A clear warning sign of too much power concentrated on a single individual. It's a wonder no governments are yet to realize this... who tf am I kidding, they all turn a blind eye to it for power and self preservation
@@saviortower6716 Oh, most governments know this, and many democratic governments have checks and balances in place to prevent it. However, over time, power tends to get concentrated, and ambitious individuals develop ways to get around the checks and balances that the governments founders didn't consider..
@@stevenkies802 Or even worst, on insisting the value of consistent government planning and policy over the democratic means of checking government functions, leading to a de facto one party rule or even dictatorship, Singapore would be the perfect, though quite successful, example.
its also funny how its the rational behind internet monitoring i.e. we need to know what your looking at in order to see whether we need to know what you looking at. The more things change the more they stay the same.
@@kekeke4467 And all this internet monitoring has yet to stop a mass shooting. But rest assured taking your property away will solve everything. “Governments are job placement programs for the people who invent them.” -Rick Sanchez
English Military: A batman is an officers personal servant (for polishing the boots, doing the laundry, even shaving the officer)> English Politics: A batman is a secretary, Personal Assistant (Making sure the politician gets to meetings on time, make sure the politician has the appropriate documentation for eah meeting they find themselves...)
I want to spread this about: lately DC Comics has been promoting the idea that Alfred Pennyworth was an agent of the Crown. What if after Bruce Wayne's parents were killed Alfred was instructed to shape Bruce into a useful tool for Great Britain's interest? Hence, 'Batman' is England's private joke to the World.
Only slightly less disturbing (when you think about it) than the speech in which he explains to the PM that he shouldn't say anything in public without first clearing it with the civil service.
Most brilliant show on TV in history. Perfectly written, acted, directed, etc. Every episode is an absolute marvel & the truth behind every sophisticated government. Clearly democracy has failed all of us.
But of course it did, it was never meant to work. It's just there to allow the right people to run the country giving the wrong people the idea they do. Now if you would just sign these documents Minister...
In my view, these man were immensely talented actors whose fame and success, I'm willingly to bet, arose from sheer hard work and honing their skills. This contrasts sharply with the two characters they're playing.
Well, I am sure the characters are honing their skills at least as much as their actors certainly did, and are working very hard, too. It might just be the case, that they do not hone the skills everybody expects them to hone, and they are not working hard on the things they are assumed to be working on hard. So, the sharp contrast here might lie in fame and infamy.
It's easy to forget the BBC used to produce some of the best sitcoms ever. Contrast this with low brow trash that's on now, like All Round to Mrs Brown's and Bucket.
Robert Mintun Well eventually Bernard did rise to the top, the diaries were titled as his memoirs as cabinet secretary. So in effect by being Bernard, you will become Sir Humphrey. 👍
So that means you need to know things even when you don't need to know them. You need to know them not because you need to know them but because you need to know whether or not you need to know. And if you don't need to know you still need to know so that you know that there was no need to know.
There are always plots against the PM, because, with few exceptions, every member of Commons thinks he or she could do a better job in Number 10 than the current occupant!
Why is it we never saw this in the United States? This is one of the funniest programs I have ever seen! I think I will try to buy the CD’s of the entire series.
The Distinguished Gentleman was directed by one of the writers of this. That looks at US congress from a similar point of view. I think it is underrated.
Sir Bernard. The resident expert of needing to know the need to know on a need to know basis for the need to know in the proper discourse of the need to know in a need to know basis.
I'm trying to write a transcript of this video, and I can't understand a word he says at about 1:40. Sir Humphrey then says: The .. issue is the defence etc. Could you please tell me what this word is?
The military officers oppose the Employment Secretary's plan because it will take them and their wives up north and far away from the fun of London. Humphrey is pointing out to Bernard that he, too, may be sent to the boondocks. Bernard agrees immediately that this would be a terrible policy decision.
This is exactly the kind of double talk I use when I'm DM. I might also use it when I'm PM but there's still quite a bit of the alphabet to go before that happens.
He is meant to be a young member (early 20s at the start of the series) of the Civil Service, trying to figure how to support both his superiors and to learn the ways of the Civil Service. I imagine that a student is likely to repeat his teachers lessons out loud so he knows that he got it right is to be expected in most conversations where the student learns how to do something (or why it is done in the way it is).
