Rating: 
Summary: The complete series -- INCLUDING "Party Games"!!
Review: The culmination of the "Yes, Minister" / "Yes, Prime Minister" series from the BBC! I was very happy to find out that the "Yes, Prime Minister" box set INCLUDES -- and BEGINS WITH -- the "final" episode of "Yes, Minster" called "Party Games", which was rarely seen in the US."Party Games" was a ONE HOUR special Christmas episode; the show where Sir Humphrey becomes Cabinet Secretary and Hacker becomes PM. Of course, all the episodes from "Yes, Prime Minister" are included. DVD Special Features include some very interesting video clips. First, there's a bio on Paul Eddington, as well as an Eddignton interview broadcast at the start of the season. In addition, they included TV segments from BBC news shows which aired on the morning of the debut of "Yes Prime Minister" . Coincidentally, I viewed that special feature first ... and I admit that I did feel the same "anticipation" that must have been felt in 1986! A must-buy ... along with the box set of "Yes Minister"!!!
Rating:
Summary: The complete series -- INCLUDING "Party Games"!!
Review: The culmination of the "Yes, Minister" / "Yes, Prime Minister" series from the BBC! I was very happy to find out that the "Yes, Prime Minister" box set INCLUDES -- and BEGINS WITH -- the "final" episode of "Yes, Minster" called "Party Games", which was rarely seen in the US. "Party Games" was a ONE HOUR special Christmas episode; the show where Sir Humphrey becomes Cabinet Secretary and Hacker becomes PM. Of course, all the episodes from "Yes, Prime Minister" are included. DVD Special Features include some very interesting video clips. First, there's a bio on Paul Eddington, as well as an Eddignton interview broadcast at the start of the season. In addition, they included TV segments from BBC news shows which aired on the morning of the debut of "Yes Prime Minister" . Coincidentally, I viewed that special feature first ... and I admit that I did feel the same "anticipation" that must have been felt in 1986! A must-buy ... along with the box set of "Yes Minister"!!!
Rating:
Summary: Truely intelligent comedy
Review: The majority of people are falling over themselves to watch brainless, charmless and incredibly annoying AMERICAN comedy like Friends and Will and Grace. I've just watched the entire second series and half of the first of Yes, Prime Minister. This is a satirical, well-observed 80's comedy about the political machinations and workings of the British Parliment and the relationships between Minister's and civil servants. Nigel Hawthorne, Paul Eddington and Derek Fowlds are all superb in this. Great acting, script, and message that puts most comedy to shame and doesn't patronize the viewer or insult their intelligence. Highly reccomended
Rating:
Summary: Simply Brilliant
Review: This is the finest political satire in existence. The ever verbose Humphrey almost always gets what he wants. Sometimes the Prime Minister gets a few unbridled moments of pleasure, however this is rare, the public service runs Great Britain, not the politicians. Written by two former British public servants, it's a fascinating insight into the real working of politics. Americans may find the humour hard to understand as the english vocabulary used is quite extensive, and if American sitcoms are anything to go by, the average vocabulary of an American is used twice over in an episode of Sesame Street.
Rating: 
Summary: SUBTITLES
Review: THIS SET WILL BE MUCH MORE BETTER IF IT HAS ENGLISH SUBSTITLES.
IT SEEMS HEARING PROBELM IS NOT AN ISSUE IN UK AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHY BBC KEEPS PRODUCING DISCS WITHOUT SUBTITLE FOR THE MILLIONS WITH HEARING DIFFICULTIES.
BESIDES, THE LANGUAGE USED IN THIS SITCOM IS WELL...TOO ENGLISH AND SUBTLE, WITH WORDS I HAVE NOT HEARD BEFORE. SO IT'LL BE A LOT HELPFUL IF THE BBC COULD MAKE FULL USE OF THE DVD TECH TO BENEFIT ITS CUSTOMERS.
ACTUALLY, THE YES MINISTER SERIES ARE NOT THE WORST CASE. THE LAST TIME I BOUGHT THE BLACK ADDER SET HOME AND TURN THE DISCS ON, I ALMOST WANTED TO RETURN IT AT ONCE BECAUSE I DIDN'T CATCH THE GAGS MOST OF THE TIME.
I CAN'T HELP MYSELF ASKING WHY BBC KEEPS DISAPPOINTING THOSE WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH OR HAVING HEARING DIFFICULTIES WHILE THE REST DO NOT.
Rating:
Summary: "Yes Me No Yes'es, Humphrey!" An Outstanding Satire
Review: Very enjoyable Brit-com. No gags a la American sitcoms. With the choicest words from the English language. Shows you how the Queen's English ought to be spoken.
My favorite episode: "The Key", where Dorothy advises the PM to clip Humphrey's wings. The dialogue between Sir Humphrey and Sir Frank has to be one of the best examples of how to answer probing questions evasively. Another favorite part of the same episode - Hacker saying (a Shakespeare-inspired) "Thank Me No Thankings, Bernard. Hacker." And Sir Frank back-tracking from his "tremendously able" evaluation of Sir Humphrey's abilities when Hacker dangles the carrot of (part of) Sir Humphrey's job.
The Benji (sheepdog) episode, the Qumrani/Foreign Affairs episode, and the "Tangled Web" episode also rank way up for the way everything is tightly woven together for the inevitable culmination with a "Yes, Prime Minister" from Sir Humphrey Appleby. Another favorite - the banker speaking in cliches to the PM in the episode about the scandals in the City. And the episode with the cabinet reshuffling, especially the sight of the coughing, cigar-smoking Sports Minister who is later offered (seriously) the Health portfolio!
The civil servants' verbiage has the choicest words and is articulated to confuse, I am sure, even the sharpest minds. Arnold is superb when offering Humphrey insight into the working of the well-oiled (?) civil service.
Full of irony; outstanding satire.
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