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.

  • JustWatch Streaming rank this week: 134

Press clippings Page 29

After the success of film spin-off In the Loop last spring, Armando Iannucci's acclaimed political sitcom returns to the small screen - and its raised profile sees it promoted from BBC Four to Two. Rightly so, as it's sharply written, satirically spot-on and often shows uncanny prescience in its themes. Think The West Wing but with drabber corridors of power, no happy Hollywood endings and Tourette's Syndrome. Most memorably, it's graced by sweary spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (the eye-bulgingly, vein-poppingly brilliant Peter Capaldi) - a magnificently monstrous comic creation, not at all based on New Labour attack dog Alistair Campbell, honest. Tonight's opener, typically, starts at breakneck speed with insults flying like bullets and only gets more machine gun-like. It's Reshuffle Day at Number 10 but with the Prime Minister on his way out, no one fancies joining him at the helm of a sinking ship. Needs must, so a backbencher (Rebecca Front) gets promoted from obscurity to the Cabinet. Naturally, with her new ideas and desire to actually do something, she turns out to be trouble, especially for the apoplectic Tucker.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 24th October 2009

The return of The Thick of It

Chris Addison, star of the part-improvised sitcom The Thick of It, describes the stresses and joys of filming.

Chris Addison, The Telegraph, 24th October 2009

The Thick of It: series three, episode one

With its characters visibly on the way out, Armando Iannucci's satire seems darker - and a bit less funny.

Paul Owen, The Guardian, 24th October 2009

Armando Iannucci interview

As a new series of The Thick of It launches, Armando Iannucci, the hardman of political satire, reveals an unlikely soft spot.

The Telegraph, 23rd October 2009

The Thick of It: cynical, cruel and lacking in heart

You can mock the political trade but you've got to at least try to like its practitioners a bit and The Thick of It clearly doesn't.

Michael White, The Guardian, 23rd October 2009

The Thick of It Series Three: Preview

It's very nearly here. The new series of The Thick of It starts tomorrow night, and we're very excited to bring you this special preview.

David Thair, BBC Comedy, 23rd October 2009

As Peep Show comes to an end, so the other gem of the British comedy landscape returns for a very welcome news series. Yes, The Thick of It is back, and so is the sublime and sweary Malcolm Tucker played with relish by Peter Capaldi. There's a new minister for social affairs and citizenship (Rebecca Front) for Malcolm to deal with, and no doubt Olly, Glenn and Terri will conspire to make Malcolm's life one giant migraine. It's as creatively foul-mouthed as ever, and one can't help feel you are watching true genius at work here.

Mark Wright, The Stage, 23rd October 2009

The Thick of It: New viewers start here

The Thick of It is back - for a glorious eight episodes starting this Saturday at 10.10pm on BBC Two - with extra fun on the Red Button straight after.

David Thair, BBC Comedy, 21st October 2009

The sacred profanities

I've been in the thick of some glorious swearing of late. But should I let my children watch it?

Rebecca Front, The Guardian, 21st October 2009

The Thick of It: Back in the loop

With a general election approaching, the return of Armando Iannucci's invective-filled political satire couldn't be better timed, says Gerard Gilbert.

Gerard Gilbert, The Independent, 20th October 2009

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