When a chief whip on a bike is caught behaving out of order, when a prime minister is accidentally heard calling someone a bigot, or when a chancellor of the exchequer is spotted fare-dodging on a train, there is only one thing to say: "It is just like The Thick of It!" we cry.

But with the end last night of the final series of the acclaimed BBC sitcom, an intriguing question remains; how long will the phrase survive in common British parlance? Will it go on to join long-defunct sitcoms such as Grange Hill and Steptoe and Son to become a part of the national psyche?

Signs look good, since the show quickly took over from Yes, Minister, the political sitcom that inspired it, once frequently used to describe the chicanery of civil service mandarins.

Former Observer columnist Armando Iannucci's show represented its era with uncanny accuracy, aping the spineless manoeuvring and ruthless spinning of its targets with little need for caricature.

It is fair then to assume that Malcolm Tucker will live on at least as long as naughty Tucker from Grange Hill.

TV Review: The Thick Of It finale

As Malcolm Tucker would say, it was "just another day at the f***-office". Can there really be no more?

Armando Iannucci: Ending will leave you wanting more

Armando Iannucci has promised The Thick Of It fans that the final ever series of the political satire will leave them craving more - and he's even hinted that there might be more to come.

So farewell then Malcolm Tucker, a prince of darkness for whom the term spin doctor doesn't quite seem sufficient. Spin surgeon general would be a better title. Yes, it's the end of the line for peerless political satire The Thick Of It. The campaign to make Armando Iannucci do a U-turn on that decision starts here.

Fallout from last week's inquiry is inevitable, particularly when we saw Malcolm as we've never seen him before: hunted, on the run and lost for words. So, as the series ends, everyone at DoSac is feeling the pressure of the revelations into the Tickell debacle/tragedy.

Communications are clipped to nonexistent as the government's problems continue. In one last desperate throw of the dice, Malcolm (Peter Capaldi) sends shiny Dan Miller on a fact-finding mission.

A sad farewell to Malcolm Tucker

Alastair Campbell will be very happy to see the back of The Thick of It's Malcolm Tucker.

When all's said and done, what better way could there be for The Thick of It to end than with business as usual? After all, as the final series has progressed, the show has taken on an angrier tone, emphasising the sense that something in our political process is irreparably broken. Why should an inquiry make any difference, even if it did damn practically everyone involved? As we rejoin the gang, it's clear they've learned nothing. Discredited DoSAC is now a dumping ground for sundry government problems. This calls for another round of firefighting plus more of the customary obfuscation, petty points-scoring and casual workplace bullying. Any redemption? Any surprise heroes? Well, certain individuals come out of this finale better than others, but what really feels remarkable as this brilliant show concludes is how utterly compelling a series can be when it's peopled entirely by loathsome characters.

The Thick of It: lines of the week - episode seven

What was (probably) the last ever episode of The Thick of It was also one of funniest and most startling ever, and I'm missing the show already. Tell us your favourite lines from this brutal finale.

The Thick Of It to bow out in typically sweary fashion

Tonight's final episode of The Thick Of It turns the air blue as we say goodbye to its foul-mouthed regulars.

The Thick Of It series 4 episode 7 review

So. Farewell, then. Malcom Tucker. And farewell to perhaps the finest comedy series of the past decade.