Scripted series · BBC Four
The Thick of It
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Chris Langham
Hugh Abbot
6 eps
Peter Capaldi
Malcolm Tucker
21 eps
Rebecca Front
Nicola Murray
15 eps
Chris Addison
Olly Reeder
21 eps
Joanna Scanlan
Terri Coverley
21 eps
James Smith
Glenn Cullen
21 eps
Roger Allam
Peter Mannion
10 eps
Morwenna Banks
Mary
1 eps
Tobias Menzies
Simon Weir
1 eps
Tim Bentinck
Cliff Lawton
1 eps
John Biggins
Driver
1 eps
Matthew Marsh
Simon Hewitt
1 eps
Vincent Franklin
Stewart Pearson
8 eps
Manjinder Virk
Journalist
1 eps
Georgie Glen
Susan Dorling
1 eps
Di Botcher
Pauline McKendrick
1 eps
Robert Portal
Mark Davies
1 eps
Theo Fraser Steele
Christian Holhurst
1 eps
Paul Higgins
Jamie
1 eps
James Doherty
Steve
1 eps
Graeme Mearns
Frankie
2 eps
Richard Betts
Online Telegraph
1 eps
Eve Matheson
Claire Ballantine
1 eps
Martin Ball
Roy Smedley
1 eps
Pearce Quigley
Doug Hayes
1 eps
Rory Kinnear
Ed
1 eps
Alex Lowe
John
1 eps
Judith Faultless
Guardian Journalist
1 eps
Melanie Hill
Julie Price
1 eps
Lucinda Raikes
Angela Heaney
4 eps
Simon Chandler
Permanent Secretary
1 eps
Nicholas Sidi
Head Teacher
1 eps
Richard Bacon
Richard Bacon
1 eps
Sara Pascoe
Janice
1 eps
Rufus Wright
Gavin Boyes
1 eps
Peter Sullivan
Geoffrey
2 eps
Zoe Telford
Marianne Swift
2 eps
Alex Macqueen
Julius Nicholson
3 eps
David Haig
Steve Fleming
2 eps
Tom Hollander
Cal Richards
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Thick of It actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Thick of It reads strongest on Bingeability, Humour and Character Depth.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
The story
What it's about
Set in the corridors of power and spin, 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 run
Seasons
4 seasons · 21 episodes.
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
200734 episodes
Season 1 · Complete
Series 1
20053 episodes
8.6IMDbBest episode · S01E03 Episode 3
Season 2 · Complete
Series 2
20053 episodes
8.7IMDbBest episode · S02E01 Episode 1
Season 3 · Complete
Series 3
20098 episodes
8.7IMDbBest episode · S03E03 Episode 3
Season 4 · Complete
Series 4
20127 episodes
8.5IMDbBest episode · S04E06 The Inquiry
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S04E06
The Inquiry
The government, opposition and civil service are called before Lord Goolding's inquiry.
- Directed by Armando Iannucci
S03E03
Episode 3
Nicola Murray is stuck in an Eastbourne hotel bedroom with nothing but a laptop, a printer and a tiny kettle while she and Olly try to finish her speech for the annual party conference. It's not going well. But Glenn has brought in his secret weapon - Julie Price, tragic widow, people's champion and regional photo opportunity. Is this the breakthrough they need, or the start of a tug-of-Julie with Malcolm Tucker?
- Directed by Armando Iannucci
- Written by Tony Roche
S03E05
Episode 5
After weeks of trading bitter blows in the press, DoSAC minister Nicola Murray MP and her shadow Peter Mannion MP are invited onto BBC Radio 5Live for a debate on Richard Bacon's late-night phone-in programme. Director of communications Malcolm Tucker and opposition PR guru Stewart Pearson decide to listen in the comfort of their respective offices, but when some breaking news threatens to make things difficult for the politicians, the programme quickly turns into a phone-in like no other. Malcolm and Stewart are left no choice but to start getting their people over to the studios.
- Directed by Armando Iannucci
- Written by Roger Drew, Tony Roche
S04E07
The Final Reckoning
Dan Miller gets sent on a fact-finding mission to the local cop-shop to press the flesh.
- Directed by Tony Roche
S03E02
Episode 2
Nicola Murray MP has only been secretary of state for just over a week, but already there is press speculation on how long she will last. And now someone at the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship has completely wiped the immigration records of 170,672 people. Who's going to get the blame, who will have to break the news to Malcolm and how will Nicola get through lunch with the staff of the Guardian without revealing the scale of the latest disaster?
- Directed by Armando Iannucci
- Written by Jesse Armstrong, Roger Drew
S02E01
Episode 1
Something goes terribly wrong at a ministerial visit to a factory – only Malcolm can help, but will he?
- Directed by Armando Iannucci
- Written by Simon Blackwell, Jesse Armstrong
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Armando Iannucci
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Andy Forssell
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Jon Plowman
Executive producer
Simon Blackwell
Writer
Jesse Armstrong
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Roger Drew
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Tony Roche
Writer
Will Smith
Writer
Sam Bain
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Sean Gray
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Ian Martin
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Adam TandyProducer
- Andy ForssellExecutive Producer
- Armando IannucciProducer
- Jon PlowmanExecutive Producer
- Natalie BaileyProducer
Writing
- Simon BlackwellWriter
- Jesse ArmstrongWriter
- Roger DrewWriter
- Armando IannucciWriter
- Tony RocheWriter
- Will SmithWriter
Direction
- Billy SneddonDirector
- Becky MartinDirector
- Armando IannucciDirector
- Tony RocheDirector
- Chris AddisonDirector
- Natalie BaileyDirector
Recognition
Awards
1 win
Chortle Awards
1 win
- WinnerChortle Awards
The Thick of It · The Thick of It
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Peacock PremiumStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Britbox Apple TV Channel Streaming
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- BritBoxStreaming
- BritBox Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Peacock Premium PlusStreaming
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Never stop watching
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