# The Thick of it??



## shoeshopsally (Oct 8, 2009)

Heya,
Does anyone know when/if the second series of the 'the thick of it' is starting anytime soon?
I heard rumours of late October but havn't seen anything in a while. Its such a good show, really looking forward to it!


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## stavros (Oct 10, 2009)

There was a trailer I saw today for it, with lots of Malcolm in but incredibly before the watershed.  They didn't give a start date, just "coming soon".

My three favourite sitcoms of this decade are all on or approaching new runs at the moment; Peep Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Thick Of It.


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## pennimania (Oct 10, 2009)

Get the fuck in! 

my all time favourite show!

Cannot wait!!!


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## Orang Utan (Oct 10, 2009)

i wish i found it funny.


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## Andrew Hertford (Oct 10, 2009)

I know we're not supposed to like Chris Langham anymore, but the first series did revolve around his character, and he was good in it, wasn't he? 
Still, can't wait for the new series. Can't get enough of Malcolm Tucker.


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## stavros (Oct 10, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> i wish i found it funny.



Yeah, well you're about as much on this thread as a marzipan dildo.


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## pennimania (Oct 10, 2009)

stavros said:


> Yeah, well you're about as much on this thread as a marzipan dildo.




I guess OU has to learn to climb the mountain of conflict 

but it's difficult, difficult, lemon difficult


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## Psychonaut (Oct 10, 2009)

lemon difficult will be replacing langham i expect?


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## pennimania (Oct 10, 2009)

Psychonaut said:


> lemon difficult will be replacing langham i expect?





I fucking well hope so, the massive gay shite


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## pennimania (Oct 10, 2009)

This may be a leak drip fed to the media,

BUT

i am hearing sometime in the week commencing 24/10/09


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 11, 2009)

First ep airs end of the month according to the creators Twitter feed...can't wait!


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## stavros (Oct 11, 2009)

The whole of "Spinners & Losers" was on YouTube in 10 minute chunks.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 12, 2009)

You can follow Armando Iannucci on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/AIannucci


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## London_Calling (Oct 15, 2009)

Excellent news: Armando Iannucci's political comedy returns on October 24.

See the link for Guardian quotes and the subsequent readers comments.


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## DJWrongspeed (Oct 15, 2009)

Great quotes 



> Our ten favourite Tucker quotes
> 
> • Responding to knock at his door: "Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off."
> 
> ...


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## stavros (Oct 15, 2009)

My four favourite current comedy shows are all in new runs or about to start; Peep Show, Curb, HIGNFY, and now the mighty Thick Of It. Oh how good is it to be alive now?

Now off you fuck.


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## Balbi (Oct 15, 2009)

I'm going to have a The Thick of It marathon this weekend.

Fuckety bye


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## perplexis (Oct 15, 2009)

Oh, I'm excited about this


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 15, 2009)

New teaser trailer:


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## fogbat (Oct 15, 2009)

I've just been rewatching the first series on DVD.

Can't fucking wait


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## pennimania (Oct 15, 2009)

It's personal, it's backslapping, it's borderline homoerotic, and you are an innocent victim of a nasty media stitch-up. 


I too am going to have a Tucker wallow this weekend. 


Let's oil up and get fucking


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## Balbi (Oct 16, 2009)

No Tom Hollander from the looks of it, shame.


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## stavros (Oct 17, 2009)

pennimania said:


> It's personal, it's backslapping, it's borderline homoerotic, and you are an innocent victim of a nasty media stitch-up.
> 
> 
> I too am going to have a Tucker wallow this weekend.
> ...



Anyone else tempted to cross out all the contenders when they vote next year and just write Malcolm's name there instead?


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## pennimania (Oct 17, 2009)

Don't start with the moral objections, you fucking Blue Peter badge wearing ponce! Go and make a contribution to the fucking Amnesty International! Go and buy a goat a whole village can fuck, but you are doing this for me! 


I am always trying to decide which character (after Malcolm obviously( i love/hate most  and I think it has to be Olly - he is so marvellously shallow and self serving


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## stavros (Oct 18, 2009)

Nah, Malcolm owns the whole show more or less.


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## pennimania (Oct 18, 2009)

stavros said:


> Nah, Malcolm owns the whole show more or less.



I did say after Malcolm.

I love Jamie too, you mimsy Quisling leakfuck (or words to that effect)


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## kyser_soze (Oct 19, 2009)

> "If some cunt can fuck something up, that cunt will pick the worst possible time to fucking fuck it up cause that cunt's a cunt."



Probably my favourite ever, even more than 'Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off'



> Hey hey, don't leat him hear you doing that sort of stuff! What happens if he does stand a chance, eh? He'll fuck you harder than Ron Jeremy and with less warmth.


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## FabricLiveBaby! (Oct 19, 2009)

I saw a trailer for this.  Saturday at 10.  I'm so excited about this!


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## Spod (Oct 19, 2009)

Cant wait! My mrs doesnt get it describing it as 'just scottish people swearing'. Her loss


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## stavros (Oct 19, 2009)

Actually, to be fare to the rest of the characters, Malcolm, and Jamie to a certain extent, do need the others to bounce their venom off.

I drew a picture of Malcolm in his typical mood and pinned it to my bedroom door with "Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off" written underneath.


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## Voley (Oct 19, 2009)

I believe this calls for me to say this again:

"If it isn't Numpty Dumpty, sitting on the wall like some clueless..egg…cunt."


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## Maggot (Oct 19, 2009)

So when is it on?

I hear that there's a new minister played by Rebecca Front.


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## Belushi (Oct 19, 2009)

Saturday 10pm


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## Jeff Robinson (Oct 19, 2009)

Spod said:


> Cant wait! My mrs doesnt get it describing it as 'just scottish people swearing'. Her loss



Sounds like a strong case for a divorce.


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## Pie 1 (Oct 20, 2009)

"You and me, Ollie, hey? 
I just realised that we're on the same boat, yeah? I mean, obvioulsy, I'm up on the bridge with the big fucking binoculars and the Richard Gere gear on &  you're down in the engine room trying not to get bum-raped by a bunch of big lads with shovels - but, essentially, it's the same boat"


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## Maggot (Oct 20, 2009)

Belushi said:


> Saturday 10pm


 Saturday?  The one night this week that I'm out!


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## Balbi (Oct 20, 2009)

Cancel it you soft english shitebag before I grab your fucking testicles and use them as stress balls, AND I'M VERY FUCKING STRESSED IF YOU COULDN'T TELL.


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## pennimania (Oct 20, 2009)

You've always got a pained expression.

do you take it up the chutney? 




Did you all see the repeat of the special last night on BBC 4?

With special added opposition.....


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## London_Calling (Oct 20, 2009)

I have to keep telling myself it can't be that good again.


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## London_Calling (Oct 20, 2009)

pennimania said:


> Did you all see the repeat of the special last night on BBC 4?


