The Brits have the full spectrum when it comes to TV series, some clearly belong in the dung heap, some are not crap and a few are even roses. Yes Minister and its sequel Yes Prime Minister are roses by any other name. Each series ran for only three seasons (very typical of the BBC) and were immensely popular in England as well as Europe. Because it is English/European you will have the added benefit of coming off as very cosmopolitan when discussing it with friends.
The show is a satire of the bureaucratic civil service that typifies the workings of government. The series has been described as a “closely observed portrayal of what goes on in the corridors of power [and] has given me hours of pure joy.” Rt. Hon. Margaret Thatcher MP. The three main characters Sir. Humphrey (head of the civil service), Bernhard (the minister’s private secretary) and Jim Hacker (the minister of administrative affairs) are trying to out maneuver each other in formulating and implementing clearly ridiculous government policies. The supporting cast is equally as humorous as the “big three” in their involvement with the consistent tug-of-war between the civil service and the elected officials.
Both series are worthy of watching and each deserve a rose.
J.P.'s I'm Outta Here Movie Thoughts 
Mark
November 14, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Another excellent call J.P. I have the series and the books that I can read over and over.
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Bonnie
November 22, 2009 at 2:23 am
Great post on a great series! It must have been hard to choose an episode to clip from…
You might like to also see the following blog that I accidentally wound up at while looking for yours: http://leisureguy.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/yes-minister-and-yes-prime-minister/#comment-66921
Bonnie
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LeisureGuy
November 22, 2009 at 10:13 am
I concur—totally great series, and even educational while being extremely funny.
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jpfmovies
November 24, 2009 at 3:36 am
Great it is always nice to find a fellow Minister Fan!
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dangerousmeredith
August 20, 2010 at 12:29 am
The writing and acting in these series is fantastically witty. I love them too.
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jpfmovies
August 20, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Another Minister Fan–these have the ability to be watched over and over again and never loose their charm.
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