Still no, Prime Minister

Following on from yesterday's piece I had a few more thoughts on Yes, Prime Minister.

During the original run of the series we went on a journey with the characters. When we first met Jim Hacker he gets his first ministerial posting, the Department of Administrative Affairs. We then follow his journey through the trials and tribulations as a minister and then Prime Minister.

The new series throws us in at the deep end with a Jim Hacker at the top and under siege. It's very hard to empathise with this Hacker. The name might be the same but he is very much not the Hacker portrayed by Paul Eddington., the same is true for Sir Humphrey and Bernard. You need time to properly introduce these re-imagined characters.

It might have been better have set the story immediately after an election, with Hacker becoming Prime Minister. This is so we follow Hacker into the world of Sir Humphrey. Instead we get an adapted stage play which feels a bit too much like a critique of New Labour under Gordon Brown than a reflection of the current government.

Oh well.

There will be no post tomorrow as I'm away for the weekend. Going down to Frome in Somerset with my girlfriend for a special weekend. Back Monday.