Didn't know. On the iPlayer and . . . watching it  . . . now!


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## DeepStoat (Oct 20, 2009)

Is there anywhere I can stream the 1st series online?


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## fen_boy (Oct 20, 2009)

Just watched 'In the loop', excellent stuff.

"Y'know, I've come across a lot of psychos, but none as fucking boring as you. You are a real boring fuck. Sorry, sorry, I know you disapprove of swearing so I'll sort that out. You are a boring F, star, star, CUNT!"


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## Pie 1 (Oct 21, 2009)

Btw, Why are BBC2 listing the new series as Series _3_?


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## sojourner (Oct 21, 2009)

I don't know how I managed to miss this in the past, but I watched a repeat of a special last night, and am a total convert.  Funny as fuck - totally appeals to my natural bent towards swearing copiously


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## Beanburger (Oct 21, 2009)

sojourner said:


> I don't know how I managed to miss this in the past, but I watched a repeat of a special last night, and am a total convert.  Funny as fuck - totally appeals to my natural bent towards swearing copiously


Cuntingly fucaklicious.


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## Belushi (Oct 21, 2009)

Unfortuantely Children in Need havent responded to my suggestion for a charidee swear-off between Malcolm Tucker and Deadwood's Al Swearengen.


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## sojourner (Oct 21, 2009)

Beanburger said:


> Cuntingly fucaklicious.



Yeh, I'm hoping to get more creative with my swearing after watching it  

I bet Paxman loves it   'He's lost his teeth these days'


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## belboid (Oct 21, 2009)

Belushi said:


> Unfortuantely Children in Need havent responded to my suggestion for a charidee swear-off between Malcolm Tucker and Deadwood's Al Swearengen.





A close call, but I'd back Al.  He'd show that cocksucker the proper way to motherfucking swear.


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## nick h. (Oct 21, 2009)

Andrew Hertford said:


> I know we're not supposed to like Chris Langham anymore, but the first series did revolve around his character, and he was good in it, wasn't he?



True dat. I asked Ianucci at the Ritzy Q&A for the movie version whether he would have liked to cast Langham - he said yes, and he could foresee him returning to the TV series one day.


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## stavros (Oct 21, 2009)

"You're so back-bench, you've actually fucking fallen off."


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## London_Calling (Oct 21, 2009)

It wasn't just the line itself, which is genius: "All these hands all over the place! You were like a sweaty octopus trying to unhook a bra."

It was the pause, then: "John fucking Leslie".

Laugh out loud with an extra topping of loud.


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## Spion (Oct 21, 2009)

Pie 1 said:


> I just realised that we're on the same boat, yeah? I mean, obvioulsy, I'm up on the bridge with the big fucking binoculars and the Richard Gere gear on &  you're down in the engine room trying not to get bum-raped by a bunch of big lads with shovels - but, essentially, it's the same boat"


Superb

Shame Langham's not in it. He was superb. He's just so hapless as Hugh.


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## Spion (Oct 21, 2009)

It was all on youtube but seems to have disappeared lately


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## London_Calling (Oct 25, 2009)

S3E1:

"Alright Hinge and Bracket, time to go and hang up your ladycocks"


"I’m gonna keep banging away at it; you know, like Charles Haughtry on a sleeping Guardsman"


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## Gingerman (Oct 25, 2009)

"Two shakes of a crying baby","So dense light bends around him"


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## Maggot (Oct 25, 2009)

When is it repeated?


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## mauvais (Oct 25, 2009)

Which season? The new one is on iPlayer already.


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## Spion (Oct 25, 2009)

I liked Olly's one about Glen being like skirting board. Something about always being there but not knowing what it's for.

But, I missed Hugh. It needed his bumbling and haplessness to leaven the bitchathon. Maybe Mannion will provide some of that in later episodes. They're both characters trapped in that world and provide a sympathetic character. Hope Julius is in it too for similar reasons


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## Pie 1 (Oct 25, 2009)

"The only other candidate was my left bollock with a smiley face drawn on it"


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## DJWrongspeed (Oct 25, 2009)

"He's so fucking dense light bends around him"


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## bouncer_the_dog (Oct 25, 2009)

I found it quite depressing.


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## Spion (Oct 25, 2009)

Was it Malcolm that got Olly to tell the minister to move into the middle of the podium and get framed next to 

"IAM
BENT"

?


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## Pie 1 (Oct 25, 2009)

not that he admitted it, but yes.


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## Divisive Cotton (Oct 25, 2009)

I'm getting fed up with the Thick of It.

As the programme has gone on the Malcolm Tucker character has become more and more nasty and I don't think I can stand  spending half hour in his company any more


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## Macabre (Oct 25, 2009)

Malcolm's nastiness is the best bit.  It's like Frankie Boyle in the civil service.


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## lanepe (Oct 25, 2009)

I have to say that I love the Malcolm Tucker character. He makes the show for me.

I enjoyed last night's episode and welcome it back.


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## happie chappie (Oct 25, 2009)

lanepe said:


> I have to say that I love the Malcolm Tucker character. He makes the show for me.
> 
> I enjoyed last night's episode and welcome it back.



Tucker's brilliant and makes the show what it is. 

A lot of credit must go to Iannuci and the writing team - they seem to have invented a whole new genre of comedy based on foul-mouthed, but incredibly creative, insults.

Has anyone else done this?

happie chappie


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## Ich bin ein Mod (Oct 25, 2009)

Omnishambles


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## killer b (Oct 25, 2009)

it was fucking class, as expected. shame there's no langham, but they've made the show work without him... tucker is one of the great tv characters of the 21st century - a rigsby or basil fawlty for our age, imo.


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## bluestreak (Oct 25, 2009)

just watched the new episode/  very good.  not AS good, but bery good.


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## DJWrongspeed (Oct 25, 2009)

killer b said:


> it was fucking class, as expected. shame there's no langham, but they've made the show work without him... tucker is one of the great tv characters of the 21st century - a rigsby or basil fawlty for our age, imo.



agreed, and there's some interesting chemistry between him and the new minister.  The people who prefer 'Yes Minister' are living in the old politics, this is as savage & ridiculous as the media circus really is.


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## killer b (Oct 25, 2009)

did peter capaldi have much of a career before the thick of it? i've spotted him with the occasional crap bit part from older stuff, but nowt else.

he must've been so chuffed when malcolm turned up for him...


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## Gavin Bl (Oct 25, 2009)

the episode on yesterday was the first time I've ever seen it, thought it was great.

I have to start watching Curb your Enthusiasm as well


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## stavros (Oct 25, 2009)

Spion said:


> I liked Olly's one about Glen being like skirting board. Something about always being there but not knowing what it's for.



This was my favourite line too. Malcolm seemed relatively calm last night, I'm sure resting in order to release a full blitzkreig in the coming weeks.


