What's your favourite character from Yes Minister? Mine is Bernard...I just love the way he sits there when Humphrey and Hacker are talking, just smiling serenely, and just when you have almost forgotten he is there, he says something brilliant! Most of the time, he analyses metaphors, I believe...and in a completely irrelevant way. I just love him.
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I love Bernard too, he has such a hard job trying to keep on the right side of both Jim and Sir Humphrey! But, I must say that my favourite character has to be Sir Humphrey Appleby. If I had to work with someone like that it woyuld drive me totally insane, but to watch that character on screen is just classic! Hats off to the lat Sir Nigel who had to memorise all of those mind-boggeling lines that Humphrey used to fob off Jim in difficult situation!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
True, all those complicated lines... I had lots of trouble even understanding what he was actually saying , let alone being able to memorize them... I just bought the miniseries Victoria & Albert on DVD, and I saw Sir Nigel Hawthorne's name on the cover...I'm really curious what his other roles are like...he's great. I love Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister, but Bernard is definately my favourite... Poor thing, every time he sits down or wants to take a sip of his coffee, Sir Humphrey goes "Thank you, Bernard" and he's off again... Brilliantly cruel.
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
Its hilarious in the episode The Death List when the Special Branch officer has cometo talk to Jim about security and he sits in Humphrey's usual seat across from Jim and Bernard is sitting where he normally sits at the side of the desk and Humphrey says "Thank-you Bernard" so he has to move to let Humphrey sit down! That scene always has me in stitches!x I always feel sorry for poor Bernard because he seems like such a sweet person!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Exactly, that was so evil of Sir Humphrey...poor Bernard. I just watched the episode Skeleton in the Cupboard, and it was the most hilarious one I've seen until now... So funny to see Sir Humphrey so worried and Bernard and Hacker giggling all the time and going "This really isn't funny, Bernard." "No, Minister." And the episode where they are in an Arab country and they have this secret room full of booze and they keep saying things like "There's a call for you in the other room. A Mr Johnny Walker from the Scotch Office...I mean the Scottish Office." Brilliant. It's such a great series with such wonderful actors... Very addictive.
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I loved all the excuses that they were making up to go to get the "secret message"! I loved Bernard's line to Humphrey "A call from the Soviet Embassy... A Mr Smirnoff!" I nearly died laughing! Then when Jim, who was clearly drunk, came over to Humphrey and told him he was wanted by Napoleon! Too funny! The Skeleton in the Cupboard is my favourite episode of Yes Minister, I can watch it again and again and never tire of it!x
Have you seen any of the Yes Prime Minister series? There's a two episodes which go along the same lines of Skeleton in the Cupboard - one in series 1 called "One of Us" in whcih Humphrey is suspected of being a Soviet spy and the final episode in series 2 in which Humphrey goes on a radio show and thinks he says something "off the record" which is very damning to the government and could spell the end of his career! Bernard is absolutely excellent in that episode! Its so funny!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
No, I haven't seen any of the Yes Prime Minister episodes yet... I live in the Netherlands and I bought all three Yes Minister series on DVD recently, and that's the first time I saw those... But Yes Prime Minister isn't released on DVD in the Netherlands (yet). If they don't release it soon, I'm sure I'll order it from the UK...because I'm SO curious about YPM and whether it's as good as YM. I watched the episode about the football club and the art gallery yesterday, and there was a scene in it where Humphrey and Hacker where having a very long and complicated conversation about subsidies and what should be subsidized and what shouldn't... And Bernard was just sitting there and he hadn't said anything yet during this very long scene, and then Sir Humphrey said something like "Next thing you know you'll be saying we should subsidize sex!" and Bernard went "Could we?" and that was his only line during that conversation...brilliant. So funny how one little line can have you in stitches...I think the effect was even bigger because he hadn't said anything else before that for such a long time...priceless.
By the way, I read (in another thread) that you write fanfic about Yes Minister... I'd love to read it...do you have it online somewhere?
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I watched that episode a few days ago and I think line is hilarious too! I hope that Yes Prime Minister is released where you are soon! Series one was released last year here and series two earlier this year, so hopefully you won't have to wait long! But if not, Amazon.co.uk or the BBC website shop have them!
