The one hundred and ninety-first TV show: #297 Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister
Considering the turmoil the UK ws in, Yes Minister also shows how comedy was almost gentler. These days we look at The Thick of It and Veep as a surprisingly accurate look at the political system. Yes Minister did the same - apparently there were comments about how accurate it was, while it pierced the illusion about the control of politicians and the civil service. Minister (later prime minister) Hacker is in charge of the vague Department of Administrative Affairs - covering everything and nothing - and his plans to make an impact are often foiled by permanent secretary (and later cabinet secretary) Humphrey Appleby. A lot of the comedy comes from both of them going after their own goals, often with private secretary Bernard in between. It hits closely these days, with a lot of it feeling familiar in current politics, but once it gets out of the gate it's engaging in seeing where the machnications go and how it all falls out. It's often at the strongest when the main characters end up having to band together against the rest of the system, but the show balances that between the conflict between them quite well. It's been a long wait to watch it, but it's been worth it.