--- product_id: 48090253 title: "Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister - Complete Collection [DVD] [1980]" price: "VT19601" currency: VUV in_stock: false reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/48090253-yes-minister-and-yes-prime-minister-complete-collection-dvd-1980 store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister - Complete Collection [DVD] [1980] **Price:** VT19601 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister - Complete Collection [DVD] [1980] - **How much does it cost?** VT19601 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/48090253-yes-minister-and-yes-prime-minister-complete-collection-dvd-1980) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Yes Minister series 1: The first series of the elegant sitcom-cum-farce-cum-sophisticated political satire Yes Minister , sets off Paul Eddington's Jim Hacker, Minister for Administrative Affairs, against Nigel Hawthorne's discreetly obstructive civil servant Sir Humphrey. It features the pilot episode, 'Open Government', curious in that it contains different and distinctly inferior opening and closing credits to the rest of the series. You also sense that Mrs Hacker was originally intended to have a larger role, with comedy focussing on the clash between political and domestic commitments, until the writers wisely decided to focus on the stand-off between Jim and Sir Humphrey, with Derek Fowlds' mousy private secretary Bernard making occasional interjections. While Sir Humphrey is at times a little too sinister for sitcom consumption, all the classic features quickly show up. Hacker's occasional Churchillian bombast, followed by panicky blank double-takes when flummoxed, Sir Humphrey's unflappable verbosity as he brings the dead weight of civil service bureaucracy to bear against Hacker's naively optimistic schemes for open government, Quangos and slashing red tape in episodes like 'The Economy Drive'. Ironic, that when this was first screened in the 80s, it was during the rampages of early Thatcherism in which Government had never been less like the ineffectual politicking satirised here. -- David Stubbs Yes Prime Minister series 2: Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn's superb sitcom Yes Prime Minister entered 10 Downing Street with Jim Hacker now Prime Minister of Britain, following a campaign to 'Save the British Sausage'. Whether tackling defence ('The Grand Design'), local government ('Power to the People') or the National Education Service, all of Jim Hacker's bold plans for reform generally come to nothing, thanks to the machinations of Nigel Hawthorne's complacent Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey (Jeeves to Hacker's Wooster) who opposes any action of any sort on the part of the PM altogether. This is usually achieved by discreet horse-trading. In 'One of Us', for instance, Hacker relents from implementing defence cuts when he is presented with the embarrassingly large bill he ran up in a vote-catching mission to rescue a stray dog on an army firing range. Only in 'The Tangled Web', the final episode of Series 2, does the PM at last turn the tables on Sir Humphrey. Paul Eddington is a joy as Hacker, whether in mock-Churchillian mode or visibly cowering whenever he is congratulated on a "courageous" idea. Jay and Lynn's script, meanwhile, is a dazzlingly Byzantine exercise in wordplay, wittily reflecting the verbiage-to-substance ratio of politics. Ironically, Yes Prime Minister is an accurate depiction of practically all political eras except its own, the 1980s, when Thatcher successfully carried out a radical programme regardless of harrumphing senior civil servants. -- David Stubbs This complete collection includes every episode of the hugely popular political satire Yes Minister series 1 – 3 (which first aired in 1980 on BBC 2) along with each episode in the subsequent two series of Yes Prime Minister (which aired from 1986). Meet the bewildered Rt Hon James Hacker, his scheming and equivocating Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby and of course, Bernard, the piggy-in-the middle, on their fraught journey through the corridors of power. One of the classic TV sitcoms, easily the sharpest political comedy every written, with clandestine help from real civil servants, and satire that bites so close to home it sometimes seems more like a documentary. This does the impossible: it makes politics not just fun but hilariously funny. Yes Minister episodes 'Open Government', 'The Official Visit', 'The Economy Drive', 'Big Brother', 'The Writing on the Wall', 'The Right to Know', 'Jobs for the Boys', 'The Compassionate Society', 'Doing the Honours', 'The Death List', 'The Greasy Pole', 'The Devil You Know', 'The Quality of Life', 'A Question of Loyalty', 'Equal Opportunities', 'The Challenge', 'The Skeleton in the Cupboard', 'The Moral Dimension', 'The Bed of Nails', 'The Whiskey Priest', 'The Middle Class Rip Off'. Yes, Prime Minister episodes 'The Grand Design', 'The Ministerial Broadcast', 'The Smoke Screen', 'The Key', 'A Real Partnership', 'A Victory for Democracy', 'The Bishop's Gambit', 'One of Us', `Man Overboard', 'Official Secrets', 'A Diplomatic Incident', 'A Conflict of Interest', 'Power to the People', 'The Patron of the Arts', 'The National Education Service' and 'The Tangled Web'. Review: The Best Political Sitcom Ever! - This is truly a spectacular series. The writing is phenomenal, the acting excellent and the storylines have such a relevance despite the series being 40 years old. I have always loved this show but over the last several years so many of the subjects covered in both Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister have rung really true. Whether it is our