You can find my Yes Minister fanfic here: [urlhttp://www.fanfiction.net/~clairerickman[url/]
There's one finisehd one and one that I will finsih eventually when I have time!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Great! Thanks! I'm printing your Departmental Affair story now... I'm looking forward to reading it...especially because I read that Bernard has a bigger role in it than in most Yes Minister episodes. So I'm going to sit down and read the whole thing as soon as the printer is done...which is now. (This'll help me pass the time while YPM isn't released on DVD yet )
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I just read The Departmental Affair and The Chemical Crisis... It's really good! I think you portrayed the characters very well, especially Humphrey...I can really imagine him say what you've written... I can't wait until you finish your last story! (But don't let me rush you )
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
Thanks so much for reading my stories! It's made me want to get on with finishing The Chemical Crisis! I promise to have it all up soon! I'm glad you like the stories, and I'm happy that you think that I've managed to portray the characters ok! I'm always a bit worried when I write that I am going to destroy the characters! I'll dedicate the next chapter to you!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
I'll dedicate the next chapter to you!That's so sweet of you! Yes, I really liked the stories... I just realized you let Jim Hacker ask lots of questions...which is great when you want to portray his personality and everything...because Humphrey is the one who knows everything and Jim hasn't got a clue most of the time... I actually registered with Fanfiction.net today, because I once wrote some Blackadder fanfic and I thought I'd put it online so other people could read it, too...and I might try to write a little Yes Minister thing as well, just for fun... I hope you don't mind if I do so, because I'm not trying to copy you or anything, but I was just sort of inspired by your stories and it's such fun to let the characters from your favourite comedies do exactly what you want for a change (which was probably your point when you gave Bernard such a big part in your stories). And a few other little things I thought were very Yes Minister-ish and really contributed to the whole atmosphere where: "NQOCD" (obscure civil servant abbreviations) and Bernard's use of the word "gosh" when he has to pin the corsage to Hen's dress (I noticed he said that a few times in the YM Christmas Special "Party Games" and I thought it was very characteristic of him ). I think the first story is more YM-ish though, but it's bound to be because in the second story the situation has changed so much, what with Hen and Bernard being together...anyway, I can't wait to find out how it all ends .
I can't wait to read your Blackadder fanfiction! And I think anyone who wants to write Yes Minister fanfiction is cool!x
I totally agree with the fun of writing fanfiction being that you can make your favourite characters do whatever you want! I was a bit unsure when I started to write the stories cos I know that Bernard is supposed to be married (he makes a comment about his mother-in-law in an episode of Yes Prime Minister), but I thought I'd overlook this fact and give him some romance!
In the first story I tried to make it as much like an episode as much as possible, but then I realised when writing the second story that if I wanted to concentrate on Bernard's new relationship, then the story would become less like the tv programme. But another joy of fanfiction is that the writer can make their story to be whatever they want! I think that one just has to remember to keep up the comedy which is the essential part of Yes Minister!x I have planned to write several stories charting Bernard's relationship with Hen and possibly ending in them getting married, but I think I will wait and see what response I get from those who read the stories!x
The abbreviation NQOCD is actually borrowed (or more like stolen) from a novel called "A Little Love Song" that I love. I thought that it was a pretty funny thing to say and it fitted in well with civil service lingo!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Oh dear...I hope you like the Blackadder fanfic I wrote...it's very different from the way you write your fanfic because I don't really write in story-style but more in screenplay-style... I don't write very often, but sometimes I get this urge to write stuff because I'm so enthusiastic about a comedy or film or something...hope you like it. (Only I'll have to wait a few days before I can upload stuff to fanfiction.net, because I've only just become a member. )
Bernard's supposed to be married?! Somehow he doesn't seem the type... I don't really know why, but Jim and Humphrey are much more married-man-like than Bernard...maybe it's because Bernard's still so sweet and naive about things... Actually, I prefer your storyline...
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I like to read all different styles of writing! Mines is always in story style because I find it hard to write in screenplay style! I have a lot of respect for those who can as I find it so hard! Let me know when you have your first story up so I can read it! And I'll write a review too!x
I think that you are supposed to think think that Bernard will be married! I don't know how old he's supposed to be, Derek Fowlds who played him was quite old, but I think that Bernard was supposed to be in his thirties, but I'm not sure. In my story he's 32 when he first meets Hen and she's 24. I think you're right about Humphrey and Jim being more "married men" types, but I think thats because they are older than Bernard is!
