Ep 2. The Official Visit

The show Yes, Minister season 1 episode 2 is titled "The Official Visit."

In this episode, Minister Jim Hacker is preparing to receive a foreign diplomat from a fictional African nation called Kumranistan. The diplomat, Mr. Kumalo, is known for his strict adherence to protocol and needs to be treated with the utmost respect.

The minister's Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, pays a visit to the minister's office to discuss preparations for the official visit. They discuss the seating arrangements, the gifts that should be presented to Mr. Kumalo and his wife, and other details related to the visit. Sir Humphrey is adamant that everything must be done according to protocol, as any misstep could be interpreted as an insult to the Kumranistan delegation.

However, the minister is more interested in winning favor with the Kumranistan delegation in order to secure a lucrative arms deal. He suggests that they should entertain the delegation with a visit to an amusement park, which Sir Humphrey finds to be a ridiculous idea. He reminds the minister that Mr. Kumalo is a very traditional man, and an amusement park visit would be completely inappropriate.

The minister insists on his plan, and Sir Humphrey is left to try to figure out a way to make the visit to the amusement park seem more dignified. He suggests renaming the park to "The National Funfair," which sounds more official, and recommends the minister should invite other dignitaries and members of the press to make the visit seem more significant.

Meanwhile, Bernard Woolley, the minister's private secretary, is trying to make sure that everything is running smoothly. He discovers that there is a leak in the plumbing of the government building, which would be a major embarrassment if discovered during the Kumranistan delegation's visit. He attempts to have it fixed, but runs into bureaucratic obstacles that delay the repair.

As the day of the official visit approaches, tensions rise as everyone works to make sure everything goes according to plan. When the Kumranistan delegation finally arrives, they are greeted by the minister and his team and taken on a tour of the government building. As they make their way through the halls, the leaks in the plumbing become increasingly apparent. Bernard panics and attempts to hide the problem by stuffing a rag into the leaking pipes.

The tour moves on to the amusement park, where the Kumranistan delegation is greeted by a large group of dignitaries and members of the press. The minister is pleased with the turnout and is confident that his plan will help to secure the arms deal. However, things quickly go awry when Mr. Kumalo becomes trapped on a malfunctioning ride.

The minister and Sir Humphrey scramble to try to get Mr. Kumalo off the ride before he becomes injured or worse, but they are unable to do so. Eventually, the ride malfunctions even more, and Mr. Kumalo is thrust into a pile of soft toys. The incident is humiliating for Mr. Kumalo and the delegation, and leaves the minister and his team scrambling to make amends.

In the end, the Kumranistan delegation leaves in a hurry, leaving behind a disappointed minister and his team. They realize that they have made a grave mistake by prioritizing the arms deal over protocol. The incident serves as a reminder that in politics, sometimes the most important thing is not what you say or do, but how you say and do it.

Overall, "The Official Visit" is a humorous look at the inner workings of government and the challenges of bureaucratic protocol. It showcases the tension between the desire to achieve personal and political goals and the need to adhere to traditional diplomatic expectations.