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## Gingerman (Oct 25, 2009)

killer b said:


> did peter capaldi have much of a career before the thick of it? i've spotted him with the occasional crap bit part from older stuff, but nowt else.
> 
> he must've been so chuffed when malcolm turned up for him...




http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0134922/
Won an Oscar for Best Short Film in 1993


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## London_Calling (Oct 25, 2009)

I remember an interview Kirsty Wade did with Alistair Campbell around the time In The Loop came out and she tried like hell to get him to acknowledge Tucker was based on him - Campbell just would not have it. She was incredulous. 

It's just so totally Campbell. The man's a screaming dead fuck.


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## kyser_soze (Oct 26, 2009)

DJWrongspeed said:


> "He's so fucking dense light bends around him"





Ich bin ein Mod said:


> Omnishambles



Definitely the two best insults to come out of that ep.

Funny, but not as funny as previously...but I have no doubt that will improve...seemed to be a nastier edge to it tho, which is all to the good


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## fogbat (Oct 26, 2009)

London_Calling said:


> I remember an interview Kirsty Wade did with Alistair Campbell around the time In The Loop came out and she tried like hell to get him to acknowledge Tucker was based on him - Campbell just would not have it. She was incredulous.
> 
> It's just so totally Campbell. The man's a screaming dead fuck.



He wrote a whiny article in the Guardian on the same subject.

_"Of the many criticisms I have faced down the years, lacking a sense of humour has not been among them."_ Really, Alastair? Really?


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## belboid (Oct 26, 2009)

Gingerman said:


> http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0134922/
> Won an Oscar for Best Short Film in 1993



and he is very good in his brief role in Dangeous Liaisons. 

Took me a good while to work out who he was after reading her was  in it...


All in all, a good solid start. Wotserface appears to have some room for being able to stick up for herself a bit better than Langhams character, and to give it Malcolm back a bit.


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## purves grundy (Oct 26, 2009)

I haven't seen it so my opinion counts for naught but I can't imagine it without Langham. I thought the two-part special was relatively weak without him. Non-stop swearathon with no soft underbelly, world-weariness or ineptitude doesn't really work for me. Malcolm's best in small doses.

Anyway. I haven't seen it.


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## llantwit (Oct 26, 2009)

kyser_soze said:


> seemed to be a nastier edge to it tho, which is all to the good


Definitely. Harder to watch, but better because of it. The S1 episodes were best when it looked like Tucker was losing his grip on power a bit. 
There were signposts for his impending fall all through this first S2 episode. It's gonna get shakespearean... Tucker as Lear and Macbeth rolled into one.


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## killer b (Oct 26, 2009)

purves grundy said:


> I haven't seen it so my opinion counts for naught but I can't imagine it without Langham. I thought the two-part special was relatively weak without him. Non-stop swearathon with no soft underbelly, world-weariness or ineptitude doesn't really work for me. Malcolm's best in small doses.


he has a new foil. it's different, and will take some getting used to. but it's still brilliant...


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## Stoat Boy (Oct 26, 2009)

I watched it and liked it but I wonder if the whole thing is getting just a tad formulatic ?

Actually I dont wonder because it is.

Still amusing to watch and I have always found swearing to be both big and clever when it comes to making me laughing but I do wonder if the BBC could be investing in something a little more risk taking.


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## London_Calling (Oct 26, 2009)

fogbat said:


> He wrote a whiny article in the Guardian on the same subject.
> 
> _"Of the many criticisms I have faced down the years, lacking a sense of humour has not been among them."_ Really, Alastair? Really?


It confirms what an appalling cunt he is. Just leaves you in despair really . . . absolutely no deomcratic accountability and no personal accountability either. 

The bloke doesn't have issues, he has entire  rotating planetary systems of them.


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## madzone (Oct 26, 2009)

Just watching it now. Loving it so far.


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## kyser_soze (Oct 26, 2009)

Seen the first series and specials, madz?


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## sojourner (Oct 26, 2009)

fucking catchup only has it in HD


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## belboid (Oct 26, 2009)

no it is on normal too, but its only listed under the A-Z section, not the day by day.

Fucking stupid BBC, took us till yesterday to work that out


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## madzone (Oct 26, 2009)

kyser_soze said:


> Seen the first series and specials, madz?


 Yeah


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 26, 2009)

Stoat Boy said:


> I watched it and liked it but I wonder if the whole thing is getting just a tad formulatic ?
> 
> Actually I dont wonder because it is.
> 
> Still amusing to watch and I have always found swearing to be both big and clever when it comes to making me laughing but I do wonder if the BBC could be investing in something a little more risk taking.



I wasn't that impressed by it, hope it gets better because the first episode smacked of complaceny in the writing. It wasn't as funny and lacked real drive, and more importantly (when it comes to the satire of politics) bite. This was Thick Of It Lite...


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## London_Calling (Oct 26, 2009)

The first in the series is the set up init*, new minister bedded in, new dynamics, etc. The political satire presumably follows. At least we hope it does.



* what did Tucker say about dotting i's and crossing t's?


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## belboid (Oct 26, 2009)

"Fuck the i's and fist the t's".


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 26, 2009)

London_Calling said:


> The first in the series is the set up init*, new minister bedded in, new dynamics, etc. The political satire presumably follows. At least we hope it does.
> 
> 
> 
> * what did Tucker say about dotting i's and crossing t's?



It didn't do that with the first series, they just got on with it. This feels a bit arty like there's a story arc being laid out that will unfold over the eight episodes. Imo that doesn't work for this show, it's beauty it the episodic way things pan out, with real drive and bite in each episode rather than having to watch multiple ones to get the same effect.


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## belboid (Oct 26, 2009)

it needed an 'introductions' episode tho. Ollie & the boring one whose name I've forgotten were political appointee's of Abbott's, so shouldn't really be kept on. An episode to show just why they have been was kind of essential.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 26, 2009)

belboid said:


> it needed an 'introductions' episode tho. Ollie & the boring one whose name I've forgotten were political appointee's of Abbott's, so shouldn't really be kept on. An episode to show just why they have been was kind of essential.



I don't think it did, again it did all that in a few minutes at the beginning of s1, where if you remember it starts with the former minister being asked to resign.


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## danny la rouge (Oct 26, 2009)

I've never seen it, but having seen the film (which was OK) I thought I might take a look.  I forgot, though.


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## belboid (Oct 26, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> I don't think it did, again it did all that in a few minutes at the beginning of s1, where if you remember it starts with the former minister being asked to resign.



y memory is failing clearly, but he brought ollie and the other one in didn't he?


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## stavros (Oct 26, 2009)

belboid said:


> the boring one whose name I've forgotten



Glenn. In Ollie's words, he's like a skirting board. 

She was in the outtakes on the red button after talking to Teri in a park, but Robyn wasn't in the main show. Is she coming back? Also are we getting more Jamie to match Malcolm's torrential downpore of expletives?


