This [0] clip about Opinion Polls and National Service was an Ah-ha moment for me

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahgjEjJkZks

It doesn't say they are pointless. It says one would never use them (there is no worst case scenario that wouldn't became worse by using them), but for them not to be used, one has to have them.

Or, basically, it explained MAD.

Also the salami tactics episode was great.

Don't you mean the "british offal tube" episode?

Brexit means Brexit.

Yes, you have to have them because your rivals do. In order to make sure each other never actually uses theirs. It's all perfectly logical you see.

Yes, Minister was the original series.

Yes, Prime Minister was a follow-up after Jim Hacker is elected Prime Minister. The series is just a continuation and just as funny, or more so.

I don't think the GP comment was asking a question in a parenthetical; rather, they were expressing the names of both shows together using regular-expression syntax.

Makes sense. In my case, I probably would have phrased it as a question myself, since I did watch them as a kid but honestly couldn't tell you which one of those I used to watch.

True, though GP made a subtle mistake in not moving one space into the optional capture group. It should have been for example /Yes,( Prime)? Minister/, lest it were to match

    Yes, Prime Minister
    Yes,  Minister

Thank you Bernard. That will be all

No, Bernard. That question was purely rhetorical.

Source?

It's true, it was regex-ish. I did actually think about the space and decided it didn't look nice. It should also be clear from context clues (ie having declared watching the show and quoting it, familiarity with the two show names could be inferred). Plus you don't need parentheses to insert a question mark:

    Yes, Prime? Minister

Although if you're inclined to believe that's still regex the e is optional.

Perhaps it would've been clearer as:

    Yes,{ Prime|} Minister

rather than:

    Yes,( Prime)? Minister

Yup. Kind of amazing what you can do with decent stories. Blake's 7 and 70s Doctor Who were notorious for cheezy effects, sets, props and costumes. But the stories really were pretty decent. Blake's 7 eventually annoyed me by how slow it progressed, but if you relax and accept that it's slower than your typical trek episode, it's perfectly fine.

The same era saw Survivors, The Tripods and Children of the Stones. Cheezy effects but very decent stories and still worth watching.

After Stephen Greif left Blake's 7 and they replaced him with that awful guy, every episode with Space Commander Travis in it was excruciating. Apparently Mr Greif died last December.

> Nuclear Deterrant

Also on Nuclear Deterrant: https://youtu.be/N6Et35vPYLg?t=184

    > Jim: Sometimes wonder why we need the weapons
    > Sir Humphrey: Minister, you are not a unilateralist?
    > Jim: Sometimes wonder, you know
    > Sir Humphrey: Well then you must resign from the government!
    > Jim: Nonono, I am not that unilateralist. The Americans will always protect us from the Russians, wouldn't they?
    > Sir Humphrey: Russians? Who's talking about the Russians?
    > Jim: Well, independent deterrent...
    > Sir Humphrey: It's to protect us against the French!
    > Jim: The French? But.. But.. They are our allies! And partners!
    > Sir Humphrey: Well, that are now, but they've been our enemies for most of the past 900 years. If they have got the bomb, we must have the bomb

    > Sir Humphrey: I gather there's an airborne battalion in the air.
    > Jim Hacker: Sounds like the right place for it.

With the best shit-eating grin ever. I love Yes Prime Minister with all my heart. And the event leading up to it:

    > James Hacker : Hello? Yes, Ronnie. I want the president of St George's Island to extend an invitation to Britain to send an airborne battalion on a goodwill visit. No, just a friendly gesture. Goodwill. Yes, at once, please. Thank you.
    > [hangs up] 
    > James Hacker : He seemed to think that 800 fully armed paratroopers was an awful lot to send on a goodwill visit.
    > Israeli Ambassador : No, it's just an awful lot of goodwill.
    > James Hacker : [phone rings]  Oh, yes, Paul. You know you have an airborne battalion on standby in Germany? Never mind how I know. Well, since it's not being used, I want them to fly straight off to St George's Island. [Pause] Sort of between Africa and India. A goodwill visit. Just showing the flag. They have been invited. Yes. Leave in... six hours. Yes, an *instant* goodwill visit. Tell your press office to announce it at once. No, no, leave me out of it. A *routine* visit. All right - a routine *surprise* visit. Well, say they were invited earlier, but the NATO exercise got in the way. Now they're not needed, they're going anyway. All right. Nobody knows it's not true. Press statements aren't delivered under oath.

Some great shows, if you're talking nuclear deterrent, 'Whoops Apocalypse' was a great mini series from the same era, that I still revisit now and then.