Paul Eddington’s Party Game

The Party Game’s Australian edition was released in 1989 and was adapted from a British game. It features the name and face of English actor Paul Eddington, star of popular sitcoms Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. It’s not clear if Eddington had anything to do with the game or its development, and his endorsement was probably a slick marketing tool from the game’s manufacturers.  

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, in which Eddington played hapless British politician Jim Hacker, were extremely popular in Australia in the 1980s. So popular, in fact, that when Eddington visited Australia in 1987, he was treated as if he was a visiting head of government. Prime Minister Bob Hawke, a fan of the show, met with Eddington and even had the bemused actor address a rally – Hawke declared people preferred to listen to Eddington, ‘the real prime minister’, and not himself. It’s no wonder the game creators sensed an on opportunity. 

Essentially a trivia game, players answer questions on politics and history, collecting rosettes that represent votes. The rosette, a coloured ribbon worn to denote a political affiliation, has never been a significant tradition in Australia and seems to be a holdover from the UK edition.