Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Thick of It

  • TV Series
  • 2005–20122005–2012
  • TV-MATV-MA
  • 29m
IMDb RATING
8.7/10
24K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,148
17
Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It (2005)
Watch Trailer Season 4
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
37 Photos
Comedy
The Minister for Social Affairs is continually harassed by Number 10's policy enforcer and dependent on his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.The Minister for Social Affairs is continually harassed by Number 10's policy enforcer and dependent on his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.The Minister for Social Affairs is continually harassed by Number 10's policy enforcer and dependent on his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.
IMDb RATING
8.7/10
24K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,148
17
    • Armando Iannucci(devised by)
  • Stars
    • Chris Addison
    • James Smith
    • Peter Capaldi
    • Armando Iannucci(devised by)
  • Stars
    • Chris Addison
    • James Smith
    • Peter Capaldi
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 53User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated TV #114
    • Won 5 BAFTA Awards

    Episodes24

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Videos1

    Trailer Season 4
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch Trailer Season 4

    Photos37

    Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It (2005)
    Peter Capaldi and Chris Addison in The Thick of It (2005)
    Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It (2005)
    Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It (2005)
    Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It (2005)
    Chris Addison and Olivia Poulet in The Thick of It (2005)
    Peter Capaldi and Joanna Scanlan in The Thick of It (2005)
    James Smith and Miles Jupp in The Thick of It (2005)
    Chris Addison in The Thick of It (2005)
    Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It (2005)
    Roger Allam in The Thick of It (2005)
    Roger Allam and Olivia Poulet in The Thick of It (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Chris Addison
    Chris Addison
    • Oliver Reeder
    James Smith
    James Smith
    • Glenn Cullen
    Peter Capaldi
    Peter Capaldi
    • Malcolm Tucker
    Joanna Scanlan
    Joanna Scanlan
    • Terri Coverley
    Rebecca Front
    Rebecca Front
    • Nicola Murray
    Roger Allam
    Roger Allam
    • Peter Mannion
    Will Smith
    • Phil Smith
    Olivia Poulet
    Olivia Poulet
    • Emma Messinger
    Vincent Franklin
    Vincent Franklin
    • Stewart Pearson
    Ben Willbond
    Ben Willbond
    • Adam Kenyon
    Polly Kemp
    Polly Kemp
    • Robyn Murdoch
    Lucinda Raikes
    Lucinda Raikes
    • Angela Heaney
    Chris Langham
    Chris Langham
    • Hugh Abbot
    Justin Edwards
    Justin Edwards
    • Ben Swain
    Tony Gardner
    Tony Gardner
    • Dan Miller
    Samantha Harrington
    • Sam
    Geoffrey Streatfeild
    • Fergus Williams
    Alex Macqueen
    Alex Macqueen
    • Julius Nicholson
      • Armando Iannucci(devised by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    In the Loop
    7.4
    In the Loop
    Peep Show
    8.7
    Peep Show
    Father Ted
    8.7
    Father Ted
    Fawlty Towers
    8.8
    Fawlty Towers
    Spaced
    8.6
    Spaced
    I'm Alan Partridge
    8.6
    I'm Alan Partridge
    Blackadder Goes Forth
    8.8
    Blackadder Goes Forth
    The Office
    8.5
    The Office
    Blackadder the Third
    8.6
    Blackadder the Third
    Blackadder II
    8.6
    Blackadder II
    The IT Crowd
    8.5
    The IT Crowd
    Black Books
    8.5
    Black Books

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The show employed Ian Martin as a "swearing consultant"; one of his roles is to pen the complex and creative insults used in the show.
    • Quotes

      [knock on door]

      Malcolm Tucker: Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off.

    • Connections
      Featured in Screenwipe: Episode #5.1 (2008)

    User reviews53

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Dry humor in maniacal proportions
    It is difficult to find comedies that elicit genuine laughter these days and The Thick Of It distinguishes itself. A cold open format demands attention right away before the humor seeps in; by the time you realize what your gut is in for, the crays in Department of "Social Affairs" have crept their way into your system. Every preemptive political misstep creates so much hysteria and disaster it's impossible for bystanders not to find amusement in the absurdity and idiocy of it all.

    I am rather cautious about over hyped programs. Especially after feeling disappointed with The Office (UK), Little Britain and The Peep Show. But the lyrical filth snaps and pops too delightfully in this one to look away. Par course for the comic timing seized with perfection by Malcolm and Hugh.

    Although The Thick of It functions as satirical commentary on the British government, I find that anyone with a soft spot for political feuds and human nature will relate to it, and thus enjoy watching. Unless plot points and character device are specifically designed to allude to real life figures/events in each episode (in which case, I'm too uninformed to "catch"), you don't need sound knowledge of UK's current affairs to "get it". Much like how you don't need to be black or American to acknowledge the simple premise behind The Wire—classic institutional dysfunction and media consumption. Only difference between the two being the latter is a slow-burning novelistic tale layered with stoic horror, while the former flips like a sprightly comic book punctuated with wags and wit.

    Issues such as uninspired leadership, reluctant lackeys, chasing ranks, falsifying stats and information are things that guide and obstruct real progress within any system. In this sense, I think the appeal of The Thick Of It is universal. That the self-involved, self-defeating, borderline-sociopathic qualities harassing its spin doctors promptly blow up in their own clueless faces is just icing on the cake. Dry humor in maniacal proportions with accurate insights into the bureaucratic condition are worth the viewer ship. One season in and I think The Thick Of It is absolutely winning and hilarious.
    helpful•17
    5
    • aequus314
    • Jan 16, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 19, 2005 (United States)
      • United Kingdom
      • BBC Four (United Kingdom)
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • St Margaret Street, Westminster, London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 29 minutes
      • Color
      • Stereo

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It (2005)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for The Thick of It (2005)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page
    Add episode

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.