington, who, having secured his new office, is determined to reform the system. Episodically, he battles against his Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, played by Nigel Hawthorne. While Prime Minister Hacker is hell-bent on reducing bureaucracy and government waste, Sir Humphrey defends the status quo and the norms of the civil service at all costs. Between their struggles, Principal Private Secretary Bernard Wooley (Derek Fowlds) is often caught in between, comically bouncing between his two superiors. Each episode would end with Sir Humphrey uttering the titular phrase, whether ironically or victoriously. The series was a sequel to the earlier “Yes, Minister” which ran from 1980 to 1984. Although no mention of a specific party is ever made, both series ran during the reign of Britain’s Conservative Party, and the series was said to be Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s favorite television program. MORE