Chinese to enjoy send-up of British political system
From
GILLIAN WAINWRIGHT
in London 8.8. C. Television’s “Yes Minister” is about to be seen on Chinese television as part of a huge deal between the corporation and the Chinese television service.
Sir Humphrey Appleby, the perfect permanent secretary, would surely raise an elegant eyebrow if he knew that the innermost secrets of Whitehall’s corridors of power were about to be revealed to 300 million Chinese. The delicate relationship between the British civil servants and their political masters in “Yes Minister,” said to be one of the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher’s favourite programmes, is part of a package of shows now being distributed in China.
Among the other programmes the Chinese have bought are “Bererac,” “The Living Planet,” “The Onedin Line” and “Crime and Punishment” A number of dramatisations of the classics also forms part of the deal including “Pride and Prejudice,” "Wuthering Heights,” “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and “Madame Bovary.” A previous package of 8.8. C. programmes was bought by the Chinese television service two years ago. It included a number of natural history
and children’s programmes. The Chinese will dub all the programmes they have bought into the Mandarin language. Ray Stiles, the 8.8. C. salesman who pulled off the deal, says: “I’m not quite sure what the conversations between Sir Humphrey and James Hacker,, his Minister, will sound like
in Mandarin. But just as we are, the Chinese are fascinated by the workings of the political bureaucracy.” He says he was particularly pleased that the Chinese television service had bought some modem comedy and drama. Until now most of the British programmes seen in China had been the
classics. "The sale of ‘Crime and Punishment’ is particularly satisfying as the Chinese have taken our series in preference to the Russian television version. They had been very impressed with the reaction of the Chinese audience to the 8.8.C.’s dramatisation of ‘Anna Karenina’ when it was shown there.” I
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Press, 6 February 1986, Page 15
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330Chinese to enjoy send-up of British political system Press, 6 February 1986, Page 15
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