"Bernard" had a difficult but pivotal role in the series as he was often required to sit for a long time absorbing and observing the verbal jousting between Sir Humphrey and Hacker before delivering the punch line to the scene. Derek Fowlds, who played Bernard passed recently and was the last of this triumvirate of superb actors involved in this peerless sit-com/documentary shining a light into some of the lesser-known corners of British political life in the late 70s and 80s. Strangely, it is still relevant today in the 21st century... "Everything changes, but nothing *really* changes".
Brilliant straight man; pivotal to the humour. His logical and ethical mind draws out by way of dialogue the convoluted, cynical, machiavellian machinations of Sir Humphrey's credo. The dialogue being the comedy.
I Need to Know Everything!
How else can I judge whether or not I need to know it?
Sir Humphrey is the best.
Well, he does run the country.
Didn't Minister Hacker tell him the same thing earlier, and Humphrey tried to convince him otherwise with success?
A clear warning sign of too much power concentrated on a single individual. It's a wonder no governments are yet to realize this... who tf am I kidding, they all turn a blind eye to it for power and self preservation
@@saviortower6716 Oh, most governments know this, and many democratic governments have checks and balances in place to prevent it. However, over time, power tends to get concentrated, and ambitious individuals develop ways to get around the checks and balances that the governments founders didn't consider..
@@stevenkies802 Or even worst, on insisting the value of consistent government planning and policy over the democratic means of checking government functions, leading to a de facto one party rule or even dictatorship, Singapore would be the perfect, though quite successful, example.
That was probably the only one of Bernard's "clarifications" I could actually follow
its also funny how its the rational behind internet monitoring i.e. we need to know what your looking at in order to see whether we need to know what you looking at. The more things change the more they stay the same.
Me too..third time around...
@@kekeke4467 The phrase "The more things change the more they stay the same." is the only constant in the universe that will never change. 😉👍
@@perherbert Well that and taxes
@@kekeke4467
And all this internet monitoring has yet to stop a mass shooting. But rest assured taking your property away will solve everything.
“Governments are job placement programs for the people who invent them.”
-Rick Sanchez
The subtitles have Bernard as batman and its completely changed the way I view this series forever
Bernard is a batman though. Batman is a job unrelated to the superhero, look it up
English Military: A batman is an officers personal servant (for polishing the boots, doing the laundry, even shaving the officer)>
English Politics: A batman is a secretary, Personal Assistant (Making sure the politician gets to meetings on time, make sure the politician has the appropriate documentation for eah meeting they find themselves...)
I want to spread this about: lately DC Comics has been promoting the idea that Alfred Pennyworth was an agent of the Crown. What if after Bruce Wayne's parents were killed Alfred was instructed to shape Bruce into a useful tool for Great Britain's interest?
Hence, 'Batman' is England's private joke to the World.
belly gong tweed
I heard batman actually
"I NEED to know everything!"
Excellent!
Only slightly less disturbing (when you think about it) than the speech in which he explains to the PM that he shouldn't say anything in public without first clearing it with the civil service.
speaking as someone that stutters constantly, watching this sort of double talk dialogue just leaves me in awe.
it leaves most people in awe.
Bernard is adorable. :) Sir Humphrey gives him another lesson in life!
The dog food joke gets even funnier when you realise Bernard is a type of dog (Saint Bernard).
"Lossiemouth? What did you think it was?"
"Well, I thought it was a dogfood"
Priceless!!!
My dad was born in Lossiemouth. It's 20 miles away from where we live now.
@@Alexanderiii Nice. Was Posted there '05 for a deployment in 2006. Actually liked it up there, despite the temperature!!
It was my old posting back in 94, lived on Hythe Hill opposite the school in flats that got levelled.
Most brilliant show on TV in history. Perfectly written, acted, directed, etc. Every episode is an absolute marvel & the truth behind every sophisticated government.
Clearly democracy has failed all of us.
生 头像是谁啊
Best not because stars or the money.
The issue it tackles, and with such sheer quality for the age.
Remember what Churchill once said (this may be a slight paraphrase), "Democracy is worst form of government, except for all others."
But of course it did, it was never meant to work. It's just there to allow the right people to run the country giving the wrong people the idea they do. Now if you would just sign these documents Minister...
