The way sir Humphrey accepted his defeat first time is priceless. Anger and frustration changed to a pride when he realised that his student outsmart him. The best moment in every teacher's life.
@@Bulbophile No, he lost on the slightest technicality: he predicted it'd be "the first thing he says when he gets into the office", but he actually said it *hours* earlier! Which is, of course, the peak of elegance as far as those two are concerned.
@@sampuatisamuel9785 no, he gave Sir Humphrey two 50p coins because that’s how a bet works. Humphrey had his own money returned to him, but the bet also stipulated that Bernard gave him £1 if sir Humphrey won, hence the coins.
Can you imagine Humphrey / Nigel Hawthorne was considered to be "a bad looking bloke" and thus wasn't considered for many roles until his fifties?! To me he is a handsome looking man, no doubt.
I don't get why you don't still have one Pound notes. In the US, we still have one Dollar bills that are worth enough to be useful, and a Pound is worth more than a Dollar.
I got a sense that this is what all administrative staffs do in every public offices. I know I got Sir Humphrey-like treatment when I was national council member for the scout organization. Outwitting the staffs every day was a very tedious job to do. That's why I chose a structural job myself hahhaa
@@_JohnDoe Yes, but Sir Humphrey's suit is always nicer than Bernard's and even Jim's. Humphrey, as a full-time professional public administrator at the top of the pyramid, would have been paid much more than Bernard, and even Jim, who's a mere politician. :D
Its specifically designed for the inside pocket of a suit jacket. I had one too when my profession required wearing a suit. Much more elegant than a bulging billfold on the arse. But the opposite is also true, difficult to carry if you aren't wearing a jacket so I guess as the world dressed-down the portefeuilles wallet has gone the way of the 4 inch visiting card.
@@PulkitAgrawal1999 I honestly don't know. It probably is, because the Civil Service is a massive bureaucracy run by people who have spent their whole careers inside it. The Government appoints ministers into roles they are completely unqualified for and then shuffles them around every couple of years, even assuming the same part remains in power. Politicians constantly make promises they can't keep and expect the Civil Service to achieve the impossible, while most people in the Civil Service are only really interested in furthering their own careers and not being blamed for anything. It's a terrible system but we don't really have a clue how to build anything better. It kinda works, mostly, but it's horribly inefficient. I don't think the U.S. system is any better!
@@jrd33 My father is also a senior Indian Civil Servant. He says the only difference in Indian and UK civil service is that, Indian Civil Servants live the life of royals. With a government car, a government bungalow or a flat, a peon for personal use, life of a Indian Civil Servant is better perhaps than UK counterparts. This system is actually inherited from British Raj. I live in a British bungalow made in 1890 in Kolkata. And interestingly, the perks I mentioned directly start from entry level in the Indian Civil service. Imagine a 20+ guy having his own bungalow, a car and also happens to be an administrator of a district or a town. Also the Indian Civil Servants do not have to worry about promotion because they get promoted from time to time in India. And the departments they get can depend on their hard work or their connections with politicians. But the rest you mentioned is the same. Politicians commit the impossible and Civil Servants try to fulfill it or get shunted to some BS department if they are not able to achieve it. PS: I am not aware of what perks do UK Civil Servants get.
The only reason I do not consider Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister to be the number One in the British TV is that with all the comedy series created in Britain naming just one to be the top one would be an injustice to all the others. So many of them, so diverse and yet - all with masterful acting, great lines and extremely creative ideas.
If I were to create a modern interpretation of Yes Minister, reflecting all the current problems our government is either failing to deal with or making worse, I would title it “Woketopia”.
The way sir Humphrey accepted his defeat first time is priceless. Anger and frustration changed to a pride when he realised that his student outsmart him. The best moment in every teacher's life.
"We are what they grow beyond" and all that
he bet a pound, wins the bet, and pays up? ??
@@Bulbophile No, he lost on the slightest technicality: he predicted it'd be "the first thing he says when he gets into the office", but he actually said it *hours* earlier! Which is, of course, the peak of elegance as far as those two are concerned.
@@Bulbophile Humphrey won, got his pound back, and got another one from Bernard
If there were really leaders like Sir Humphrey Great Britain would still be great.
Love that he was momentarily annoyed at losing the bet but then proud how Bernard did it
"Well ofCOURSE it was BORING!"
The way he says this 😂😂😂
For me it's the facial expressions that make the delivery so excellent.
"Of course it was boring!" That face!!!
Brilliant 😂🤣
All three of them had the most marvellous expressions.
"You're learning, Bernard."
to know the answer / have information the other side does not before you ask the trap question
Flawless performance.
He says it with such pride as well.
2:25 "We're not scriptwriters for a comedian! Well... not for a professional one anyway" Jesus. I nearly wet myself.
