It remains one of the few British sitcoms that actually aired, albeit briefly, on American network television without being remade. It is still a fondly remembered highlight of British political satire. It has been remade for Indian and Dutch Kong markets. And after going off air at the end of the eighties, Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minster was recently revived as a West End stage show, currently touring the UK. I saw it last year, it was excellent.

Now cable/satellite channel UK Gold has commissioned the original writers Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay for a new six part series, based on this theatrical revival of this sitcom set in the highest office of the land.

Two of the original three leads have passed on, but the stage show sucessfully recast Sir Humphrey, Jim Hacker and Bernard Woolley a number of times. The period was brought bang up to date, set during an international Middle East crisis. The new TV series will see Jim Hacker returned to power as the new Prime Minister heading up a coalition government – reflecting the situation of current coaltion Prime Minister, David Cameron.

The original series showed how much powe in the country was out of the politcians' hands and how the state itself was a self sustaining creature. Since then political ideology has had a greater chance of affecting policy, as the Civil Service became politicised, reflecting the views of government more accurately, but international politics is always able to throw that out of the window, and when a government bis weakened by being in a coalition, it's a prime time for the old boys to take control of the mechanics of state.

The original was famed for its intricate plots and battles of wordplay. Here's a favourite clip.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGscoaUWW2M[/youtube]