The Thick of It: Series 1, Episode 1 (2005)

I’ve decided to get started with my reviews of The Thick of It.  I didn’t want to save it for last, and I figured, thematically, it’d be better to do it earlier rather than later.  Give the Christmas special a wide berth.  Plus, it’s just so much fun.  Are we ready to begin?

 

I’ve heard The Thick of It described as The Office meets The West Wing, and that seems fairly apt to me.  The series wades through the mess, mayhem, and mudslinging of the British political machine, focusing specifically on the drab little Department of Social Affairs (DoSA for short.)  I really enjoy it, because the characters are continually getting themselves into teeth-gnashing levels of screwed, but it’s almost always over the most mundane things, which makes the intensely-frenzied reactions to the various “scandals” that much more amusing.

 

Case in point:  in episode 1, we meet Hugh, the browbeaten cabinet minister who has the misfortune to be the face of DoSA.  Thanks to a series of mistaken assumptions and crossed lines of communication, Hugh and his staff find themselves hurtling down the road toward a press conference with absolutely nothing to announce.  Their frantic attempts to dream up a free, non-offensive, universally-popular initiative are absolute gold.

 

Now, after teasing Malcolm Tucker in assorted posts, let’s finally talk about him.  PC’s most high-profile role pre-Who, Malcolm is the government’s spin doctor.  In essence, his job is to make sure any and all information reaching the press is Number-10-approved, mopping up any flubs along the way.  In practice, he’s the bogeyman that cabinet ministers fear – a shrewd political animal with a knack for cascading bouts of profanity-laced abuse.  

 

The pilot introduces Malcolm handily.  Whether he’s informing a minister that he (the minister) has just resigned or explaining to Hugh the important difference between “should” and “yes,” he’s a force of nature.  The man gets things done, and he’s not terribly bothered about things like feasibility, conventions, or actual truth.  A fabulous first look at a magnificent character.

 

Accent Watch

 

Malcolm is very much the Angry Scotsman.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – Yes.  It’s ridiculously funny, and despite the strong Office vibe, it somehow manages to avoid those squirmingly-uncomfortable Ricky Gervais cringe-humor moments.

 

PC-wise – Absolutely.  PC is commanding and hilarious, and he has excellent material to work.

 

Warning

 

Here’s the rub:  do not, repeat, do not watch The Thick of It unless you’re okay with copious amounts of profanity.  We’re talking f-words flying fast and furious, multiple uses of the c-word, and inventive sexual insults, among other things.