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Yeah, I checked and Derek Fowlds was 43 when he started doing Yes Minister...but if Bernard is supposed to be in his thirties, he gets away with it because he does have a bit of a babyface... I don't know why Humphrey and Jim seem more like the marrying type...I don't think it's because they're older, because I can imagine (especially) Humphrey being exactly the same as he is now when he was young... Anyway, I will certainly let you know when I've put my first story up...
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
Yes, you do get the impression that Humphrey has been middle-aged his whole life! When I get bored of writing the stories that I'm going to put up on fanfiction.net, I like to write little stories about the characters' backgrounds. I have one for Humphrey, one for Bernard and one for Sir Arnold Robinson! I haven't got around to writing Jim's yet! Hehe!x
Derek Fowlds was 43 when he started Yes Minister, cool, I'll keep that in mind as "useless trivia"!!!
I'm looking forwards to reading some Blackadder fanfiction!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
I'm looking forwards to reading some Blackadder fanfiction!
Imagine if that question ever did come up somewhere - in a pub quiz or something? I don't think I'd be able to answer, I'd be too busy killing myself laughing! I could have calculated it myself actually, cos I knew he was born in 1937! He was 10 years younger than Nigel Hawthorne and 12 years younger than Paul Eddington! And John Nettleton who played Sir Arnold was exactly one month older than Nigel... see I'm full of useless knowledge! Hehe!x
Writing character descriptions and stuff is cool, and I especially enjoyed it cos I got to make up loads of stuff that I think fitted in with the characters!
Woolley - it does rather suit him doesn't it?! I think its quit a sweet name too and Bernard is rather a sweet character!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Yes, I think I could safely say I'd eat my hat if that question ever came up in a quiz... By the way, I'd love to read your character descriptions too... I think I could give you a character description for Sir Desmond Glazebrook: he's a banker. (I love that scene in Jobs for the Boys where he's having dinner with Sir Humphrey and Humphrey keeps coming up with jobs for him that have to do with vegetables or wine or anything he sees at the restaurant at that moment...and he asks Sir Desmond "What do you know about?" and he goes "Nothing, I'm a banker.") Anyway, useless knowledge is cool. Especially when it's about things you like. I'm sure I know more useless trivia about things I like than useful trivia about things I don't like. (Did I sound a bit like Sir Humphrey just then? ) Exactly, "Woolley" sounds very sweet and cuddly, I bet they chose that name on purpose...
By the way, I posted two short Blackadder sketches on fanfiction.net:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2551192/1/
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2551196/1/
And my first scene/chapter of my Yes Minister fanfic :
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2551455/1/
(By the way, does it always take so long before your profile at fanfiction.net is updated? It takes at least a few hours or so before I can see the changes. )
I really hope you'll like them, and I'd love to hear whether you did or not
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I can't wait to read your stories!xx I'm a little tied up just now, but I'll read them ASAP and review!xx Thanks for your review of The Departmental Affair!x :) I'm not planning on putting my character profiles on fanfiction.net but I could send them to you via a personal message or by email! One for Sir Desmond would be pretty cool - he's so funny!x That scene in Jobs for the Boys was excellent!x I laugh so much everytime I see it!x "Nothing, really, I'm a banker!" Classic!x :)
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Sir Desmond is great...it would be pretty accurate to write a character profile of him that just says "He's a banker". There doesn't seem to be anything else to him... Another thing I love about him is that he buys the Financial Times just because it's "part of the outfit" ("I'm a banker!"), but he doesn't understand economic theory at all. (Nor do I, but I'm not a banker... ) I'd love to read your character profiles...it would be great if you sent them to me ([email protected]) .
I watched A Question of Loyalty again this afternoon (I just watch comedies over and over until I practically know them by heart...like Blackadder). I love that look on Humphrey's face when Jim is saying something he didn't expect him to say . For example, in that episode, when Jim goes something like "We're going to have an independent inquiry about the civil service wasting government money, and of course Sir Humphrey totally agrees with me..." and that look on Humphrey's face is just priceless,and his face actually seems to become whiter...I mean how did Nigel Hawthorne do that? Brilliant.
And I thought while I'm at it, I'd watch The Settling of the Sun, the Inspector Morse episode Derek Fowlds is in (I have most of them on DVD). Have you ever seen it? He has a German accent there, so it's a bit strange...and his character is so different from Bernard... Anyway, I never noticed him in that episode before, because I didn't know about Yes Minister yet...
Well, I'm looking forward to your reviews...and I hope you'll like the stories (or should I say screenplays). By the way, it's so nice to talk to someone who likes Yes Minister so much...I don't know many people here who know the series...
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
By the way, I think I've got another piece of completely useless Yes Minister info for you... I'm not sure whether it is right...it's just an observation I made...here it comes: Derek Fowlds changed from real teeth to false teeth somewhere between 1984 (Party Games Special) and 1988 (Inspector Morse episode). I'm sorry, but it's just that I noticed his teeth were different (very white, obviously dentures, in my opinion) in the Inspector Morse episode... Okay, I know it's ridiculous, but because we were talking about useless trivia...this is about the most useless one I could think of... (By the way, I just posted the second scene of my YM fic on fanfiction.net )
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I've never seen that episode of Inspector Morse, or I might have only I don't remember it - I was quite young when I used to watch it with my great-aunt! Derek Fowlds with a German accent? Good God whats the world coming to?! Hehe!x I really can't imagine that at all, I can only ever think of him as either Bernard or Oscar Blaketon from Heartbeat! Oh yeah and Mr Derek from his days with Basil Brush! (If you don't know who he is, its a puppet of a fox who used to be on children's television programmes on the BBC!)
Actually yeah, Sir Desmond's profile would be pretty simple - "He's a banker" pretty much does it there!x
A Question of Loyalty is brilliant - the look on Sir Humphrey's face when Jim was telling the committee exactly what they wanted to hear (and the exact opposite of what he wanted him to say) was totally priceless! And the look on his face when Jim gets the personal handwritten invatation to lunch from the PM is brilliant. "A conspiracy... that drink with Mark Spencer...!" And when he acuses Jim of betraying him "I believe the going rate is thirty pieces of silver!" Absolutely brilliant!
Last year on television there was a series of programmes for the publicto decide what the best British sitcom was. Yes Minister did very well actually! It was well inside the top ten! And for each of the top ten shows, they each had their own show in which the actors and writers or whatever told everyone about what it was like to write or star in it! I remember Derek Fowlds telling the story that Nigel Hawthorne was completely unlike Sir Humphrey and sometimes found it difficult to say the lines. So when he wasn't required on set, he'd go and sit in the studio audience and practice! I think that is so sweet!
I too thinks its great to have found someone who loves Yes Minister as much as I do! I love talking about it and the actors in it, but I don't often get the chance! I'll get those profiles to you as soon as I've typed them up - I'm one of those very annoying people who likes to handwrite things!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Wow - that is a very interesting piece of "useless trivia"! If it had been in more recent times I would have said he might have had dental work done and had his teeth professionally whitened, but seeing as it was the 80s, I don't think people really did that then so it probably is falsers! Hehe!x
I've been trying to read you're second chapter of Press and Prejudice (inspired title by the way!), but it keeps saying you only have one chapter up, so I'll try again tomorrow!
I've decided that on Monday, I shall presson and even try to get The Chemical Crisis finished! I have to work tomorrow, but I have all day Monday to do some serious writing!x Oh by the way thanks for saying that reading my Yes Minister stories inspired you to write your own - it made me blush! Hehe!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Oh I forgot to say before - this website is rather good!x
www.yes-minister.com
I really enjoy going to visit it!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Fanfiction.net is SO incredibly slow, I can't believe it... I did actually read your reviews on my Blackadder and YM stuff, though, because I got these "review alert" e-mails or something... Thank you for the reviews , if I made you blush by saying your stories inspired me , you made me blush even more by saying it was like my Blackadder stuff was left over from the real series...that's about the biggest compliment you can give me (Gosh I'm happy!)
