Yes Prime Minister

Antony Jay has enjoyed a distinguished career as writer, broadcaster and producer. He was founder and editor of the BBC's legendary Tonight programme and is editor of The Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations, and author of Elizabeth R and two documentaries on the Royal Family. He is a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. Jonathan Lynn's prolific career spans more than four decades as a director, screenwriter, producer and actor in films, television and theatre, as well as best-selling author and novelist. His many movies include Nuns on the Run (which he also wrote), My Cousin Vinny, The Whole Nine Yards and Wild Target. His book Comedy Rules was published in 2011. Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay's BAFTA award-winning political comedy Yes, Minister first aired on BBC2 in 1980 and ran until 1984. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 until 1988. The programmes have been seen in 84 countries, and both series are now available on BBC DVD. They won a Special Award from the Campaign for Freedom of Information, and numerous other awards. Lynn and Jay also wrote three novels, The Complete Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minster, Volumes 1 and 2 (in paperback combined as The Complete Yes Prime Minister) which cumulatively sold more than a million copies in hardback, were on the British top-ten bestseller list for three years and have been translated into numerous languages.

Yes, Minister, and the equally successful sequel Yes, Prime Minister captured a niche in the political consciousness of the nation. Prime Minister Jim Hacker remains in power with his coterie of close advisors including Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby and Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley, but for how long?