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## Balbi (Oct 26, 2009)

I think Mannion's going to take over from Hugh in the world weary stakes


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## Stigmata (Oct 26, 2009)

As long as the horrific Julius Nicholson MP is back i'll be happy.


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## discokermit (Oct 26, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> As long as the horrific Julius Nicholson MP is back i'll be happy.


"eat the fucking cheese!"


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## upsidedownwalrus (Oct 27, 2009)

This was my first taster of the programme (saw the film) and I really liked it 

Will definitely DL the older ones now


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## beeboo (Oct 27, 2009)

belboid said:


> y memory is failing clearly, but he brought ollie and the other one in didn't he?



Aye, normally the special adviser's relationship is with the minister, not with the department AFAIK, so you wouldn't expect them to still be there.


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## sojourner (Oct 27, 2009)

belboid said:


> no it is on normal too, but its only listed under the A-Z section, not the day by day.
> 
> Fucking stupid BBC, took us till yesterday to work that out



No - I checked that as well

Will check again tonight in case they've only just put it on there


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## belboid (Oct 27, 2009)

are you on virgin?  cos it definitely is there, we watched it on sunday night.


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## sojourner (Oct 27, 2009)

belboid said:


> are you on virgin?  cos it definitely is there, we watched it on sunday night.



yeh - well that's weird, cos I checked 'all days, AND 'a-z', and both were on HD


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## belboid (Oct 27, 2009)

mmm, peculiar indeed - it showed up beneath the two Specials that were shown on bbc4, even tho the HD was above them, if tha tmakes sense


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## sojourner (Oct 27, 2009)

I'll check again later

Maybe it took a couple of days for the normal one to go up?


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## discokermit (Oct 27, 2009)

sojourner said:


> fucking catchup only has it in HD


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00npkc9/The_Thick_of_It_Series_3_Episode_1/


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## fubert (Oct 27, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> As long as the horrific Julius Nicholson MP is back i'll be happy.



"where's the bankrupt in the cupboard ?"


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## andy2002 (Oct 27, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> As long as the horrific Julius Nicholson MP is back i'll be happy.



"You fools! These are good biscuits and they cost four pounds."


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## Orang Utan (Oct 28, 2009)

discokermit said:


> http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00npkc9/The_Thick_of_It_Series_3_Episode_1/



just watched this to give it another chance and it's funnier than i earlier gave it credit for.
i noticed it's filmed in the office building i work in too.


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## fubert (Oct 28, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> just watched this to give it another chance and it's funnier than i earlier gave it credit for.
> i noticed it's filmed in the office building i work in too.



can't you hear peter capaldi swearing when you're at work ?


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## sojourner (Oct 28, 2009)

discokermit said:


> http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00npkc9/The_Thick_of_It_Series_3_Episode_1/



Ta for that, but it had magically appeared on my telly machine last night 

Ace 

It's so funny that it even made two 18 year olds laugh their heads off (after a tortuous explanation of the background to it). They liked it so much they then stuck one of the specials on


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## belboid (Oct 28, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> I don't think it did, again it did all that in a few minutes at the beginning of s1, where if you remember it starts with the former minister being asked to resign.



Downloaded and watched the first one again last night. It was very clear that Ollie & Glen came with Abbott, whereas wotsername was a departmental worker.  So we _do_ need to know why they are still there, because they shouldn’t be really. 

Still, hoping it really gets down to the really dark and dirty this week.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 28, 2009)

belboid said:


> Downloaded and watched the first one again last night. It was very clear that Ollie & Glen came with Abbott, whereas wotsername was a departmental worker.  So we _do_ need to know why they are still there, because they shouldn’t be really.
> 
> Still, hoping it really gets down to the really dark and dirty this week.



Yep but you don't need a whole episode dealing with that. Just a throw away line then you move on.


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## belboid (Oct 28, 2009)

no, you need more than that, not a whole episode maybe (tho it is an epidoes worth - 'can i make her keep me on, and get rid of glan at the same time...') but certainly more than a line or two. They shouldn't be there.  I think it would have created an incongruity if it hadn't had mroe explanation.  She really should bring her own people in, someone she knows damn well she can rely on, who is loyal to _her_.


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## fubert (Oct 28, 2009)

belboid said:


> no, you need more than that, not a whole episode maybe (tho it is an epidoes worth - 'can i make her keep me on, and get rid of glan at the same time...') but certainly more than a line or two. They shouldn't be there.  I think it would have created an incongruity if it hadn't had mroe explanation.  She really should bring her own people in, someone she knows damn well she can rely on, who is loyal to _her_.



Glenn Cullen will be staying. Malcolm set that one up with his little "report back to me" bit at the end..


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## kyser_soze (Oct 28, 2009)

belboid said:


> no, you need more than that, not a whole episode maybe (tho it is an epidoes worth - 'can i make her keep me on, and get rid of glan at the same time...') but certainly more than a line or two. They shouldn't be there.  I think it would have created an incongruity if it hadn't had mroe explanation.  She really should bring her own people in, someone she knows damn well she can rely on, who is loyal to _her_.



The other point is that she isn't high enough up the pecking order to have any spads...


----------



## belboid (Oct 28, 2009)

true, i suppose there may have been hopes that Abbott would prove a good minister worth promoting later on, whereas she is clearly a desperate last throw of the dice, shit there's no one else candidate (although every MP would have at least a researcher, especially if they were junior ministers, as she probably should have been to go into a cabinet post)


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 28, 2009)

Watched it again, opinion hasn't changed. One thing I will add is Tuckers new guy is quite literally the worst actor ever to have been in TToI! He's terrible! Bring back the mental Scottish fella!


----------



## DeepStoat (Oct 28, 2009)

Paxman on The Thick Of It: "tremendously funny"


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 28, 2009)

belboid said:


> true, i suppose there may have been hopes that Abbott would prove a good minister worth promoting later on, whereas she is clearly a desperate last throw of the dice, shit there's no one else candidate (although every MP would have at least a researcher, especially if they were junior ministers, as she probably should have been to go into a cabinet post)



MPs that are Ministers have their MP team and a Ministerial team. Researchers don't always get promoted over...


----------



## Fingertips.net (Oct 29, 2009)

I thought it was alright ... they should definitely bring back Hugh Abbott though. Forgive and forget and all that.


----------



## London_Calling (Oct 29, 2009)

Controversial first post shocker


----------



## belboid (Oct 29, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> MPs that are Ministers have their MP team and a Ministerial team. Researchers don't always get promoted over...



true.  But Ollie and Glen still would be very unlikely to remain in post after a ministerial swap.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 29, 2009)

can i just point out that this isn't actually real and squabbles over why glenn and ollie remain are about as much use as a marzipan dildo


----------



## belboid (Oct 29, 2009)

but...i think a marzipan dildo sounds rather yummy....