I’m pretty sure one of the showrunners was moonlighting as a political speechwriter, which makes that line even funnier in hindsight.
Humphrey Jim and Bernard, and everyone else who appeared in these wonderful series', are an absolute masterclass in comedy!
Great touch that Bernard uses coins instead of another pound note
Actually, it looked as if Bernard returned the pound note and added coins in interest.
@@sampuatisamuel9785 no, he gave Sir Humphrey two 50p coins because that’s how a bet works. Humphrey had his own money returned to him, but the bet also stipulated that Bernard gave him £1 if sir Humphrey won, hence the coins.
"Once something goes wrong, the minister's first instinct is to rat on his department." So true, especially in the Home Office recently.
I love how they come back to the bet a couple of minutes later.
Most comedies would have had the switch happen straight afterwards.
The physical comedy in paying the bet was prime. Those are men who know how to keep things interesting.
Just the anger in Bernard's handing over was masterfully done by Derek Fowlds. Sorely missed.
the fact that sir humphrey flashes a crisp pound. bernard fumbles for 50p's like feeding a vending machine
Can you imagine Humphrey / Nigel Hawthorne was considered to be "a bad looking bloke" and thus wasn't considered for many roles until his fifties?! To me he is a handsome looking man, no doubt.
Sir Humphrey takes his defeat properly. "You're learning Bernard"
Humphrey, ”Oh, Bernard, a minister‘s absence is God send“.
The one pound note. Affectionate memory, and hey it was worth having then. Not for putting it in supermarket trolleys.
I don't get why you don't still have one Pound notes. In the US, we still have one Dollar bills that are worth enough to be useful, and a Pound is worth more than a Dollar.
@@jos_meid they're not very useful
@@markwalshopoulos I use one dollar bills to buy stuff all the time.
@@jos_meid larger notes are more useful and the UK uses debit cards extensively
I still miss ten bob notes.
Still relevant today, liked the Pound note.
British comedy at its best.
Thanks for uploading.
I got a sense that this is what all administrative staffs do in every public offices. I know I got Sir Humphrey-like treatment when I was national council member for the scout organization. Outwitting the staffs every day was a very tedious job to do. That's why I chose a structural job myself hahhaa
V
l keep forgetting this is sitcom but Sir Humphrey behaves like a real technocrat.
Well, He is one? How did you miss that?
There is a reason Margaret Thatcher was a fan of this show
Thats why he is a legend
Even better is he plays the technocratic leader of San Angeles in Demolition Man.
Sir Humphrey, Sir Arnold and Bernard are like the Holmes Brothers and Dr. Watson trio!
Sir Humphrey is always classically dressed, very well done.
What do you mean by "classically dressed"?
@@_JohnDoe I believe it's self evident.
@@markmccormack1796, they are all wearing suits.
@@_JohnDoe Yes, but Sir Humphrey's suit is always nicer than Bernard's and even Jim's. Humphrey, as a full-time professional public administrator at the top of the pyramid, would have been paid much more than Bernard, and even Jim, who's a mere politician. :D
@@carolinian2009 Also from time to time you can see Sir Humphrey and Sir Arnold wearing the same tie, its presumably the college tie of Bailey.
Greatest comedy show ever with wonderful characters and perfect actors. I wish there was more!
Greatest Factual Documentary Ever!!!
The writing is unbelievably good
A good speech is not the one in which minister tells the truth, but that which nobody else can prove he's lying..
Ya😅
Pity there is no comedy like this anymore.
The answer to that is that you might upset someone, in our modern day that would never do, after all we wouldn’t want anyone laughing.
It's no longer a comedy but a documentry.
The thick of it was good
There is... just join the civil service and you get it every day
Yes, such a shame. Why can't we turn back time on the sitcom industry and get some more gems like we used to
legends both fantastic actors
2:03 "bored the pants off them!"
2:56 "nail his trousers to the mast!"
And of course, the ending 😂😂
Great sitcom with absolute excellent witty English humour
Love the old pound note 😂
On the same (top) level as Monty Python!
Brilliant British humor @ its best.
0:53
Oh, the One Pound was a paper currency ? I’ve never seen one of those before; I only ever saw the coin.
The Bank of England one pound note was withdrawn in 1988.
2:00 - Imagine if they could have seen Trump’s speeches 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I would love to see Humphrey’s reactions.
Trump was the very thing Humphrey feared: An honest man intelligent enough to know when he’s getting played.
😂
we are not script writers for comedian... well not professional one anyway... hahahaha
"We're not speechwriters for a comedian...well, not a professional one."
Straight away he pays
Still great fun. A sign of good writing and excellent acting.
