Yes (Prime)Minister is the best political series ever on TV. "The smoke screen" is one of its best episodes combining great writing, great acting and great political insight. It could be used as a text book example for comedy as well as political science. As political drama and/or comedy goes it just doesn't get better.
3 Reviews
Financially speaking it's unquestionably better that they continue to die at their current rate
snoozejonc21 August 2021
Hacker pushes for his defence budget cuts with the additional leverage of an anti-smoking policy.
This an excellent episode that tackles another very interesting subject matter with great comedy, cynicism, and tactical manoeuvring by the characters.
It's good to see the focus is less explicitly on 'Hacker's Grand design' and more on the tobacco industry and its implications on the medical and financial wellbeing of Britain. It presents an attitude from the civil service that is so morally wrong yet logically sound, you cannot help but laugh. Humphrey's notion of smokers as national heroes for me is one of the funniest concepts written on the show.
How the difficult characters are managed and the eventual resolution to the problem is an inspired plot thread that is both funny and quite disheartening to watch. You can quite easily imagine these situations occurring in real life government. Again the writers emphasise self interest as the main driving factor in the behaviour and decisions of characters.
Looking back at this from a 2021 perspective, there is a fabulous irony when you consider the proposals treated so outrageously in this episode are all in legislation now.
Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds are superb as ever. Bill Wallis gives a strong performance as the chain smoking Minister of Sport.
This an excellent episode that tackles another very interesting subject matter with great comedy, cynicism, and tactical manoeuvring by the characters.
It's good to see the focus is less explicitly on 'Hacker's Grand design' and more on the tobacco industry and its implications on the medical and financial wellbeing of Britain. It presents an attitude from the civil service that is so morally wrong yet logically sound, you cannot help but laugh. Humphrey's notion of smokers as national heroes for me is one of the funniest concepts written on the show.
How the difficult characters are managed and the eventual resolution to the problem is an inspired plot thread that is both funny and quite disheartening to watch. You can quite easily imagine these situations occurring in real life government. Again the writers emphasise self interest as the main driving factor in the behaviour and decisions of characters.
Looking back at this from a 2021 perspective, there is a fabulous irony when you consider the proposals treated so outrageously in this episode are all in legislation now.
Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds are superb as ever. Bill Wallis gives a strong performance as the chain smoking Minister of Sport.
Smoke and mirrors
safenoe27 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Anyway, it's interesting that according to the trivia section, there was derisory laughter from the studio audience at the smoking policy touted in The Smoke Screen, probably because back in the 80s so many British (including Northern Irish) people smoked and it was a way of British life and goodness how could the government do that to them.
Jonathan Lynn co-created and co-wrote Yes, Minister with Antony Jay. Interestingly, Antony Jay received a knighthood to become Sir Antony Jay but to this day Jonathan Lynn hasn't. Yet Jonathan Lynn went on to direct Clue, Nuns on the Run, My Cousin Vinny, and The Whole Nine Yards so it's strange init that Jonathan has been overlooked for a knighthood.
Jonathan Lynn co-created and co-wrote Yes, Minister with Antony Jay. Interestingly, Antony Jay received a knighthood to become Sir Antony Jay but to this day Jonathan Lynn hasn't. Yet Jonathan Lynn went on to direct Clue, Nuns on the Run, My Cousin Vinny, and The Whole Nine Yards so it's strange init that Jonathan has been overlooked for a knighthood.
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