Dutch Deal on Yes Minister

LONDON: Dutch broadcaster VPRO has signed on for its own version of the BBC’s hit ’80s British political comedy Yes Minister, which has already been adapted in India and Turkey.

S&V Fiction will make 11 episodes of the series, Sorry, Minister, for Netherlands 3 this fall. Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby has been recast as Helen van Zuylen in the local adaptation, which also introduces Assistant Private Secretary Mohammed, who, through his Moroccan background, allows the comedy to focus on the multicultural aspects of Dutch society. Pita de Leeuw, the head of production at the drama department at VPRO, noted: “At first glance Yes Minister seems very British, focussing on the situation in Great Britain in the 1980s which was and is vastly different from the current situation in the Netherlands. But the themes that form the basis of the series are still very much relevant to this day and age: bureaucratic red tape, political deal-making and the closed ranks in the civil service. I think with these common themes forming the basis of the comedy and the adaptations we have made, our version will be a big hit for us.”

“Yes Minister is a perfect example of how a classic British comedy can be adapted and updated for contemporary foreign audiences,” said Claudia Danser, the VP of format licensing for EMEA at BBC Worldwide. “It’s a sign of the enduring quality of great formats that the humour and political jostling and absurd bureaucracy in Yes Minister are as relevant today the world over as they were 25 years ago. Yes Minister rightly takes its place alongside other successful formats in BBC Worldwide’s catalogue such as Weakest Link, Keeping Up Appearances and Strictly Come Dancing.”