Comparing Political Satire Shows and Government Portrayals

24min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The chapter explores the evolution of political satire shows, comparing iconic sitcoms like 'Yes, Minister' with newer shows like 'The Thick of It' and 'VEEP'. It delves into how these shows depict government workings, contrasting competent civil servants in 'Yes, Minister' to incompetent characters in chaotic situations in the more recent shows. Additionally, the discussion compares the dynamics of government functioning in the United States and Britain, focusing on the roles of civil servants and political appointees.

Yascha Mounk and Jonathan Lynn discuss why the dysfunctional relationship between politicians and civil servants made for great TV, and what that tells us about the nature of politics.

Jonathan Lynn is an English writer, director and producer. Lynn is best known as the co-creator of the series "Yes, Minister" and its sequel, "Yes, Prime Minister." He also directed the films "My Cousin Vinny" and "The Whole Nine Yards."

In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Jonathan Lynn discuss how his television comedy about the inner workings of British government became Margaret Thatcher’s favorite show; how political satire has evolved over the decades; and the value of producing art with collaborators who hold different political views.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight.

If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone.

Email: podcast@persuasion.community

Website: http://www.persuasion.community

Podcast production by Jack Shields, and Brendan Ruberry

Connect with us!

Spotify | Apple | Google

Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion

Youtube: Yascha Mounk

LinkedIn: Persuasion Community

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices