Peter Capaldi on his fear at meeting Alastair Campbell

Peter Capaldi admits he was terrified of former Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell - because he was so nice.

Peter Capaldi honours spoof film stars

The Thick Of It star Peter Capaldi is to present a spoof TV documentary about the "forgotten stars" of a fictional film studio.

This cinematic off-shoot of the BBC's political sitcom The Thick of It features James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) as a blustering US general, as our hapless crew of civil servants and spin doctors - led by Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) - become entangled in the build-up to a war in the Middle East. It's directed by Armando Ianucci - and a little more broad than the original - but it's horribly funny, provided you can stomach the swearing.

Video: Ladykillers 'homage' takes to the stage

Classic film comedy The Ladykillers is to be brought to the stage in an adaptation by Father Ted and The IT Crowd creator Graham Linehan.

One of the stars, Peter Capaldi, told BBC Breakfast it pays homage to the 1955 film but he says Linehan's re-worked script is a more edgier take on the original production.

Linehan said the action would be kept within the house and there was room within the play to have more fun with the characters.

The Ladykillers will run at the Liverpool Playhouse from 3-19 November, transferring to the Gielgud Theatre in London one week later.

Peter Capaldi - This much I know

The actor, 53, on Glasgow, crime and winning an Oscar.

Peter Capaldi talks Malcolm Tucker's future

When the third series of Armando Iannucci's political satire The Thick Of It ended in 2009, we feared it might be the end of the road for foul-mouthed government spin doctor Malcolm Tucker. Out of favour with a party which was subsequently chucked out of office, it was difficult to see how the rudest man in Scotland would fit back into series four.

Peter Capaldi: 'People ask me to tell them to #@*! off'

After playing everyone's favourite foul-mouthed spin doctor in The Thick of It, Peter Capaldi was surely destined for Hollywood. But as the actor tells Gerard Gilbert, he's no Hugh Laurie...

Peter Capaldi's still in the loop

Malcolm Tucker might be fictional, but that doesn't stop Peter Capaldi being pestered for comment about the demise of Andy Coulson.

The second series of the sitcom set in an NHS geriatric ward opened up even darker, richer seams of black comedy than the first. Written by and starring Jo Brand (world-weary Nurse Kim Wilde), Vicki Pepperdine (tactless Dr Pippa Moore) and Joanna Scanlan (Sister Den Flixter), it was directed by The Thick of It's Peter Capaldi - and the influence of the political comedy was evident in every frame. The posturings of hierarchy and bureaucratic idiocy were skewered relentlessly, scatological humour was allied to brutal deadpan, and the timing was perfect. Getting On also hid a beating heart at its centre that gave it surprising emotional power.

Say goodbye to 2010 with John Tweedledum (Jack Dee) and Jack Tweedledee (Peter Capaldi) as they review the year in Nursery Land, as written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman. Last year they did nightly 15-minute bulletins across a week. This year, what with Hislop and Capaldi's burgeoning TV careers not to mention all the cuts and changes inside the BBC as well as out, we have just this one delicious half hour of inspired unreality.