More importantly
TIMELESS
Irish Citizen
In my view, these man were immensely talented actors whose fame and success, I'm willingly to bet, arose from sheer hard work and honing their skills.
This contrasts sharply with the two characters they're playing.
Well, I am sure the characters are honing their skills at least as much as their actors certainly did, and are working very hard, too. It might just be the case, that they do not hone the skills everybody expects them to hone, and they are not working hard on the things they are assumed to be working on hard. So, the sharp contrast here might lie in fame and infamy.
What? Both of those characters are incredible at what they do.
Top notch acting ... this show was perfect in every detail.
Most of all this reflected real life.
Instead of British Literature in high school courses it should be British Culture. Then watching a season of this should be an entire unit.
They had such lovely suits.........the cut was so good.......I wonder if they were Saville Row or BBC wardrobe surplus!
The suits were horrendously cut. No traditional SR suit has those great bulky shoulder pads. BBC cost cutting no doubt.
@@tomharrison1849
Yes indeed. Check some of the furniture in some episodes it is threadbare
@@tomharrison1849 No bulky shoulder pads? This was made in the 80s
It's easy to forget the BBC used to produce some of the best sitcoms ever. Contrast this with low brow trash that's on now, like All Round to Mrs Brown's and Bucket.
Benzknees Mrs Browns boys makes on the buses look like it was written by Shakespeare.
Haha, too right. Maybe On the Buses was based on one of the Bard's forgotten plays, the one with the catch phrase - "I'll get you Iago".
It means sir Humphrey won in the end
@Jude M In all fairness, there was some rubbish written years ago. We can't recall how bad it was, because it was so unmemorable, we've forgotten it.
Dušan Simple, yes that about describes it.
Sir Humphrey is legendary!
This show always had such brilliant dialogue like that.
Idea: Sir Humphrey vs. Mycroft Holmes.
Rather absurd idea really -- naturally the two would be on the same side.
Well if both were insistent on "being" the british government, it may still come to a confrontation
They are the same guy.
@@maximilianseeger6713 what a twist!
personally i think it would be more interesting to see Arnold vs Mycroft
I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING!
After watching a few of these clips, I am definitely Bernard. But I wish I was Sir Humphrey.
Robert Mintun
Well eventually Bernard did rise to the top, the diaries were titled as his memoirs as cabinet secretary.
So in effect by being Bernard, you will become Sir Humphrey. 👍
richard lloyd
“....If (I) work hard enough.”
Mine all time favorites!!! I love to watch always 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌🌹🌹🌹🌹💐💐💐💐💐
So that means you need to know things even when you don't need to know them. You need to know them not because you need to know them but because you need to know whether or not you need to know. And if you don't need to know you still need to know so that you know that there was no need to know.
" I NEED to know everything!" lol
You all laugh, until you realise, that is how politics are really done.
Well, we laugh BECAUSE we know this is how politics is actually done. Not to mention the bulletproof A grade script.
Chris J Stone laughing as we cry
thats the entire premise of the show
That’s partly why I laugh. Yes minister reads more like a documentary than a sitcom at times,
@@FrankCastlesConscience absolutely, the wordplay and dynamic between the characters is unparalleled.
Cabinet plot against the Prime Minister? Are you sure this wasn't written this week?
There are always plots against the PM, because, with few exceptions, every member of Commons thinks he or she could do a better job in Number 10 than the current occupant!
@@gregb6469 With the current incumbent they probably could with some notable exceptions.
Timeless genuis
I spent 3 very happy years at Lossiemouth in Scotland
Hope you came away with a shiny coat.
A north-facing coast at the same latitude as southern Norway.
Quite a bracing climate, then?
I love absolutely love this need to know bits in the series 😆😆
That show had brilliantly written dialogue.
how else can i judge whether or not i need to know it! ; )
If this behaviour wasn’t so accurate, I could appreciate this as comedy
Still my favorite scene!
Bernard has so many of these epic tongue twisters
Lossiemouth is actually a town in Scotland.
I'm actually rather surprised that this was posted so early in the life of RUclips.
Best sitcom ever 🙌
Twijukye Walter
Best political documentary ever. 😉
Why is it we never saw this in the United States? This is one of the funniest programs I have ever seen! I think I will try to buy the CD’s of the entire series.
