ComedyWar & Politics1980–1982BBC Two

The Best Episodes of Yes Minister

Every episode of Yes Minister ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Yes Minister!

Best episode
S3E3 The Skeleton in the Cupboard
9.0426 votes
Worst episode
S1E1 Open Government
7.9570 votes
Top season
Season 3
8.4avg
Binge time
10h 30m
21 episodes
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons3

All123

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    Yes Minister Season 3 Episode 3 - The Skeleton in the Cupboard
    9.0/10(426 votes)

    S3:E3

    Jim uses a costly mistake from Sir Humphrey’s past to escape chastising an efficient local council for being late with their paperwork.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Yes Minister Season 1 Episode 4 - Big Brother
    8.8/10(515 votes)

    S1:E4

    When the Government is planning to introduce a national database, Jim wants to bring in safe guards, but Sir Humphrey stalls until with some help from the opposition, Jim gets his way.

    Director:Sydney Lotterby
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Yes Minister Season 3 Episode 4 - The Moral Dimension
    8.8/10(413 votes)

    S3:E4

    Jim is forced to back down about exposing bribery used to obtain a lucrative foreign contract when Bernard allows a valuable vase from a foreign government to be undervalued so that Mrs Hacker can keep it.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Yes Minister Season 2 Episode 7 - A Question of Loyalty
    8.7/10(395 votes)

    S2:E7

    Jim and Sir Humphrey pass the buck to protect each other when they appear before a select committee investigating charges of waste in Hacker’s ministry, until Jim’s higher loyalties are called upon.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Yes Minister Season 3 Episode 1 - Equal Opportunities
    8.5/10(416 votes)

    S3:E1

    Jim decides to promote more women to high civil service positions despite Sir Humphrey’s opposition.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Yes Minister Season 2 Episode 1 - The Compassionate Society
    8.4/10(449 votes)

    S2:E1

    When Jim learns that a brand new hospital still has no medical staff, but hundreds of civil servants working there, he proposes that half of the civil servants be sacked and use the money saved to open wards with medical staff.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Yes Minister

    READ
  7. Yes Minister Season 1 Episode 5 - The Writing on the Wall
    8.3/10(458 votes)

    S1:E5

    A rumour starts that Jim’s department is about to be axed. So with help from Sir Humphrey, they try and defeat the Prime Minister’s plans.

    Director:Sydney Lotterby
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Yes Minister Season 2 Episode 2 - Doing the Honours
    8.3/10(400 votes)

    S2:E2

    When Jim learns that he can block civil servant’s honours, he blackmails them into cutting their budgets, but when he hears that he might be in line for an honorary degree, he has to back down.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Yes Minister Season 3 Episode 5 - The Bed of Nails
    8.3/10(370 votes)

    S3:E5

    Jim accepts an unpopular position pushing a transportation bill desired by Number 10, but opposed by everyone else.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Yes Minister Season 3 Episode 2 - The Challenge
    8.2/10(368 votes)

    S3:E2

    When Jim tackles local council administration and civil defence, he runs afoul of a B.B.C. interviewer.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Yes Minister Season 3 Episode 6 - The Whisky Priest
    8.2/10(372 votes)

    S3:E6

    Jim faces opposition from all sides when he learns that British munitions have been sold to terrorist groups and he decides to start an inquiry into how it happened.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Yes Minister Season 2 Episode 4 - The Greasy Pole
    8.2/10(380 votes)

    S2:E4

    Jim has the chance of creating jobs, and saving a chemical company, when they are offered the chance to manufacture a highly dangerous chemical, but when the news gets out that it might be too dangerous, he has to back down.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Yes Minister Season 2 Episode 5 - The Devil You Know
    8.2/10(380 votes)

    S2:E5

    When Jim is betrayed by a Cabinet colleague over his plans to bring in jobs for British workers, he thinks about leaving Westminster and becoming a European Commissioner, But when Sir Humphrey learns who his replacement will be, he tries to change Jim’s mind.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Yes Minister Season 1 Episode 6 - The Right to Know
    8.2/10(441 votes)

    S1:E6

    Jim faces rebellion at home and in the office over the removal of protected status from a badger habitat, while he tries to circumvent Sir Humphrey’s efforts to keep him ignorant of things.

    Director:Sydney Lotterby
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Yes Minister Season 3 Episode 7 - The Middle-Class Rip-Off
    8.1/10(352 votes)

    S3:E7

    Jim and Sir Humphrey collide when Jim acts as an M.P. to sell an art gallery and museum in his district to support a popular local soccer club.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Yes Minister Season 1 Episode 2 - The Official Visit
    8.1/10(526 votes)

    S1:E2

    When the leader of an African country is killed in a coup, his successor, who is an old friend of Jim’s, comes in his place. They negotiate a £50 million deal to help buy oil exploration equipment.

    Director:Sydney Lotterby
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Yes Minister Season 2 Episode 6 - The Quality of Life
    8.0/10(383 votes)

    S2:E6

    Sir Humphrey uses Jim’s promise to keep a popular city farm project open to get special permission for an additional nine floors on a proposed skyscraper.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Yes Minister Season 2 Episode 3 - The Death List
    8.0/10(396 votes)

    S2:E3

    When Jim learns that when in opposition he was bugged by the secret service, he decides to bring in legislation to kerb the bugging, only to find out that he is on the death list of a group of terrorists, and the best way to find them, is by bugging phone lines.

    Director:Peter Whitmore
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Yes Minister Season 1 Episode 3 - The Economy Drive
    8.0/10(486 votes)

    S1:E3

    Jim Hacker is determined to reduce the Civil Service, but he is frustrated by Sir Humphrey, and the only numbers he can alter are the numbers of tea ladies.

    Director:Sydney Lotterby
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Yes Minister Season 1 Episode 7 - Jobs for the Boys
    7.9/10(430 votes)

    S1:E7

    Jim goes on radio to support the Solihull project a Government, union and private enterprise building scheme, that he has inherited from the last administration, but unknown to him the project is close to bankruptcy, Sir Humphrey hopes to save the deal by offering a quango to the director of the bank involved

    Director:Sydney Lotterby
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Yes Minister Season 1 Episode 1 - Open Government
    7.9/10(570 votes)

    S1:E1

    Jim Hacker retains his seat in the election and is given a cabinet post in the new government He meets the permanent secretary for his department Sir Humphrey Appleby but Jim decides to change the way things are done in the civil service so Sir Humphrey sets out to stop him

    Director:Stuart Allen
    Writers:Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Best Episodes Summary

"The Skeleton in the Cupboard" is the best rated episode of Yes Minister. It scored 9.0/10 from 426 votes. Directed by Peter Whitmore and written by Jonathan Lynn, Antony Jay, it aired on November 25, 1982. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Big Brother".

Keep going

Browse Yes Minister by season

If you like Yes Minister