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Lost Episode: 'Chips are Down, Balloon Goes Up, Lights Off'

posted 16 years ago by H_Kivel
3 replies | jump to latest

Many years ago I remember watching an episode of "Yes, Minister" or "Yes, Prime Minister." In one memorable scene they were discussing the effort to close down an empty government building but someone (Sir Humphrey) was arguing that there had to be a place for the government to continue operating in the event of a nuclear war. "You know, when the chips are down, the balloon goes up, and the lights go off! Just because we have annihilation doesn't mean we should have anarchy."

I cannot locate this episode, even though I now own Yes, Prime Minister, the Complete Collection. What was the name of the episode this appeared in? Why isn't it in the Complete Collection?

[–] Clive_Candy 16 years ago

This was in "Yes, Minister" episode "The Economy Drive" (Series 1,episode 3)

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cbisasky 7 years ago

Apparently, the UK has a pretty good civil defense (defence) plan compared to ours is the USA. There was another episode of Yes Minister where Hacker is talking about civil defense and a post-nuclear government. He asks Humphrey why the UK needs a nuclear arsenal to deter the Russians when the Americans already have the bomb. He explains that the British bomb is meant to deter, not the Russians, but the French.

The episode was the one where Hacker is talking about local government and goes to see a council house that has its own fallout shelter--just for the members of the council.