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 29, 2009)

I'd love to stop and chat to you but I'd rather have type 2 diabetes.


----------



## danny la rouge (Oct 29, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> I'd love to stop and chat to you but I'd rather have type 2 diabetes.


Is that a quote from Scrubs?


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 29, 2009)

nope. the recently repeated 2-part special of TTOI


----------



## danny la rouge (Oct 29, 2009)

I'm sure Perry said it in Scrubs.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 29, 2009)

what is this scrubs that you speak of?


----------



## danny la rouge (Oct 29, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> what is this scrubs that you speak of?


A long running hospital-based sitcom of US origin.


----------



## madzone (Oct 29, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> can i just point out that this isn't actually real and squabbles over why glenn and ollie remain are about as much use as a marzipan dildo


 Don't knock it till you've tried it....


----------



## sfumato (Oct 29, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> I wasn't that impressed by it, hope it gets better because the first episode smacked of complaceny in the writing. It wasn't as funny and lacked real drive, and more importantly (when it comes to the satire of politics) bite. This was Thick Of It Lite...



I'm inclined to agree.  Was trying to separate the fact that it felt nastier and harder to watch from this ^^ but yeah, definitely hoping for the satire/bite of ep 2 to match series 1 and the specials.


----------



## sfumato (Oct 29, 2009)

fogbat said:


> He wrote a whiny article in the Guardian on the same subject.
> 
> _"Of the many criticisms I have faced down the years, lacking a sense of humour has not been among them."_ Really, Alastair? Really?



Just read the Campbell article. Surely Iannucci read this and was thus inspired for the focus of Tucker's vitriol in ep 1:

"I was too bored to be offended.

I met Iannucci and Capaldi at last year's Channel 4 political awards, when we were collecting prizes, them for The Thick of It, me for The Blair Years. *I seem to remember Capaldi had sound views on state schools, always a nice surprise in London media circles*."


----------



## andy2002 (Oct 29, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Bring back the mental Scottish fella!



Apparently, Jamie (aka the mental Scottish fella) isn't going to be in this series which makes me rather sadder than it probably should.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 29, 2009)

no, be very sad. jamie was pure fucking class.

_you've gone nutter_


----------



## andy2002 (Oct 29, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> no, be very sad. jamie was pure fucking class.
> 
> _you've gone nutter_



There's an interview with the bloke who plays him (Paul Higgins) here. 

www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2007/aug/15/edinburghfestival2007.edinburghfestival1

It's worth reading for the brilliant John Hurt anecdote alone...


----------



## Maggot (Oct 29, 2009)

It's repeated tonight (after my bedtime )


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 29, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> no, be very sad. jamie was pure fucking class.
> 
> _you've gone nutter_



He was fucking great damn shame he ain't gonna be back...


----------



## agricola (Oct 29, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> no, be very sad. jamie was pure fucking class.
> 
> _you've gone nutter_



the iPod rant was my favourite


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 4, 2009)

_you're wanking with the wrong crowd_

great quote from this weeks episode


----------



## kyser_soze (Nov 4, 2009)

'You know what you've done? You've just laid your first big egg of fuck, that's what you've done.'


----------



## Balbi (Nov 4, 2009)

First mention of 'you're declining into a change of government'.......

'I wouldn't piss on you if you were allergic to piss darling'.....

And the sheer nastyness of 'you still sleeping in the car?' Bahaha.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Nov 4, 2009)

Anyone see Points of View on Sunday?

There were lots of complaints about the "unecessary" foul language 

"It would have been much funnier without so much swearing" they all said!


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 4, 2009)

i can't imagine what malcolm tucker would have said about that.....


----------



## Stigmata (Nov 8, 2009)

Proper jaw-dropping lol at this week's episode


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 8, 2009)

Better than the first two but still not as classic as it was.


----------



## Gingerman (Nov 8, 2009)

Anyone else find Rebecca Front rather attractive?


----------



## pennimania (Nov 8, 2009)

Not as good as the previous series, but still the best thing on telly.

I do miss Jamie tho...


----------



## Stigmata (Nov 8, 2009)

I never really saw the point in Jamie. He was funny, but he was just another Malcolm Tucker wasn't he?


----------



## pennimania (Nov 8, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> I never really saw the point in Jamie. He was funny, but he was just another Malcolm Tucker wasn't he?



Twas the interplay between them that I loved.

I particularly remember the scene when Julius was chairing a  meeting and Jamie sat just to the side but slightly back and did obscene gestures with his pen and Malcolm passed him a note   'Would you take this note and shove it up his hairy inbox ?'

At the time I had broken my ribs and it was agony to laugh but I just could not help myself, and every time I thought about it I was in severe pain


----------



## Stigmata (Nov 8, 2009)

I did like it when they argued with each other, now you mention it.


----------



## Wookey (Nov 8, 2009)

I'm loving this, it's just brilliant.


----------



## Balbi (Nov 8, 2009)

Just watching it.......ANGELA HEANEY'S back 

 bit of a crush there


----------



## madzone (Nov 8, 2009)

Gingerman said:


> Anyone else find Rebecca Front rather attractive?


 Yes


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 8, 2009)

pennimania said:


> Twas the interplay between them that I loved.



... and the fact that he was something that you previously thought unimaginable - even worse than Malcolm. There's a great extras scene on the DVD in which he threatens a civil servant: "I'll rip off your fucking head and shit down your neck and then I'll stick your head back on and fucking shit on that too". 

Also Malcolm's comment last night "I think we should adopt a carrot and stick approach: get a carrot and stick it up their arse and then stick the stick up there and then a rougher carrot".


----------



## Stigmata (Nov 8, 2009)

The one thing I like more than Malcolm's swearing is his meaningful silences. I can see why women fancy Peter Capaldi.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 8, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Better than the first two but still not as classic as it was.


i don't know, we just watched it again and it had me laughing my socks off. thought the assault was a bit unlikely tbh, but the resulting scenes were solid gold funny. and the new minister is very very good.


----------



## tar1984 (Nov 8, 2009)

I watched this for the first time last night.  Much lol.


----------



## Balbi (Nov 8, 2009)

Another mention for the coming change of government as well - and Mannion  I hope he shows up next week.

Tucker hitting Glen is him showing how edgy he is.


----------



## stavros (Nov 8, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> The one thing I like more than Malcolm's swearing is his meaningful silences. I can see why women fancy Peter Capaldi.



With a gun held to my head, I might chose Malcolm as my man-fuck. 

I keep seeing the swine flu leaflet everywhere, and the bloke on it has a very Tuckerish look to him;


----------



## Balbi (Nov 8, 2009)

"this room's shit for pacing"


----------



## pennimania (Nov 8, 2009)

Balbi said:


> Another mention for the coming change of government as well - and Mannion  I hope he shows up next week.
> 
> Tucker hitting Glen is him showing how edgy he is.