Master class in the control of the English language,
This is unfortunately still true.😆❤️
That the British government is a model of loyalty, integrity, and efficiency?
loyalty. yes. integrity yes. eiiciency no-but thats because governments cut spending to get votes
Comedic genius
”off course,it was boring ”
Comedy Gold.
surprised that a pound was in paper form!
I really miss being An Officer of the Crown. It was always such Fun.
So true then and today.
Was that a paper £1 note that Humphrey handed over?
Yes we used to have them.
Yes, its because that in the old days, a pound is worth a pound.
A Pound note, Wow.
Off Topic, That wallet Sir Humphrey has, anyone has an idea where I could find one or similar one. It looks super slim.
Its specifically designed for the inside pocket of a suit jacket. I had one too when my profession required wearing a suit. Much more elegant than a bulging billfold on the arse. But the opposite is also true, difficult to carry if you aren't wearing a jacket so I guess as the world dressed-down the portefeuilles wallet has gone the way of the 4 inch visiting card.
Of course it was boring. Bore the pants off them. Bravo. The people deserve the politicians they vote in.
Is there another similar sitcom with this type of comedy you can suggest?
So accurate lol
Where can I watch the entire series online?
Amazon prime instant has it but you have to buy it. I did- well worth it!
I am curious what the buying power of a pound was back then. Today it would be odd to bet so low.
@Daniel O'Donovan • It was worth $1.75 to $2 for many years.
Worth about £4 today (2021). It's quite 'British' to make a small bet because it's the principle that counts, not the amount.
@@jrd33Is it true even today, what Sir Humphrey said that Civil Service, especially Cabinet Secretary controlling the nation?
@@PulkitAgrawal1999 I honestly don't know. It probably is, because the Civil Service is a massive bureaucracy run by people who have spent their whole careers inside it. The Government appoints ministers into roles they are completely unqualified for and then shuffles them around every couple of years, even assuming the same part remains in power. Politicians constantly make promises they can't keep and expect the Civil Service to achieve the impossible, while most people in the Civil Service are only really interested in furthering their own careers and not being blamed for anything. It's a terrible system but we don't really have a clue how to build anything better. It kinda works, mostly, but it's horribly inefficient. I don't think the U.S. system is any better!
@@jrd33 My father is also a senior Indian Civil Servant. He says the only difference in Indian and UK civil service is that, Indian Civil Servants live the life of royals. With a government car, a government bungalow or a flat, a peon for personal use, life of a Indian Civil Servant is better perhaps than UK counterparts. This system is actually inherited from British Raj. I live in a British bungalow made in 1890 in Kolkata. And interestingly, the perks I mentioned directly start from entry level in the Indian Civil service. Imagine a 20+ guy having his own bungalow, a car and also happens to be an administrator of a district or a town. Also the Indian Civil Servants do not have to worry about promotion because they get promoted from time to time in India. And the departments they get can depend on their hard work or their connections with politicians. But the rest you mentioned is the same. Politicians commit the impossible and Civil Servants try to fulfill it or get shunted to some BS department if they are not able to achieve it.
PS: I am not aware of what perks do UK Civil Servants get.
Anyone else think this is a lot like the Screw Tape Letters?
The only reason I do not consider Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister to be the number One in the British TV is that with all the comedy series created in Britain naming just one to be the top one would be an injustice to all the others. So many of them, so diverse and yet - all with masterful acting, great lines and extremely creative ideas.
Between 2:45 and 2:56 Sir Humphrey seems a bit confused about what he has to say.
its timing , i think
It’s not confusion over the script, I think it’s just the what he has to say about his lord and master is a little awkward.
Properly hehe
On the day. This is so @~?£ing hilarious!
No way they would allow such a program today.
This can easily be applied into today's world so easily it's creepy. 😂😂😂
What was with the coins? Interest?
2 50p coins, just returning the note that Humphrey gave him and then the coins to pay for losing
He returned the pound that was paid 'in error' and then paid his part of the bet.
That was the pound for losing the bet.
Is this 1980's comedy or the 2020's truth?
Both, and same in reverse.
Not Streaming after the first minute!!!
I miss the old Pound notes, hate the new stuff
Haha I love it! Keep it up. Check my videos out if you like
With their salaries, only betting a quid?
Gambling would be greatly disapproved of in the Civil Service. A token bet only.
Gambling big money is ungentlemanly for civil servants, plus a £1 then is probs equivalent to £10-£20 today
1##
If I were to create a modern interpretation of Yes Minister, reflecting all the current problems our government is either failing to deal with or making worse, I would title it “Woketopia”.
In the movie the chain. Humphrey takes his door handles and fire ashes when he moves.
this show can't decide if its pro fascism or pro anarchism
it's classic satire, which is usually not pro anything.