Antony Jay

Date of Birth: April 20, 1930

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Date of Death: August 21, 2016

Biography

Antony Jay was a renowned British writer and television producer, best known for co-creating the highly acclaimed political satire series “Yes Minister” and its sequel “Yes, Prime Minister” alongside Jonathan Lynn. Born into a middle-class family, Jay was educated at St Paul’s School in London and later earned a degree in Classics from Magdalene College, Cambridge. His career began at the BBC, where he worked on various documentary series, eventually rising to the position of Editor of the prestigious “Tonight” program. Jay’s writing, characterized by its sharp wit and keen insights into the workings of government, garnered significant acclaim and left a lasting impact on British television and political commentary.

5 Interesting Facts about Antony Jay

1. Antony Jay was knighted in 1988 for his contributions to television and political satire.

2. He co-authored “Yes Minister” and “Yes, Prime Minister,” which are considered some of the greatest British sitcoms of all time.

3. Jay also worked as a speechwriter for prominent political figures, including Margaret Thatcher.

4. He was a founding member of Video Arts, a company that produced training films and videos starring John Cleese.

5. Antony Jay authored several books on management and government, including “Management and Machiavelli.”

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Antony Jay

1. “A civil servant is like a tea bag; you can’t tell how strong it is until you put it in hot water.”

2. “There are no such things as applied sciences, only applications of science.”

3. “The Opposition aren’t really the opposition. They’re only called the opposition because that’s their constitutional title. The opposition is the civil service.”

4. “Politicians are like children – you can’t just give them what they want.”

5. “The language of politics is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”