Press and Prejudice...hmmm yes, I like using Austen-ish titles like that for three reasons: 1. I love Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice (both the film/series and the books ) 2. All the episodes of Blackadder the Third have titles like that (and I love Blackadder...but you might have noticed that already ) 3. It sounds awful but...they're rather easy to make up. (You get two words that have something to do with your story and that start with the same letter and there you go)
I saw that BBC comedy thing...it was called Britain's Best Sitcom, wasn't it? I remember seeing the Yes Minister episode of that, and I didn't think it was very funny then...but I think YM is really a comedy you should see from the beginning (not just a few loose episodes now and then) because it only becomes hilarious when you get to know the characters very well... They showed a few of Sir Humphrey's very long and incomprehensible quotes then, and I remember thinking "What's funny about this? I don't even understand him!" (How should I have known that that was exactly the point? )
That really is sweet, the thing with Nigel Hawthorne and how he wasn't at all like Humphrey and about practising his lines... You really should watch Victoria & Albert, because his character in that series probably reflected Nigel Hawthorne's "inner politician" better than Sir Humphrey did...
I just don't seem to be able to stop writing these frightfully long posts (I love frightfully long posts ), but I just love talking about this with someone who feels the same about it... (Huzzah and hurrah for internet and IMDb ) And it's great for practising my English "writing skills" during holidays...LOL!!! I'm a student...English Language and Culture and I chose Media (TV and Popular Culture) as a minor this year, so I hope I'll be able to do some projects or assignments on Yes Minister !
I can't wait to read how The Chemical Crisis ends!!! Bernard and Hen are just so sweet together... I am a bit jealous of your knowledge of political terms and stuff like that... I wasn't really interested in politics at all before YM, so I just try not to make a fool of myself by useing the wrong terms in the wrong places... (I don't even know the right terms in Dutch, let alone in English... )
And by the way, Derek Fowlds with a German accent is VERY FUNNY! (and strange)
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I'm a bit of a politics junkie so I know a lot about the political terms! But when I watched Yes Minister for the first time - in fact the first few times - I heard Humphrey's lines and thought "What in God's name is the man on about!" Then I listened to them again and again and even took to watching episodes with a dictionary near me! I still do in actual fact, just incase I've missed some randomn word that I don't understand! Sad I know, but its fun to be able to know what he's saying then use the words in sentences to confuse my friends! Hehe!x
I think your English is prefect - its probably better than mine because spelling isn't exactly one of my strong points - thank God for spell check when I'm writing my stories! And honestly - your Backadder stories are brilliant and it is as if they had been written for the actual show and they couldn't be fitted in or something! Richard Curtis and Ben Elton had better watch out!x
My posts seem to be getting longer and longer now! Hehe! But I think thats because I could talk endlessly about Yes Minister and fanfiction and stuff like that and you're letting me do so! And its good cos if I go on a bit much and you get bored, you can simply stop reading! Hehe!x
I'm looking into getting Victoria and Albert! I've already spent a fortune on Amazon to buy other films and programmes with Nigel in!
I hope you get the chance to write about Yes Minister for your course! How cool would that be? I'm a history student, so not much opportunity there for me sadly!
I think that Hen and Bernard are sweet together too, but then I created Hen! Hehe!x Thanks for all your kind comments, you make me want to keep writing!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
I've just placed an order for Victoria and Albert on Amazon! Yay!xxx
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
I've always thought politics were a bit boring...especially Dutch politics...have you ever seen our PM? He looks like Harry Potter, and not in a positive way I actually really like Harry Potter , and I understand you do, too...only you're more on Snape's side, I believe... (I can see why though...Alan Rickman does have something very charming and mysterious about him ) Anyway, that was bit off topic...but I think I've learned to see the funny and more interesting side of politics because of Yes Minister, only I'll have to catch up in my terminology .
You said in one of the reviews that you have the book of the Blackadder screenplays...so do I! It's so brilliantly written, I just had to have it... Actually, I think I'll buy the book of the YM screenplays as well...then I can really study all those marvellous Sir Humphrey quotes too (I'd love to try and fully understand what he's on about for a change).