Peter Mannion is my guilty pleasure 

Talking of Malcolm's silences - the way he slowly turned and stared at Robin in the previous episode was just pure ecstasy


----------



## Stigmata (Nov 8, 2009)

I believe I saw Mannion (plus advisors) in a trailer, so they will be in this series.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 8, 2009)

stavros said:


> With a gun held to my head, I might chose Malcolm as my man-fuck.
> 
> I keep seeing the swine flu leaflet everywhere, and the bloke on it has a very Tuckerish look to him;



http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=9895555#post9895555

Great minds eh?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 8, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> i don't know, we just watched it again and it had me laughing my socks off. thought the assault was a bit unlikely tbh, but the resulting scenes were solid gold funny. and the new minister is very very good.



Ok then...


----------



## andy2002 (Nov 8, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> thought the assault was a bit unlikely tbh



I think Malcolm's approaching total meltdown so the punch makes sense - what price him suffering a nervous breakdown, a heart attack or a stroke in the final episode?


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 8, 2009)

andy2002 said:


> I think Malcolm's approaching total meltdown so the punch makes sense - what price him suffering a nervous breakdown, a heart attack or a stroke in the final episode?


that's what the missus said. i just find it difficult to imagine someone so furiously brilliant with his tongue resorting to violence like that. but the pressure is certainly bulding


----------



## Harold Hill (Nov 8, 2009)

Desperately hoping Julius 'eat the cheese' Nicholson turns up if we're to have no Jamie.

The Scrubs reference above.  Noticed both shows are very very good at bringing through minor characters


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 8, 2009)

julius,_ these are expensive biscuits, they cost four pounds!!!!_


----------



## debaser (Nov 9, 2009)

Ah Mr Ambassador! you really are spoiling us with your big baldy head.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

OK, I've seen two episodes now, and I'm not very impressed.  This one was pretty poor.  I saw the data loss one and was less than whelmed.  This one was even less whelming.  I don't think I need to see any more now.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> OK, I've seen two episodes now, and I'm not very impressed.  This one was pretty poor.  I saw the data loss one and was less than whelmed.  This one was even less whelming.  I don't think I need to see any more now.



Tsk. You can't please some fuckers eh? Just out of interest Danny, what are your top two comedies, just so I know what yardstick you're comparing this to?


----------



## gabi (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> OK, I've seen two episodes now, and I'm not very impressed.  This one was pretty poor.  I saw the data loss one and was less than whelmed.  This one was even less whelming.  I don't think I need to see any more now.



You cant be real.

That last one was the funniest fucking thing ive seen since the first series of flight of the conchords...


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

Jeff Robinson said:


> Tsk. You can't please some fuckers eh? Just out of interest Danny, what are your top two comedies, just so I know what yardstick you're comparing this to?


Historically, _Father Ted_ and  currently, _Outnumbered_.

I missed _Thick Of It_ until now.  I'm quite prepared to believe that previous series were better, or that you have to get to know the characters.  But based on the two episodes I've seen, it is over rated, and probably gets the lionisation it gets because of Iannucci's track record.


----------



## gabi (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> Historically, _Father Ted_ and  currently, _Outnumbered_.
> 
> I missed _Thick Of It_ until now.  I'm quite prepared to believe that previous series were better, or that you have to get to know the characters.  But based on the two episodes I've seen, it is over rated, and probably gets the lionisation it gets because of Iannucci's track record.



ive no idea who iannucci is tbh... and i piss myself watchin it, so there goes your theory


----------



## corporate whore (Nov 9, 2009)

Tucker's spleen has been fantastic.

"Oh, you sent Ollie? He's a fucking scarf of a man! A knitted hat!"

"Listen Richard Stilgoe, you jazzy twat"


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

gabi said:


> ive no idea who iannucci is tbh... and i piss myself watchin it, so there goes your theory


I was talking about press lionisation.  You aren't press.

We obviously have different tastes.  You are entitled to like it.  But this episode didn't even make me smile inwardly.  The data loss episode was better.  But based on these two episodes, I have to conclude that this isn't for me.


----------



## gabi (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> I was talking about press lionisation.  You aren't press.
> 
> We obviously have different tastes.  You are entitled to like it.  But this episode didn't even make me smile inwardly.  The data loss episode was better.  But based on these two episodes, I have to conclude that this isn't for me.



If father ted is your number 1 comedy of all time then, yes, we have vastly different tastes. i've got a pretty dark, bitter sense of humor so this and anything gervais churns out are my kinda shit. father ted was amusing. but a bit family.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

gabi said:


> If father ted is your number 1 comedy of all time then, yes, we have vastly different tastes. i've got a pretty dark, bitter sense of humor so this and anything gervais churns out are my kinda shit. father ted was amusing. but a bit family.


 "Dark".  It's got nothing to do with "dark".  It's to do with funny.

But, I _hate_ Gervais.  Annoying, unamusing twat that he is.


----------



## gabi (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> "Dark".  It's got nothing to do with "dark".  It's to do with funny.
> 
> But, I _hate_ Gervais.  Annoying, unamusing twat that he is.



It is dark. That's why it's funny.

Gervais IS annoying and unamusing. That's why he's funny.

Never the twain shall meet i guess


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> Historically, _Father Ted_ and  currently, _Outnumbered_.
> 
> I missed _Thick Of It_ until now.  I'm quite prepared to believe that previous series were better, or that you have to get to know the characters.  But based on the two episodes I've seen, it is over rated, and probably gets the lionisation it gets because of Iannucci's track record.



Haven't heard of Outnumbered. Father Ted was a laff but I don’t think it’s anything compared to The Thick Of It in terms of writing, acting or plot development. I suppose if you prefer more blatant, less subtle humor it’s preferable.

But no way is The Thick Of It lionized simply because its written by Iannucci. Time Trumpet and the Friday Night Armistice never received such critical acclaim. The Thick Of It is a fucking lion - well written, well executed comedy. Whether it’s funny or not is subjective, but the idea that its popularity is a product of hype is bullshit.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

gabi said:


> It is dark. That's why it's funny.


Well, I find the _term_ "dark" funny.  

Just out of interest, what does it mean to you?


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

Jeff Robinson said:


> Haven't heard of Outnumbered. Father Ted was a laff but I don’t think it’s anything compared to The Thick Of It in terms of writing, acting or plot development. I suppose if you prefer more blatant, less subtle humor it’s preferable.


No, I'm very happy to see good writing and subtlety.  (I don't need my comedy to be like Father Ted.  I was just asked a question, and gave an answer).


----------



## gabi (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> Well, I find the _term_ "dark" funny.
> 
> Just out of interest, what does it mean to you?



