The Best Episodes of Yes, Prime Minister Season 1

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   8.5/10(387 votes)

   #1 - The Grand Design

   S1:E11/9/1986

   With his finger now on the nuclear button, Hacker plans his first act as Prime Minister to be a radical new defence policy.

   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

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   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay
2. 

   8.3/10(366 votes)

   #2 - The Ministerial Broadcast

   S1:E21/16/1986

   Jim is coached in the world of show business as he prepares to address the nation on his defence policy.

   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

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   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay
3. 

   8.6/10(359 votes)

   #3 - The Smoke Screen

   S1:E31/23/1986

   Jim favors abolishing smoking through heavy taxation but runs into strong opposition from the tobacco lobby and the Treasury department.

   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

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   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay
4. 

   9.2/10(482 votes)

   #4 - The Key

   S1:E41/30/1986

   Office politics take precedence over national issues when Sir Humphrey and Bernard fall out with each other after Jim tries to restrict Sir Humphrey’s access to №10.

   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

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   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay
5. 

   8.3/10(326 votes)

   #5 - A Real Partnership

   S1:E52/6/1986

   Sir Humphrey tries to get his scheduled pay raise even though increases for M.P.s have been put on hold for budgetary reasons.

   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

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   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay
6. 

   8.5/10(349 votes)

   #6 - A Victory for Democracy

   S1:E62/13/1986

   Jim must take action to avert a Marxist takeover of a Commonwealth island nation despite the efforts of the Foreign Office to keep him ignorant.

   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

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   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay
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7. 

   8.3/10(326 votes)

   #7 - The Bishop’s Gambit

   S1:E72/20/1986

   Jim has to choose a new bishop but doesn’t like either the Church or Sir Humphrey’s choices.

   Director:Unknown

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

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   Director:Unknown

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay
8. 

   8.6/10(325 votes)

   #8 - One of Us

   S1:E82/27/1986

   Hacker threatens to place Sir Humphrey on leave while a security inquiry looks into why he cleared a confessed Soviet spy many years earlier, so Sir Humphrey retaliates with a dog in distress on Salisbury plain.

   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

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   Director:Sydney Lotterby

   Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay