History Trivia / YesMinister

* DoingItForTheArt: The writers were in awe of Creator/NigelHawthorne always learning his lines and being adamant about never resorting to cue cards, despite him being the one who had the most longwinded and convoluted lines filled with bureaucratic jargon.

* DoingItForTheArt: The writers were in awe of Nigel Hawthorne always learning his lines and being adamant about never resorting to cue cards, despite him being the one who had the most longwinded and convoluted lines filled with bureaucratic jargon.
* HarpoDoesSomethingFunny: Or in this case, as writer Jonathan Lynn reports putting in the margins of scripts, "Paul doesn't have to say this line if he doesn't want to". Paul Eddington, who played Hacker, had an amazing ability to convey the same sense a line was intended to give with an expression. One particularly good example is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9NifqJyDMI 1:10 to 1:30 or so in this clip.]]

* CastingGag:
** Michael Aldridge (who'd played the head of [=MI6=] in ''Series/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'') as the head of [=MI5=]. Both stories involve the revelation that a senior member of British Intelligence was a Russian mole.
** Jim Hacker's previous role was Shadow Minister for Agriculture. In ''Series/TheGoodLife'', Creator/PaulEddington plays the neighbour of a man who has decided to grow all his own food in the garden.

* WrittenInInfirmity: In ''Yes, Prime Minister'' you might notice that in the later episodes especially, Jim Hacker spends much of the show sitting still behind his desk or in his armchair at home. This is because at the time of filming, Creator/PaulEddington was in the early stages of the T cell lymphoma that eventually killed him, and the episodes were written to be as comfortable for him to perform as possible.

** Jim Hacker's previous role was Shadow Minister for Agriculture. In ''Series/TheGoodLife', 'Creator/PaulEddington plays the neighbour of a man who has decided to grow all his own food in the garden.

** Jim Hacker's previous role was Shadow Minister for Agriculture. In ''Series/TheGoodLife'' Eddington plays the neighbour of a man who has decided to grow all his own food in the garden.

* WagTheDirector: Paul Eddington, a firm believer in nuclear disarmament, once convinced the writers to rework the script of a ''Yes, Prime Minister'' episode that he believed was rather too flippant about nuclear war.
* WrittenInInfirmity: In ''Yes, Prime Minister'' you might notice that in the later episodes especially, Jim Hacker spends much of the show sitting still behind his desk or in his armchair at home. This is because at the time of filming Paul Eddington was in the early stages of the T cell lymphoma that eventually killed him, and the episodes were written to be as comfortable for him to perform as possible.

* WagTheDirector: Paul Eddington, a firm believer in nuclear disarmament, once convinced the writers to rework the script of a ''Yes, Prime Minister'' episode that he believed was rather too flippant about NuclearWar.

** Recurring character Sir Ian Whitchurch (or Whitworth) was played by John Barron, who played CJ in ''Series/TheFallAndRiseOfReginaldPerrin''.
** Another recurring character, Sir Desmond Glazebrook, is played by Richard Vernon, who is probably better remembered these days as the original [[Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy Slartibartfast]].
** The commissioner of the Metropolitan Police is [[Series/DoctorWho Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]].
** Sarah Harrison is (depending on your fanbase) either Miss Minchin in ''Literature/ALittlePrincess'' or Ahme from ''{{Film/Help}}''.
** Commander Forrest of Special Branch was played by [[Series/TheGoodies Graeme Garden]].
** In the 2013 series, the Deputy Prime Minister is [[Film/HarryPotter Hagrid]].

* HarpoDoesSomethingFunny: Or in this case, as writer Jonathan Lynn reports putting in the margins of scripts, "Paul doesn't have to say this line if he doesn't want to". Paul Eddington, who played Hacker, had an amazing ability to convey the same sense a line was intended to give with an expression. One particularly good example is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9NifqJyDMI 1:10 to 1:30 or so in this clip.]]

* WagTheDirector: Paul Eddington, a firm believer in nuclear disarmament, once convinced the writers to rework the script of a ''Yes, Prime Minister'' episode that he believed was rather too flippant about NuclearWar.

** Jim Hacker's previous role was Shadow Minister for Agriculture. In ''TheGoodLife'' Eddington plays the neighbour of a man who has decided to grow all his own food in the garden.

** Jim Hacker's previous role was Shadow Minister for Agriculture. In ''TheGoodLife'' Eddington plays a man who has decided to grow all his own food in the garden.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Jim Hacker is also [[Series/TheGoodLife Jerry Leadbetter]].
** The caricatures and TitleDrop in the opening credits were created by Gerald Scarfe, whose style you might recognize from [[TheWall a certain rock & roll album]].

* CastingGag: Michael Aldridge (who'd played the head of [=MI6=] in ''Series/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'') as the head of [=MI5=]. Both stories involve the revelation that a senior member of British Intelligence was a Russian mole.

** Not surprising; Derek always said "shit" every time he goofed.

** Jim Hacker is also [Series/TheGoodLife Jerry Leadbetter]].

* HeyItsThatGuy: The caricatures and TitleDrop in the opening credits were created by Gerald Scarfe, whose style you might recognize from [[TheWall a certain rock & roll album]].

* ThrowItIn: The moment in "The Official Visit" where Bernard's briefcase falls open and lets his files spill out on the station platform was unscripted -- in fact, Derek Fowlds actually said "oh, shit!" when it happened, which somehow made it into the finished episode (probably because it was only just audible over the noise of the trains).

** Recurring character Sir Ian Whitchurch (or Whitworth) was played by John Barron, who played CJ in ''TheFallAndRiseOfReginaldPerrin''.

* [[HeyItsThatGuy Hey, It's That Guy]]: The caricatures and TitleDrop in the opening credits were created by Gerald Scarfe, whose style you might recognize from [[TheWall a certain rock & roll album]].

** In the 2013 series, the Deputy Prime Minister is [[Film/HarryPotter Hagrid]].

** Commander Forrest of Special Branch was played by [[Series/TheGoodies Graeme Garden]].

** Another recurring character, Sir Desmond Glazebrook, is played by Richard Vernon, who is probably better remembered these days as the original [[TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy Slartibartfast]].