Ukraine votes in Yes Minister

Popular UK 1980s comedy Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister has been sold into Ukraine, with a terrestrial channel planning its own version of the scripted format.

BBC Worldwide has sold the format to terrestrial channel Inter TV, which will make 38 episodes of the political comedy for a primetime slot next year to coincide with the show’s 30th birthday.

Ukraine is the fourth country to license the Yes Minister format after the Netherlands, India and Turkey. India’s own version, Ji Mantriji, won two gongs at the Hero Honda Indian TV Academy Awards.

“I am looking forward to seeing how Sir Humphrey and the Minister deal with the different political parties when they move from the halls of Westminster to the quarters of the Verkhovna Rada,” said Claudia Danser, VP format licensing, EMEA at BBC Worldwide.

Serhiy Sozanovskyi, chairman of the board of directors at InterTV, added: “Ukraine has a unique political system and history with a lot of scope for humour and drama. In fact, the series will premiere around the time of the presidential elections here, which will undoubtedly give the show even more relevance. I am sure that the common themes of political deal-making and red tape will resonate.”