relationship with Europe, a Russian invasion or Nuclear war, this show really was ahead of its time and of its time. The biggest part of the show that can never be doubted is the acting of Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds. They all bring such a charm to the show that can never be matched. Paul Eddington could use facial expression to convey so many emotions and proved that sometimes less is more when it comes to dialogue. Nigel Hawthorne on the other hand, could roll of speeches at the speed of sound and yet they made perfect sense. Last but not least Derek Fowlds could steal an entire scene with a killer one liner. The writers Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynne used their inside knowledge to ensure that every episode had a storyline that was very topical and of the moment which in many ways is the shows greatest strength, by not referring to real or current events or people the series has a real timeless quality. The other strength is that the audience watching the show wouldn't have had much of a ideal how Government works behind the scenes, so by focusing on the political machine and the processes of the Government it made the sitcom so much funnier. A total masterpiece on every level that really needs to be watched, then watched again! Review: Great DVD set the complete Yes Minister/Prime Minister - One of the outstanding comedies on British Television in the 1980s was Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister. This handsome DVD set brings together all of the Yes Minister / prime minister series. It is a great set and well presented. There are subtitles for the hard of hearing too. When the first couple of series were screened in the 1980s I didn’t get to see it all the time but liked it and thought it was funny. Then a work colleague gave me the book Yes Minister for my Birthday and when I read it I was hooked and made every effort to see the rest of the series. Now, all these years later, it has been wonderful to see every episode together in this great DVD collection. Yes Minister follows the political career of one Jim Hacker, Initially an MP for an unnamed party, but later it is divulged that he is Tory. It all begins with Hacker beginning his first Ministerial position of Administrative affairs. He teams up with permanent under secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby. Filled with bright ideas for cleaning up his department, hacker begins to set the wheels in motion, only to be stopped by the career civil servant who is intent on keeping power out of politicians hands and firmly in control of the permanent staff. And it is these concepts of idealism against political reality, and perceived power against real power that underpins the whole series, with Hacker flying ambitious kites and Sir Humphrey cheerfully shooting them down. While the persuasive Humphreys bamboozles Hacker with his tongue twisting, jargon loaded, over stretched explanations, Hacker’s general private Secretary, Bernard Woolley hovers nervously in the middle, gently offering opinions on the implications and complications of this or that decision. But Hacker must heed their advice in the first three series, for a majority career move quickly follows. When the incumbent prime minister resigns, three candidates stand for the job, two extremists and the rather mundane Hacker. Hacker then becomes prime Minister in the final two series now known as Yes Prime Minister. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Contributor | Antony Carrick, Antony Jay, Arthur Cox, Brenda Blethyn, Derek Fowlds, Eleanor Bron, Frank Middlemass, Graeme Garden, Ian Lavender, John Fortune, John Nettleton, John Savident, Jonathan Lynn, Judy Parfitt, Ludovic Kennedy, Nigel Hawthorne, Norman Bird, Paul Eddington, Peter Whitmore, Sidney Lotterby, Stuart Allen Contributor Antony Carrick, Antony Jay, Arthur Cox, Brenda Blethyn, Derek Fowlds, Eleanor Bron, Frank Middlemass, Graeme Garden, Ian Lavender, John Fortune, John Nettleton, John Savident, Jonathan Lynn, Judy Parfitt, Ludovic Kennedy, Nigel Hawthorne, Norman Bird, Paul Eddington, Peter Whitmore, Sidney Lotterby, Stuart Allen See more | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,330 Reviews | | Format | PAL | | Genre | Comedy, Documentary | | Language | English | | Manufacturer | 2entertain | | Number of discs | 7 | | Publication date | 16 Oct. 2006 | | Runtime | 17 hours and 54 minutes | ## Product Details - **Format:** PAL - **Genre:** Comedy, Documentary - **Language:** English - **Number of discs:** 7 ## Images ![Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister - Complete Collection [DVD] [1980] - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1gAgJXdJfL.jpg) ![Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister - Complete Collection [DVD] [1980] - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1833OaRPZL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Best Political Sitcom Ever! *by A***N on 7 June 2022* This is truly a spectacular series. The writing is phenomenal, the acting excellent and the storylines have such a relevance despite the series being 40 years old. I have always loved this show but over the last several years so many of the subjects covered in both Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister have rung really true. Whether it is our relationship with Europe, a Russian invasion or Nuclear war, this show really was ahead of its time and of its time. The biggest part of the show that can never be doubted is the acting of Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds. They all bring such a charm to the show that can never be matched. Paul Eddington could use facial expression to convey so many emotions and