Title says it all. Well, almost. I love Yes, Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. I’m looking for similar stuff. Preferably TV shows, but movies are welcome. No books or radio shows. Preferably in English, but foreign languages with subtitles will work.
The New Statesman was very funny indeed. A more surreal, anarchic and less erudite version of Yes, Minister, starring Rik Mayal (Young Ones) as Tory MP Alan B’Stard. It was spawned by the sleazy, corrupt and heartless the Conservative government of the 1980s, and aptly enough is just about to be revived, with B’Stard having defected to today’s sleazy, corrupt and heartless Labour party.
My two favorite political comedies (movies) are probably Bob Roberts and Bulworth. I’m casting my mind back for older movies though, so I’ll probably pop into the thread again later.
The Chris Rock movie Head of State.
Dave qualifies I suppose, although it’s not that funny.
Primary Colors is great, starring John Travolta in a brilliant role as a thinly fictionalized Bill Clinton.
But, again, not very funny.
Wag the Dog?
Not exactly a comedy, but Frankenheimer’s The Manchurian Candidate was a political satire.
Stranger
How about Election? It’s High School politics, granted. But terribly entertaining High School politics ;).
- Tamerlane
One of my favorite political movies is Citizen Ruth. It’s not about polticians so much as about abortion politics. Both sides are skewered, and it’s hillarious.
I came in to post Wag the Dog and Dr. Strangelove, but the OP seems to want comedy set in a political setting than comedy about politics.
There was the satirical series That’s My Bush!, about the home life of GW Bush and family, done by the South Park guys.
I want comedy about politics. Obviously, many of them will be set in a political setting.
I’ve seen many of the ones recommended above, but keep them coming.
Wag the Dog qualifies either way.
The Distinguished Gentleman, Eddie Murphy, 1992 (con man gets elected to Congress by the luck of having the same name as the incumbent who just died; all he has to do is stay out of sight until election day and the majority, who haven’t gotten or remembered the news, vote for him out of habit; then, of course, he gets to DC and finds out he’s an honest man compared to his colleagues).
Legally Blonde II, Reese Witherspoon, 2001 (deceptively bubbleheaded young lawyer becomes a legislative aide in DC and starts a crusade against animal testing of cosmetics).
I don’t think it’s out on DVD yet but keep your eyes open for The Thick of it.
A brilliant new BBC political comedy. Made in the same kinda style of The Office this is modern political comedy at its best. It’s won lots of praise and awards in the UK.
In 1976-77 Bernadette Peters starred in the political sitcom All’s Fair.
And it was directed by one of the co-creators of Yes, Minister.
If you liked Yes, Minister, try to find an Austrialian series called The Games. It’s fictional, but made to look like a documentary set among the organizing committee for the Sydney Olympics. In one scene, they have a meeting with the contractor who has built the main stadium and ask him how long the track is for the 100 meters; and then have to try to convince him that “about 100 meters” is not what they had in mind.
It’ll be hard to find a copy, but worth it. It’s one of my favorite shows of all time.
There was also the Fox sitcom, “Mr. President,” with George C. Scott.
And ABC gave us Capitol Critters and Hail to the Chief , the latter starring Patty Duke as the President and Ted Bessell as her husband.
And no jab at politics and political figures is complete without the UK’s Spitting Image puppets.
Thank You for Smoking and Broadcast News should qualify, even though their main characters are peripheral to the political process.
- Moon Over Parador*.
The episode of Northern Exposure where they had a mayoral election.
Certainly, the first three seasons of Blackadder.