I really don't mind about your long posts... I'm doing the same thing, and I just love reading about what you think of the series and discussing little quotes and details... Thanks for the link to that website by the way...it's excellent! (especially the database with all the terms and names...they do help )
I'm glad you ordered Victoria & Albert...Nigel Hawthorne doesn't have a very big part in it, but he has a considerable amount of very good scenes...his character is the most likeable one in the series, I think (which is more than you can say about Sir Humphrey)
The funny thing is that I actually wanted to study English because of the comedies...anyway, that's what first got me interested in British culture and the English language... I'm trying to put as much comedy into my assignments and essays as possible... I did a presentation on British comedies in my speaking skills class a while ago...and I wrote a long essay about miscommunication in Fawlty Towers . I love doing that sort of thing, and I hope I'll be able to do it again this year...
"...you make me want to keep writing..."
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I can't recall seeing your PM actually... I may go and look around the net to just check him out!x Looks like Harry Potter you say? Well that could be a bit of a laugh! I think everyone knows who our PM is... Good old Tony! (I've always had a bit of a crush on him, but I normally keep that quiet!)
Yeah, I'm a big Harry Potter fan! Not just Snape, but I do like him a lot! I've liked him longer than Alan Rickman has being playing him, but ever since Philosopher's Stone came out at the cinema and I saw Aln in full Snape costume, I've been totally hooked!x *sigh*
I have the two Yes Minister books and its not screenplays like the Blackadder one is. Its written in the style of Jim Hacker's diary with additional notes from Humphrey's diary or memorandum notes and interviews with Bernard in later life! They're incredably funny though! They even explain some little bits that may seem confusing in the programme! I'm always reading one of the two books!x
The website is good isn't it? Did you do the survey? I tend to do it everytime I visit for a laugh!
I was watching the Yes Minister episode Big Brother this morning! I think its so funny, espeically when Jim phones Humphrey at two in the morning! Its so funny when Jim asks if he's interupted him during dinner and Humphrey says they finished dinner some time ago asks what the time is! And his reaction when Jim gleefully tells him its 2AM! "Good God whats the crisis?!" I had to take it back and watch it several times!x Brilliant!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
Yes, everyone says our PM looks like Harry Potter and I agree with them... He's often called Harry Potter by the media, comedians and even other politicians... I know who your PM is, of course... (They'd probably kick me out of school if I didn't )
I'm also a bit of a Hary Potter fan...I've read all the books (some of the two or three times) And the movies are great of course...I can't wait until Goblet of Fire is released in the cinemas!
Ohhh I have to have those books...even if they're not the screenplays I might buy them next week when I school starts and I'm in Amsterdam...they have a few very good English bookshops there, so they probably have those YM and YPM books...and if they don't I'll order them I'd love to read those diary things!
Yes, that's such a classic scene in Big Brother...and how Humphrey doesn't say anything like "You woke me up! Are you insane?!" (which is what I'd do) but just pretends nothing's wrong at all... Another great Humphrey-line is from the episode with the badgers in Hayward's Spinney (I can't remember the title) and Bernard's trying to tell him about the nude protest and he goes "Do you mean starkers, Bernard?!" It sounds so funny coming from Humphrey...and then he says something like "Well, this puts a very different complexion on the matter..." and Bernard goes "Yes, especially in this weather." It's so subtle, but hilarious! I love that so much about the series...
Hope you'll update The Chemical Crisis soon (I can't update Press and Prejudice for a few days, because my cousin's staying over and I don't have much time...but I'll probably write another scene by the end of the week )
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
I love that scene too - I think the episode is called The Right to Know! Its really funny cos the girl who played Lucy, Jim's daughter is now in Eastenders and her character couldn't be more different!
