Hey I Remember This Show: Yes Minister

The classic British political sitcom that once inspired a mental parody in my imagination called Yes Commissar. Once one of the most highly praised British shows to be ever shown on American TV, it has been often dismissed in recent years by political southpaws who prefer a more black-and-white approach than the show's morally gray attitude.

Ironically, one of the many things I admire about the show is its refusal to stoop to a black-and-white approach. In some ways, it is more realistic than most of its American equivalents and I suspect anyone who has ever had to deal with a bureaucrat on either side of the Atlantic would find more truth in the show than most lefties would like to admit. Besides, the chief conflict in the show is not so much between goodies and baddies, liberals and conservatives or even hawks and doves. It's most often between those who would change the status quo and those who would keep it as it was. And every time I think the show is out of date, the latest newspaper headlines convince me that I'm wrong.