'The Moral Dimension' - Eddington at his very best.

I agree very much, and add that The Economy Drive from the first season was another golden one for Mr. Eddington. The scene where he mistakes a union representative for someone else is wonderful.

Never be complete.

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Without Paul Eddington, I'm fairly sure Nigel Hawthorne wouldn't have gotten all those awards.

The thing that let Hawthorne really shine, was the amazing chemistry between the two. Eddington really managed to be the "Straight Man", the "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" and the "Foil" at once, while Hawthorne gets to be the "Straight Man", "Out-Gambitted" and the "Magnificent Bastard" at once. It's the switching between the roles which makes this show so brilliant, imo.

Quidquid Latinae dictum sit, altum viditur.

This is one of those instances where you couldn't imagine anyone else doing the job. Hawthorne and Eddington was utterly insuperable. Which goes some way to explaining why this was the greatest TV series of all time.

The female mind is, after all solely tuned to being self-serving - rjfme

Agreed he's brilliant in that episode. I love when he keeps getting all the messages to go to the communications room and after each visit he keeps getting drunker and drunker. I also like how Humphrey stands up for Bernard at the end.

I also think he's very good in the episode where he delivers a speech to a farm set up in the city, he reads out a speech and then halfway through finds out it's the wrong speech.



Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

"..his outrage at the waste the size of the diplomatic visit quickly is gives way to his plan to set up a forbidden bar at an Arabic reception. "

Deception at the reception, eh?

I think it more encapsulates his contradictory character; on one hand, he has these high-minded ideals, philosophies and moral concerns - but then he lands back to the real world and has to give in to his personal greed and immediate pragmatism. He probably doesn't see contradiction between these two worlds, either, which makes it funnier.

In the end of the episode, Humphrey forcibly COLLIDES these words, and it almost short-circuits Hacker's brain.

In other words; Hacker 'means well' and has 'good intentions' and very advanced ideas - AS LONG as they don't collide with his selfish urges, lusts and needs, that are always a priority in the end. He can be a very generous, wise and moral minister, as long as he gets his needs fulfilled first. As long as he has his castle and servants, he can throw a few crumbs to the peasants and feel good about himself.

But if the castle is threatened, screw the peasants!