Series 1, Episode 5 - The Writing On The Wall
Jim's latest drive to slim down the Civil Service has won favour with both the PM and Cabinet colleagues, but Sir Humphrey is bitterly opposed to the plans. However, the pair are forced to put the disagreement aside when it becomes apparent that they could both be adversely affected.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Monday 24th March 1980
- Time
- 9pm
- Channel
- BBC Two
- Length
- 30 minutes
Repeats
Show past repeats
| Date |
Time |
Channel |
| Tuesday 14th June 2011 |
8:00pm |
Gold |
| Friday 7th October 2011 |
10:40am |
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| Friday 7th October 2011 |
5:20pm |
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| Tuesday 24th April 2012 |
11:40pm |
Gold |
| Wednesday 25th April 2012 |
1:35am |
Gold |
| Wednesday 22nd August 2012 |
12:20pm |
Gold |
| Wednesday 22nd August 2012 |
7:00pm |
Gold |
| Tuesday 8th January 2013 |
8:20pm |
Gold |
| Friday 7th June 2013 |
7:00am |
Gold |
| Friday 7th June 2013 |
6:20pm |
Gold |
| Sunday 21st July 2013 |
9:00am |
Gold |
| Tuesday 26th November 2013 |
12:05pm |
Gold |
| Wednesday 27th November 2013 |
8:30am |
Gold |
| Saturday 8th February 2014 |
11:00pm |
Gold |
| Sunday 9th February 2014 |
2:00am |
Gold |
| Thursday 10th April 2014 |
6:15am |
Gold |
| Thursday 10th April 2014 |
11:15am |
Gold |
| Saturday 4th October 2014 |
7:00pm |
Gold |
| Sunday 5th October 2014 |
7:00am |
Gold |
| Wednesday 18th March 2015 |
7:00am |
Gold |
| Wednesday 18th March 2015 |
3:20pm |
Gold |
| Thursday 4th June 2015 |
4:45pm |
BBC2 |
| Thursday 25th June 2015 |
12:00am |
Gold |
| Thursday 25th June 2015 |
2:40am |
Gold |
| Wednesday 9th March 2016 |
10:40pm |
Yesterday |
| Tuesday 26th July 2016 |
10:00pm |
Yesterday |
| Wednesday 27th July 2016 |
8:45pm |
Yesterday |
| Monday 29th August 2016 |
2:45pm |
BBC2 |
| Tuesday 31st January 2017 |
3:00pm |
Yesterday |
| Tuesday 31st January 2017 |
9:00pm |
Yesterday |
| Sunday 12th March 2017 |
10:40pm |
Yesterday |
| Monday 13th March 2017 |
9:40pm |
Yesterday |
| Friday 13th October 2017 |
7:10am |
Gold |
| Friday 26th January 2018 |
7:30am |
Gold |
| Tuesday 23rd March 2021 |
8:00pm |
BBC4 |
| Tuesday 5th September 2023 |
9:00pm |
BBC4 |
| Sunday 10th September 2023 |
12:10am |
BBC4 |
Cast & crew
Press
In the episode "The Writing on the Wall", Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby patiently explains to minister Jim Hacker precisely why Britain has such a vexed relationship with the EU. "Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last five hundred years: to create a disunited Europe," he says.
James Gill, Radio Times, 24th June 2016
Streaming rank this week: 643