Yes, Minister, Series One (1986)

Bernard Woolley:
What if the Prime Minister insists we help them?

Sir Humphrey Appleby:
Then we follow the four-stage strategy.

Bernard Woolley:
What's that?

Sir Richard Wharton:
Standard Foreign Office response in a time of crisis.

Sir Richard Wharton:
In stage one we say nothing is going to happen.

Sir Humphrey Appleby:
Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.

Sir Richard Wharton:
In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do.

Sir Humphrey Appleby:
Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.