I hope you manage to get the books - they're really great!x
I'll update on Thursday - I know I said I'd do it today, but something came up! I'm working tomorrow and I'm metting my Gran on Wednesday, but Thursday I promise I'll write more!x
Hope you have fun with your cousin!x
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
I'm looking forward to Thursday! (I watched Amistad with my cousin today...a film Nigel Hawthorne is in...he played the president of the USA...another politician! )
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
Thats so weird, I watched that film on Sunday with my friend!x
Change to the schedule, I'm meeting my Gran tommorrow instead of today so I can't update. I was going to do it today, but I think I may have writer's block - I go to write and my mind goes blank... its so infuriating... but hopefully it'll life before Friday. *crosses fingers*
Luv Claire!x
Britain's future Prime Minister
You watched Amistad on Sunday?! That IS weird... I haven't seen that movie for ages, and I just accidentally thought we'd watch it, because I had it lying around on tape somewhere and it's a great movie (I think) and then suddenly there's Humphrey again! (I think he's haunting me... )
I hope your writer's block will go away soon... I love reading your stories and I - have - to - know - how - it - ends!!! But I'll be patient and try to write something myself. Have a great time with your Gran!
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
Hmmmm we have to look after my little nephews today, so not much writing going on at the moment... I have decided I'll put Arnold in, though. He's always so great, especially because he's about the only one Humphrey's afraid of...
Anyway, I'll start a new thread for us to post on, because this one's narrowing down a bit...literally. I think I'll call it Claire and Riekiebol's New Yes Minister Thread...that sort of covers it.
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Tsja...schrijven is gevaarlijk. ~ Sindala
Perhaps the reason you guys more easily see Hacker and Sir Humphrey as married men is because they both have scenes where they are pictured in a domestic setting with their wives?
Obviously Hacker's wife, Annie, gets a speaking role - especially in the early episodes (Death List), but I believe Sir Humphrey is woken from his bed by Hacker in a telephone call - and is pictured sleeping next to his wife.
To the best of my knowledge Bernard's domestic situation is a little more... wooly... (Sorry - couldn't help it).
Incidentally, I believe the name Woolley was chosen for him because of the Civil Service tendency to give 'Wooly' answers to questions. Bernard often expresses his opinions in a wooly way when questioned, in order to try and avoid giving offence to either Sir Humphrey or Hacker.
Obviously its been a few years since you posted this but did you ever see Demolition Man (1993) with Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes with a young Sandra Bullock and Dennis Leary. Sir Nigel plays what I call an evil Mr Rogers controlling the city. He was my favourite character in the movie and i loved him in it. Most of my friends think I am nuts for that but they never saw him in the Brit Coms.
shareSir Humphrey Appleby is my favorite character, alongwith the former permanent secretary to the cabinet, who is a real funny character.
Bernard all the way!
shareBernard for me too- in my job I sometimes have to sit in on meetings between people who outrank me by many levels of seniority, and it's a real challenge to keep from making little remarks like the ones that get Bernard in trouble.
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In that case I think we're all agreed that Bernard is adorable. By the way, I've just spent a week on holiday in France playing the pants game with Yes Minister quotes. Just so you know how sad I am.
shareIt seems every time I begin to watch them all again it changes.
I can say this though, I never did care much for "Frank Weisel", he just (at least to me) didn't fit in with the flow, didn't seem to be the sort Jim would hang around with, even as editor of reform.
Sir Frank Gordon is my current fav, I wish they would have used him more.
Sir Humprhey's predecessor Arnold was my favourite character- a fine source of stories for the Campaign for Freedom of Information and a great ambassador for the Anglo-Carribean Trade Association-especially in the winter months!
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Bernard is hands-down my favorite character...as funny as Humphrey and Hacker's political machinations are, Bernard brings some much-needed NONpolitical humor to the mix. I think my favorite of his lines is
"You can't take the bull by the horns if you're grasping the nettle...if you grasp the nettle with one hand, you could take the bull by one horn with the other hand, but not both horns, because your hand isn't big enough. And if you did take the bull by one horn, it would be rather dangerous because [imitates a bull attacking with one horn]. It was just a mixed metaphor, and since we were discussing education, I thought...." [phone rings] "Thank God."
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"I like my plan better. Get up, get out, get drunk, repeat as needed."
Humphrey - he's brilliant! Couldnt have been better cast.
'I think he wants to govern Britain'
'Then stop him, Bernard'
Duo Maxwell: [On suffocation] Oh, this is such a lame way to die. This is so not cool!
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Yes, I love Bernard too. The way he's gonna correct them and explain is just so funny. He usually comes with funny comments or remarks. Yeah, I think he's my favourite character too with Hacker close second if so.
If you spoke your mind you might feel more connected
Until you stand politically corrected