Anyone up for yet more production fun with Yes Minister? Of course you are.
Take a look at the below scene from the Series 3 episode “The Challenge”, broadcast on the 18th November 1982. Hacker is in a TV studio for a BBC documentary about civil defence, about to be interviewed by Ludo. Sorry, Ludovic Kennedy.
Spot anything interesting about the above scene? Take a look at the very opening shot. If you look carefully at the top of the interview set, you can see that it’s just a couple of green walls placed in front of one of Yes Minister‘s “real” sets!
Which one? I highly suspect that it’s the dining room set – there is a glimpse of the odious framed wallpaper at the top:
Regardless of any peeping bits of set, it’s a great bit of production design by the wonderfully-named Andrée Welstead Hornby. With a couple of green flats, and judicious use of the side of Studio 6 at TV Centre, you have a completely convincing setup, for very little money indeed. Because TVC was used to make all kinds of programming, it was very easy to simulate all kinds of programming as well.
Sometimes, as with Python, it’s easier and more effective to do your satire from the inside.
This point extends beyond the sets. There’s one more bit of fun to be had with this scene. Let’s take a look at the production paperwork for the episode; buried deep within it is the following:
IN VISION STAFF
BRIAN JONES – Production Manager, Light Entertainment Comedy Tel.
ANDREW MOTT – Camera Operator, Technical Operations
The above two names aren’t actors. These are actual BBC staff, who appear in-vision during the interview sequence. And who must have worked on Yes Minister as the actual Production Manager and a Camera Operator respectively.
Sadly, the only camera-related credit in the end credits is Peter Ware as Senior Cameraman. But if we check the Production Manager credit:
Much like the wall of TC6, why not use what you have already, for added verisimilitude?
Now come on someone, write a sitcom which involves a BBC Network Director in a bit part. I want my own little moment of glory.
2 comments
Tom H on 20 September 2023 @ 12pm
But did they get an extras fee for appearing on screen?
John J. Hoare on 20 September 2023 @ 12pm
The paperwork does not reveal this, sadly! Sometimes it does, but not in this case.
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