Hard to define. In the context of comedy I suppose I mean - 'Twisted'. 'Nasty'. 'Cruel'. etc


----------



## Belushi (Nov 9, 2009)

I'm not enjoying this series as much as the first I must say - it seems to have become more centred on Malcolm, who's a great character but should be used more sparingly.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

gabi said:


> Hard to define. In the context of comedy I suppose I mean - 'Twisted'. 'Nasty'. 'Cruel'. etc


And that's what you think the Thick of It is like?  (I've only seen 2 episodes, so maybe it is the rest of the time...).


----------



## gabi (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> And that's what you think the Thick of It is like?  (I've only seen 2 episodes, so maybe it is the rest of the time...).



Very much so. Its centred on bullying. A chain of bullying. Which for whatever reason i find amusing. Not sure what that says about me of course


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

gabi said:


> Very much so. Its centred on bullying. A chain of bullying. Which for whatever reason i find amusing. Not sure what that says about me of course


Ah, right.  I didn't find what I saw particularly "dark".  And I'm sure a funny comedy could be written about it.  But I didn't think this was it.  And I didn't think the episodes I saw were at all subtle (_everything_ was telegraphed), and I didn't think the last one was even very well written.  It was a mess, and relied heavily on the character of Malcolm (which was well-played, admittedly) and presumably on past knowledge of the character.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 9, 2009)

It's fast pace, which takes some getting used to, and it's certainly chaotic - that's very much intentional given it's subject matter. In that sense I don't think the criticism that it was "a mess" holds much weight. There was order to the chaos, which perhaps takes a few watches in order to appreciate.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

Jeff Robinson said:


> It's fast pace, which takes some getting used to, and it's certainly chaotic - that's very much intentional given it's subject matter. In that sense I don't think the criticism that it was "a mess" holds much weight. There was order to the chaos, which perhaps takes a few watches in order to appreciate.


I get the pace, thing.  Honestly, I've watched TV before.  I'm aware of modern developments in programmed making.  And I'm aware of Iannucci's style.  Everyone how has watched TV in the last 15 years gets that.

I'm referring, when I call that last episode 'a mess', to structure, narrative arc, and so on.  It was a badly put together episode, in my opinion.  The data loss episode was better-written.  

Do you think that last episode a good one?  A representative one?


----------



## Balbi (Nov 9, 2009)

I thought it was a goodun, it's all about pretty awful human beings having really awful things happen to them through a mix of Murphy's Law and their own incompetence and then trying to get out of it.

Oh, and it's a bit sweary too


----------



## sojourner (Nov 9, 2009)

gabi said:


> That last one was the funniest fucking thing ive seen since the first series of flight of the conchords...



!!

Flight of the Conchords was a fucking omnishambles!! Shite!


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

Balbi said:


> it's all about pretty awful human beings having really awful things happen to them through a mix of Murphy's Law and their own incompetence and then trying to get out of it.
> 
> Oh, and it's a bit sweary too


Yes, I get that.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> I get the pace, thing.  Honestly, I've watched TV before.  I'm aware of modern developments in programmed making.  And I'm aware of Iannucci's style.  Everyone how has watched TV in the last 15 years gets that.
> 
> I'm referring, when I call that last episode 'a mess', to structure, narrative arc, and so on.  It was a badly put together episode, in my opinion.  The data loss episode was better-written.
> 
> Do you think that last episode a good one?  A representative one?



Actually I have to say that I don't think this series is proving to be up to the standards of past ones so far; there are good bits but there seems to be a fair amount of filler between them, which can be carried by the quality of the cast, and the plots don't seem quite as tight as normal. Also there seems to be quite a lot more "comedy of embarrassment" scenes, which I don't really like; the minister making a fool of herself in front of people again by being nervous and talking nonsense, yawn. I don't end up LingOL nearly as much as I have in the past.

Still, I shall keep watching.


----------



## gabi (Nov 9, 2009)

sojourner said:


> !!
> 
> Flight of the Conchords was a fucking omnishambles!! Shite!



we will definitely need to agree to disagree there. no accountin for taste.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Actually I have to say that I don't think this series is proving to be up to the standards of past ones so far; there are good bits but there seems to be a fair amount of filler between them, which can be carried by the quality of the cast, and the plots don't seem quite as tight as normal. Also there seems to be quite a lot more "comedy of embarrassment" scenes, which I don't really like; the minister making a fool of herself in front of people again by being nervous and talking nonsense, yawn. I don't end up LingOL nearly as much as I have in the past..


Ah, OK, that makes sense.  I'd agree with your analysis (filler, too much "comedy of embarrassment", looseness of plot, carried by the cast etc).  And it makes sense that quality has declined.  If this episode was representative, then his writing has seriously declined since Partridge.  Which would be a shame.


----------



## Mr Moose (Nov 9, 2009)

Malcolm v Glenn is completely LOL. Whatever the merits of the rest of it that was hilarious.


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 9, 2009)

It's surprising what you can do with a corridor, and one bedroom with an en suite.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 9, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> I'm referring, when I call that last episode 'a mess', to structure, narrative arc, and so on.  It was a badly put together episode, in my opinion.  The data loss episode was better-written.
> 
> Do you think that last episode a good one?  A representative one?



I'm at a loss as to why you think the structure was a 'mess' or what you mean by 'badly put togeather'. The structure to my mind was entirely suited to the series objective, which is basically to shine a light behind the scenes on machiavellian power jostling and media management in a variety of different political settings and contexts. In what way could the structure have been better?  

As for the "narrative arc", in what sense are you able to assess it given that, by your own admission, you've only watched two episodes out of three seasons? 

If you'd just said "it's not my cup of tea" then I'd have thought fair enough, but I don't see any validity in your more substantive criticisms which seem to me to be either to so vague as to be meaningless or criticising the show for what it's not supposed to be.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 9, 2009)

Jeff Robinson said:


> I'm at a loss as to why you think the structure was a 'mess' or what you mean by 'badly put togeather'.


I mean it was flabby, lazy, and not well written.  

Compare it with the data loss episode, which was much better, structurally.  It had flow, more concision, and, structurally, more purpose.


> As for the "narrative arc", in what sense are you able to assess it given that, by your own admission, you've only watched two episodes out of three seasons?


I'm talking about that episode.  Narrative arc is a more detailed way of seeing the "beginning, middle and end".  All stories, no matter what the style or subject, need to build a story, using various devices (such as tension, suspense) through a narrative arc.  This arc is usually described as having seven points, but that isn't important here.  What is important is that in this episode, Iannucci seemed to rely on the actors, and especially on the character of Malcolm, in lieu of any clearly defined narrative.



> If you'd just said "it's not my cup of tea" then I'd have thought fair enough, but I don't see any validity in your more substantive criticisms which seem to me to be either to so vague as to be meaningless or criticising the show for what it's not supposed to be.


Well, it's just that it _ought_ to be my cup of tea, and I like (some of) the writer's previous work.

