For the Xiaolin Showdown episode, see Tangled Web

"The Tangled Web" is the sixteenth and final episode of the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 comedy series Yes, Prime Minister

Yes Minister

Yes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980–1982 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. In total there were 38 episodes—of which all but...

and was first broadcast 28 January 1988.

Plot

Sir Humphrey Appleby

Humphrey Appleby

Sir Humphrey Appleby, GCB, KBE, MVO, MA , is a fictional character from the British television series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. He was played by Sir Nigel Hawthorne. In Yes Minister, he is the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Administrative Affairs...

 criticises Bernard

Bernard Woolley

Sir Bernard Woolley GCB is one of the three main fictional characters of the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. He was portrayed by Derek Fowlds.-Character:...

 over an answer given by Jim Hacker

James Hacker

James George Hacker, Baron Hacker of Islington, KG, PC, B. Sc. , Hon. D. C. L. was a fictional British politician. He was the Minister of the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs, and later the Prime Minister, in the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister...

 during Prime Minister's Questions

Prime Minister's Questions

Prime minister's questions is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that takes place every Wednesday during which the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament...

. It seems that the PM denied authorising the bugging

Telephone tapping

Telephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line...

 of an MP's

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 telephone, and the question was not referred beforehand to Sir Humphrey who is in charge of security matters.

The pair go to see the Prime Minister

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

 in the Cabinet Room, where he is cock-a-hoop over his recent performance in the House of Commons

British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

. He insists that the two civil servants

British Civil Service

Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved...

 hear a verbatim report of PMQs and Sir Humphrey finds it difficult to interrupt. However, he eventually brings Hacker down to earth with typical verbiage, which he translates. The PM has lied to Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

 — the ultimate political sin. The MP, whose name is Hugh Halifax, was indeed the subject of government surveillance up until a few minutes ago, and Hacker wishes to know why he wasn't informed. Sir Humphrey tells him that there are some things that he doesn't need to know. When Hacker protests that he has a right to be aware of everything, the Cabinet Secretary

Cabinet Secretary

A Cabinet Secretary is almost always a senior official who provides services and advice to a Cabinet of Ministers. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powers, including general responsibility for the entire civil service...

 explains that nobody willingly conceals anything from him; however, decisions are occasionally taken not to reveal information, which apparently makes all the difference.

Sir Humphrey receives an invitation to appear before a House of Commons Privileges Committee

Parliamentary privilege

Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made related to one's duties as a legislator. It is common in countries whose constitutions are...

 to answer the allegations concerning Hugh Halifax. He confesses to Bernard than even he is at a loss to know how to proceed. Then, over a sherry, he tells Bernard that he is to participate in a documentary on BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...

 about the structure of government. Bernard is mildly shocked that someone who is supposed to be "faceless" is making a media appearance, but as Sir Humphrey reminds him, "They don't show your face on radio." Although permission from the PM is required, Bernard doesn't feel that this will pose a problem, as hardly anyone listens to Radio 3.

Sometime later, Sir Humphrey joins Hacker in the Cabinet Room. It is the day of his interview, and as he hasn't had much experience of actually answering questions (having devoted his entire career to evading them), the PM gives him some schooling in dealing with the media, in particular, the politician's method of handling a difficult interview. Sir Humphrey then turns to his committee appearance and Hacker asks him to confirm what he said in the House. However, the mandarin states his loyalty to "the truth", and "will not become involved in some shabby cover-up."

Sir Humphrey records his radio programme, but is sufficiently verbose that the interviewer, Ludovic Kennedy

Ludovic Kennedy

Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy was a British journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author best known for re-examining cases such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the murder convictions of Timothy Evans and Derek Bentley, and for his role in the abolition of the death penalty in the United...

, cannot obtain any precise answers. Afterwards, they continue to chat off the record, and Kennedy asks him why he couldn't have said more about unemployment. Sir Humphrey now obliges him and gives a full and frank personal opinion on how joblessness could be halved by cutting benefits and compelling the 'so-called' unemployed to accept offers of work, thereby removing them from the register "before you could say 'parasite'." However, the interview tape is still running…

Sir Humphrey is sent a copy of the tape along with a note from the BBC. He is anxious that Bernard should hear his interview, but the tape only contains the 'off the record' comments and Sir Humphrey is aghast. Bernard is similarly astounded that his master could be so indiscreet. Sir Humphrey is mortified and doesn't know what to do. He instructs Bernard that no mention must be made of it.

However, Bernard goes to see the PM. The Principal Private Secretary

Principal Private Secretary

In the British Civil Service and Australian Public Service the Principal Private Secretary is the civil servant who runs a cabinet minister's private office...

 has been to see the BBC producer of Sir Humphrey's programme and, as they were old friends from Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

, managed to procure the original tape. In confidence, he tells Hacker of Sir Humphrey's gaffe and gives him the tape, which the PM looks on as manna from heaven. Bernard also has a copy on portable cassette, and the PM invites Sir Humphrey in to hear it.

As Sir Humphrey's thoughts are played aloud for all to hear, the Cabinet Secretary is reduced to a gibbering wreck. Hacker can't believe that the words on the tape belong to the mandarin and Sir Humphrey vainly tries to pass it off as an impression by Mike Yarwood

Mike Yarwood

Mike Yarwood, OBE is an English impressionist and comedian. He was one of Britain's top-rated entertainers, regularly appearing on television from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s. He left Bredbury Secondary Modern School in 1956 and worked as a messenger and then salesman at a garment warehouse...

. The PM reveals that the master tape is in his possession and it will remain so until Sir Humphrey has appeared before the Privileges Committee. The civil servant has now no choice but to support Hacker's House of Commons statement.

Episode cast

Actor	Role
Paul Eddington Paul Eddington Paul Eddington CBE was an English actor best known for his appearances in popular television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s: The Good Life, Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Early life:...	Jim Hacker
Nigel Hawthorne Nigel Hawthorne Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne, CBE was an English actor, perhaps best remembered for his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Permanent Secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. For this role he won four BAFTA Awards during the 1980s in the...	Sir Humphrey Appleby
Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds is an English actor, known for playing Bernard Woolley in popular British television comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in the long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat....	Bernard Woolley
Ludovic Kennedy Ludovic Kennedy Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy was a British journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author best known for re-examining cases such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the murder convictions of Timothy Evans and Derek Bentley, and for his role in the abolition of the death penalty in the United...	Himself
Geoffrey Drew	Radio Producer