The Thick of It

I discovered The Thick of It after somebody suggested I watch In the Loop. This series is pure gold: Edgy, raw and totally believable. Peter Capaldi is a force of nature as Malcolm Tucker! His ability the rip a person apart and yet get them to buy-in with ideas is a work of art. The character of Malcolm Tucker ranks up there with TV characters like Archie Bunker as one of the most memorable in history. The rest of the cast (Chris Addison, Joanna Scanlan, Rebecca Front, James Smith etc…) have the daunting task of keeping up with Peter. Not only do they keep up, they make it possible to the chaos that is Malcolm Tucker possible. Brilliant from top to bottom! In a way the limited number of episodes, at first, seems like far too little. But after watching the series again (and again), offering more would be indulgent- Leave the audience satisfied!

I have just finished series three, and am left feeling totally in awe of everyone involved in this programme. As a huge fan of The Wire, I am glad that one does not have to judge the merit of a programme in terms of how it rates against another. Suffice it to say, The Thick Of It succeeds on every level. Not only does it work as a comedy, but it turns out to be a tremendously powerful piece of drama. Full marks to the cast, who give a powerhouse performance that is absolutely staggering. Particular praise must go to Rebecca Front, who I have always admired, but who has produced here an award-winning performance and I hope that she does receive recognition for this. I could mention every actor who has appeared in the series, they are all wonderful. If you have not seen this show, do so and follow it to its amazing climax.

Three series of delight, joy and some of the very best lines (most of a highly blue nature) delivered by 'Policy Enforcer' Malcolm Tucker. Peter Capaldi, is just like poetry in motion, as he spits fire and venom, to whoever is in the line of fire! His performance alone is one of such magnitude, it elevates 'The Thick of It' up to a level rarely seen on TV. Another worthy mention is the tremendously funny Chris Langham (who was part of the 'Alternative Comedy' scene) as the Minister Hugh Abbot. but all of the cast and crew (which are too many to mention) are superb. Disturbing yet hilarious.

In the thick of it is what you would get if you mixed the office with yes minister. shot as a documentary (like the office) it's about the office of social affairs and how they get in and out of trouble every week with hilarious results. Hugh abbot (Chris Langham) is pretty much the Dave Brent of it all while his sidekicks, Olly, Glen and Terri are pretty much there to take the blows for him. The show isn't for everyone because the humour is really dry but if you are a fan of the now modern day British sitcom then this is the most intelligent of the lot. witty dialogue, superb acting, and brilliant originality gives this underrated sitcom a 10/10.

'The Thick of It' is slowly becoming more and more popular especially as political scandals are becoming more frequent in headlines. The writing, acting and dialogue are all strong points in this series.

The acting from people such as Rebecca Front, Chris Addison, Paul Higgins and of course Peter Capaldi are excellent. They don't all play particularly likable characters but that is the purpose of this show, to highlight the dark side of British politics.

Armando Ianucci's direction and scripts are excellent, the stories are very realistic and on some occasions this show has even managed to predict an actual occurrence in Westminster before it has actually happened, that is how intelligent this show is. If you have an interest in politics you will love this show, if you dislike swearing you will loathe it; the dialogue particularly from Capaldi's Malcolm Tucker is obscene nearly all the time, he provides about 75% of the comedy in this series. The show is quite unique because of the amount of swearing included within it, especially since it is a BBC programme.

The first and second series were good but the third series has been the best so far. The only thing missing from the third series was Paul Higgins' character Jamie MacDonald who had small parts in the first and second series and worked really well alongside Malcolm Tucker. The fourth series has now been shot and is scheduled to return later on this year (2012).

Overall, I would thoroughly recommend this TV series. People outside the UK may struggle understanding the plots of each episode, however. Its documentary style filming method takes a while to get used to but it suits the nature of the series perfectly. If you like this programme try 'In The Loop', the film based on this series, also starring Peter Capaldi, Paul Higgins and Chris Addison.