proved that sometimes less is more when it comes to dialogue. Nigel Hawthorne on the other hand, could roll of speeches at the speed of sound and yet they made perfect sense. Last but not least Derek Fowlds could steal an entire scene with a killer one liner. The writers Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynne used their inside knowledge to ensure that every episode had a storyline that was very topical and of the moment which in many ways is the shows greatest strength, by not referring to real or current events or people the series has a real timeless quality. The other strength is that the audience watching the show wouldn't have had much of a ideal how Government works behind the scenes, so by focusing on the political machine and the processes of the Government it made the sitcom so much funnier. A total masterpiece on every level that really needs to be watched, then watched again! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great DVD set the complete Yes Minister/Prime Minister *by M***A on 6 February 2016* One of the outstanding comedies on British Television in the 1980s was Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister. This handsome DVD set brings together all of the Yes Minister / prime minister series. It is a great set and well presented. There are subtitles for the hard of hearing too. When the first couple of series were screened in the 1980s I didn’t get to see it all the time but liked it and thought it was funny. Then a work colleague gave me the book Yes Minister for my Birthday and when I read it I was hooked and made every effort to see the rest of the series. Now, all these years later, it has been wonderful to see every episode together in this great DVD collection. Yes Minister follows the political career of one Jim Hacker, Initially an MP for an unnamed party, but later it is divulged that he is Tory. It all begins with Hacker beginning his first Ministerial position of Administrative affairs. He teams up with permanent under secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby. Filled with bright ideas for cleaning up his department, hacker begins to set the wheels in motion, only to be stopped by the career civil servant who is intent on keeping power out of politicians hands and firmly in control of the permanent staff. And it is these concepts of idealism against political reality, and perceived power against real power that underpins the whole series, with Hacker flying ambitious kites and Sir Humphrey cheerfully shooting them down. While the persuasive Humphreys bamboozles Hacker with his tongue twisting, jargon loaded, over stretched explanations, Hacker’s general private Secretary, Bernard Woolley hovers nervously in the middle, gently offering opinions on the implications and complications of this or that decision. But Hacker must heed their advice in the first three series, for a majority career move quickly follows. When the incumbent prime minister resigns, three candidates stand for the job, two extremists and the rather mundane Hacker. Hacker then becomes prime Minister in the final two series now known as Yes Prime Minister. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HILARIOUSLY BARBED *by M***S on 22 September 2019* Ministers are transistory, often initially with no knowledge of the Department they have been assigned. Now entrusted with Administrative Affairs, Jim Hacker (who is not very bright) relies on his Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby to show him the ropes. All too soon he will discover Sir Humphrey exists solely to stifle any initiatives, the aim to keep everything gently ticking over until the next Minister comes along. What makes the show so funny (and somewhat disturbing) is that writers Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn know exactly what they are about - at their fingertips ample proof of how the Civil Service works, devastating examples of widespread disasters and inefficiency - all kept well hidden under a smokescreen of misinformation, committees, sub-committees, Inquiries that rarely get anywhere ("official secrets act", "not in the public interest to publish"), etc., etc., etc. Soon Hacker is reeling from Sir Humphrey's unintelligible goobledegook ("his sentences longer than Judge Jeffreys'"), Private Secretary Bernard Woolley "explanations" doing little to dispel the confusion. The fun is that Hacker gradually cottons on, adopts similar techniques, occasionally beating Sir Humphrey at his own game - especially after unexpectedly promoted to Prime Minister. A Whitehall Farce indeed. Although so much was first shown almost forty years ago, practices rampant then are still clearly evident - attitudes towards Brussels, Trident, selling of arms to hostile countries, the NHS, Education, the Honours System (Civil Servants very well represented), lucrative sinecures at hand when top officials leave, appointment of bishops, scandals in the City, Cabinet leaks, backstabbing, fake news.... Much else besides. YES, MINISTER - 21 half hour episodes + an hour long special as Hacker is manoeuvred towards the top job. YES, PRIME MINISTER - 16 half hour episodes. In short? Throughout, top quality writing and - from Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds - three performances to treasure. Thatcher's favourite programme. Politicians full of praise (often secretly providing instances). The Civil Service not so keen. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/48090253-yes-minister-and-yes-prime-minister-complete-collection-dvd-1980](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/48090253-yes-minister-and-yes-prime-minister-complete-collection-dvd-1980) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-07*