PBS shows it in some places. Iowa Public Broadcasting has shown it for years
rpannier ahhh I see, thank you. 🤔🙂
A friend put me on to them when I was a kid, and I saved up for the dvds.
The Distinguished Gentleman was directed by one of the writers of this. That looks at US congress from a similar point of view. I think it is underrated.
I did finally purchase the whole series! Love it love it!!
Kinda frames "Need to know" onto a whole new level. And strangely...it makes sense... Uh oh...
bernard's got the coolest lines!
Thank you so much for helping me!
Bernard ROCKS
Still hilarious after all these years.
Just remembering the dialogue must have been a nightmare.
I needed to know this.
Absolutely priceless!!
Clear as muddy water
Closer to the bone ,don't you think pal
Very clear
Sir Bernard. The resident expert of needing to know the need to know on a need to know basis for the need to know in the proper discourse of the need to know in a need to know basis.
Humphrey excels at wielding plausible deniability.
This is the best comedy.
I worked in or around government for over 30 years. This is a documentary.
I'm trying to write a transcript of this video, and I can't understand a word he says at about 1:40. Sir Humphrey then says: The .. issue is the defence etc. Could you please tell me what this word is?
The 'matter' at issue. Sorry, only 9 years late replying, I guess you already knew that by now!
The matter of issue, is the defence of the realm and the stability of the government.
Clear as mud!
if the employment secretary has his way...some of these civil servants may move departments??..thats bad for the country?
The military officers oppose the Employment Secretary's plan because it will take them and their wives up north and far away from the fun of London. Humphrey is pointing out to Bernard that he, too, may be sent to the boondocks. Bernard agrees immediately that this would be a terrible policy decision.
Would prefer Sunderland to London and Berwick to many places in UK. Berwick is lovely.
I need to know what year was this episode .... LOL
These were all made during the 1980s.
Man Overboard.
Captions- oh yes Batman
I need to know everything how else can i judge whether or not i need to know it !
What episode is this?
"Man Overboard" from Series 2 of Yes Prime Minister in 1987
Bernard should write tech manuals.
Government at its best
…I need to know EVERYTHING!!!! 🤬
I can't remember Humphrey having so much white hair!! Oh dear!!!
My boss doesn't tell me things because I don't need to know, but what if it's something in hindsight I do need to know, it's better I know everything
I need to know whatever there is to know,even if I don't need to know when I need to know that which i don't need to know.
ahh the 80's... when london was a desirable place to live.
Quite agree
Is it Bernard? Was that really clear?
Good taste mate
Need to know.
So far ahead of its time.
Plus.. British accents.
wish the bbc would re-upload, the quality is very poor
🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴👍
1:43
Can I have Cheneycare?
brilliant script
low sound in video
Contradicting the other episode, Bernard could just simply decide not to share information instead of withholding information.
Depends what your point is
I don't need to know.
All hail Y, PM.
Classic comedy ( too close to real politics )???????
How British.
This is exactly the kind of double talk I use when I'm DM. I might also use it when I'm PM but there's still quite a bit of the alphabet to go before that happens.
A dogfood!!!
Bernard was such a annoying character all he did was repeat things that people said
He is meant to be a young member (early 20s at the start of the series) of the Civil Service, trying to figure how to support both his superiors and to learn the ways of the Civil Service.
I imagine that a student is likely to repeat his teachers lessons out loud so he knows that he got it right is to be expected in most conversations where the student learns how to do something (or why it is done in the way it is).
"Bernard" had a difficult but pivotal role in the series as he was often required to sit for a long time absorbing and observing the verbal jousting between Sir Humphrey and Hacker before delivering the punch line to the scene.
Derek Fowlds, who played Bernard passed recently and was the last of this triumvirate of superb actors involved in this peerless sit-com/documentary shining a light into some of the lesser-known corners of British political life in the late 70s and 80s. Strangely, it is still relevant today in the 21st century...
"Everything changes, but nothing *really* changes".
Wrong. Clearly you haven't watched this series at all.
Brilliant straight man; pivotal to the humour. His logical and ethical mind draws out by way of dialogue the convoluted, cynical, machiavellian machinations of Sir Humphrey's credo. The dialogue being the comedy.