Yes, Prime Minister: The Smoke Screen

Air Date

Thursday January 23, 1986

Production Code

LLCP062T

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• Stars

  • Diana Hoddinott Annie Hacker
  • Derek Fowlds Bernard Woolley
  • Paul Eddington Rt Hon James Hacker
  • John Nettleton Sir Arnold Robinson
  • Nigel Hawthorne Sir Humphrey Appleby

• Guest Cast

  • Brian Hawksley Chairman of the British Tobacco Group
  • Peter Cellier Sir Frank Gordon Permanent Secretary to the Treasury
  • Bill Wallis Leslie Potts Minister of Sport
  • Clive Merrison Dr Peter Thorne Minister of the DHSS
  • John Barron Sir Ian Whitworth

• Writers

  • Jonathan Lynn Writer
  • Antony Jay Writer

• Musics

  • Ronnie Hazlehurst Music

• Recurring Roles

  • Deborah Norton Dorothy Wainwright
Episode Cast and Crew Details

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• Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, I must warn you of the difficulties. I foresee all sorts of unforeseen problems.
  Jim Hacker: Such as?
  Sir Humphrey: If I could foresee them, they wouldn't be unforeseen. [edit]
• Sir Humphrey: Notwithstanding the fact that your proposal could conceivably encompass concomitant benefits of a marginal peripheral relevance, there is a countervailing consideration of infinitely superior magnitude, involving your personal complicity and corroborative malfeasance, with the consequence that the taint and stigma of your former associations and diversions could irredeemably and irretrievably invalidate your position, and culminate in public revelations and recriminations of a profoundly embarrassing and ultimately indefensible character. [edit]
• Sir Humphrey: Taxation isn't about what you need.
  Jim Hacker: Oh, what is it about?
  Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, the Treasury doesn't work out what they need to spend and then think how to raise the money.
  Jim Hacker: What does it do?
  Sir Humphrey: They pitch for as much as they think they can get away with and then think what to spend it on. [edit]

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