The Thick Of It. Image shows from L to R: Oliver Reeder (Chris Addison), Terri Coverley (Joanna Scanlan), Nicola Murray (Rebecca Front), Glenn Cullen (James Smith), Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi). Copyright: BBC
The Thick Of It

The Thick Of It

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC Two / BBC Four
  • 2005 - 2012
  • 23 episodes (4 series)

Satirical political sitcom. Number 10's foul-mouthed policy enforcer Malcolm Tucker rules the Government's PR team with an iron fist. Stars Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison, James Smith, Joanna Scanlan, Rebecca Front and more.

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The Thick Of It. Image shows from L to R: Glenn Cullen (James Smith), Oliver Reeder (Chris Addison), Nicola Murray (Rebecca Front), Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), Terri Coverley (Joanna Scanlan). Copyright: BBC

Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
2005 - 2012
Channels
BBC Two, BBC Four
Episodes
23 (4 series)
Creator
Armando Iannucci
Stars
Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison, James Smith, Joanna Scanlan, Rebecca Front, Chris Langham, Roger Allam, Lucinda Raikes and more
Writers
Jesse Armstrong, Armando Iannucci, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, Sean Gray, Ian Martin, Roger Drew, Will Smith and more
Directors
Armando Iannucci and Natalie Bailey
Producers
Adam Tandy, Armando Iannucci, Jon Plowman, Mark Freeland and Andy Forssell
Company

Caustic comedy, set in the corridors of power. This satirical sitcom focuses on the civil servants, the PR team and ministers who work for the (fictional) Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship.

Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) is the Prime Minister's Director of Communications. He uses bullying, intimidation and lots of swearing to try and keep The Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship in the press for the right reasons, but out of the press whenever there is something that needs covering up.

Staff in the department include naive spin-doctor Ollie, jaded Senior Special Advisor Glenn, and Terri, the ineffectual Departmental Press Secretary.

Series 1 focused on Hugh Abbot (Chris Langham), a put-upon MP who is continually harassed by Malcolm and let down by his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.

With Hugh "away in Australia", the two specials that followed in 2007 expanded the show's premise to observe Peter Mannion (Roger Allam) and his team over at Opposition HQ too.

The third starts just after a reshuffle - the last shift around before the General Election. As a result, Malcolm now has a new Social Affairs Secretary to deal with in the form of Nicola Murray (Rebecca Front).

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Additional details

Production
Location
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Thursday 19th May 2005 at 10:30pm on BBC Four
Most recent repeats

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