I don't think my criticisms are vague. But I do concede that they are of only two episodes.  (And the film, which I thought was OK, but promising.  Which is why I thought I'd check out the show, to see if the problem was that 90 mins was too long for the concept.  I suspect it's just that the idea has run out of steam somewhat, and that if I watched series one I'd see more life and purpose).


----------



## Stigmata (Nov 9, 2009)

I seem to remember the second series of _I'm Alan Partridge_ getting some flak as well, but I think in hindisght everyone agrees it was just as good as series 1.


----------



## chazegee (Nov 9, 2009)

The way Postman pat has got all cocky and over confident is a bit riling.


----------



## discokermit (Nov 9, 2009)

this series seems to have started a bit slowly. the third episode was a bit better though.

also, langham was much better than front, even if he is a paedo.


----------



## chazegee (Nov 9, 2009)

discokermit said:


> this series seems to have started a bit slowly. the third episode was a bit better though.
> 
> also, langham was much better than front, even if he is a paedo.



Yeah, he was brilliant, bloody annoying, maybe the fact that he was looser enough in real life to enjoy the power trip of having a 13 year old fall in love with him gave him that brilliant drawn horse face.


----------



## Balbi (Nov 9, 2009)

chazegee said:


> Yeah, he was brilliant, bloody annoying, maybe the fact that he was looser enough in real life to enjoy the power trip of having a 13 year old fall in love with him gave him that brilliant drawn horse face.



The line in series 1 about the PM's wife thinking he's '....a registered nonce' is delicious in hindsight.


----------



## Belushi (Nov 9, 2009)

discokermit said:


> also, langham was much better than front, even if he is a paedo.



Langhams a great comic actor, whatever else he is.


----------



## agricola (Nov 14, 2009)

What a top episode that was, possibly the best one of the entire show.


----------



## killer b (Nov 14, 2009)

it's gone fucking dark hasn't it...?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 14, 2009)

At fucking last. It's back on form, no idea why it took three episodes to get into it's stride


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 14, 2009)

You mean it took a whole hour?


Agree with the general sentiment, it was dark and very good.  The scene near the end with the minster in Tucker's office was excellent.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 14, 2009)

London_Calling said:


> You mean it took a whole hour?



yep where as the first series did it in minutes...


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Nov 14, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> At fucking last. It's back on form, no idea why it took three episodes to get into it's stride



Yes. A whole episode of horrible people being horrible to each other, not in a "comedy" way - that's what I was looking for.

danny, you should watch that one.


----------



## fubert (Nov 15, 2009)

knowledge *is* porridge


----------



## andy2002 (Nov 15, 2009)

The best bit was the severe Malcolming dished out to that horrible little Tory shit, Phil. I almost cheered.


----------



## strummerville (Nov 15, 2009)

"Don't ever interrupt me you CUNT!"


----------



## Balbi (Nov 15, 2009)

Nicola's gone all Jeremy Kyle


----------



## Balbi (Nov 15, 2009)

andy2002 said:


> The best bit was the severe Malcolming dished out to that horrible little Tory shit, Phil. I almost cheered.



I did cheer, he was fucking TERRIFIED


----------



## llion (Nov 15, 2009)

I liked it that the actor who played the trainer in the Office popped up as the Tory spin doctor! Brilliant episode. Rebecca Front is really good I think, as she's always been in The Day Today (especially as Rosie May!), Alan Partridge and lots of other stuff.


----------



## kyser_soze (Nov 15, 2009)

Wasn't she also in Nighty Night?


----------



## llion (Nov 15, 2009)

She was. She's quite a good writer as well and her occasional columns in the Guardian are usually funny.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 15, 2009)

I watched again, to make sure.  That was _much_ better.  The writing was much more concise and precise.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 15, 2009)

yes it was. get with the programme danny


----------



## stavros (Nov 15, 2009)

Mannion was excellent last night. Malcolm's advice to Glenn and Ollie was good too;

"You two, rub your cocks together and come up with an idea."


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 15, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> I watched again, to make sure.  That was _much_ better.  The writing was much more concise and precise.


They'll all be relieved to hear that.


----------



## kyser_soze (Nov 15, 2009)

Proper Thick Of It, that was.

Mannion vs the Tory press guy was v.v.funny.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 15, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> yes it was. get with the programme danny


Yes, it was.  Whereas the previous week's was a mess.


----------



## Belushi (Nov 16, 2009)

kyser_soze said:


> Proper Thick Of It, that was.



Innit, never have I been so pleased at the sight of some tories! Proper return to form.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 21, 2009)

Well, back off form tonight, then.  That really wasn't very good.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2009)

Not as good as last week but deffo better than the first three episodes. Loved the way the spin doctors basically just fucked off at the end...


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 21, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Loved the way the spin doctors basically just fucked off at the end...


There were some nice touches, and that was one of them.  But flabbily plotted, and left to the cast to carry.


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 21, 2009)

Not the depth or dimension but, as partial compensation, some of the very best one-liners.

'The Gorbals  Goebbels', is old but it always tickles me.


----------



## Norse Goddess (Nov 22, 2009)

Bloody love it!


----------



## Spion (Nov 22, 2009)

Tonight's was an absolute blinder


----------



## Ozric (Nov 22, 2009)

.....I'm gonna rip off my eyelids, scrunch them up and use them to plug my fucking ears.

Beautiful......not sure if I quoted precisely but you gotta love the sentiment.


----------



## sleaterkinney (Nov 22, 2009)

Spion said:


> Tonight's was an absolute blinder



It was great, so many jokes packed in.


----------



## Ms T (Nov 22, 2009)

I've worked on Richard Bacon's show, so I particularly enjoyed last night's episode.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 22, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> There were some nice touches, and that was one of them.  But flabbily plotted, and left to the cast to carry.



Oh god, you still banging on about the "plot" - you do know its a comedy right Danny and not a fucking episode of Inspector Morse? It's meant to make you laff, not stroke your goatee. Laughter is an instantaneous reaction to something funny whereas judgements about plots (incidently I still don't have a clue what you mean by "flabbily plotted", which you say as if it were self evident) can only fully be made retrospectively. As such it's unclear in what way (unsubstantiated) allegations of flabby plots can really be used to impugn the shows comedic value. Would you care to elucidate on this point Mr La Rouge given that it's so central to your critique? Maybe also you could explain why the show being "left to the cast to carry" is a bad thing in a self consciously character based sit com?


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 22, 2009)

Jeff Robinson said:


> Oh god, you still banging on about the "plot" - you do know its a comedy right Danny and not a fucking episode of Inspector Morse? It's meant to make you laff, not stroke your goatee. Laughter is an instantaneous reaction to something funny whereas judgements about plots (incidently I still don't have a clue what you mean by "flabbily plotted", which you say as if it were self evident) can only fully be made retrospectively. As such it's unclear in what way (unsubstantiated) allegations of flabby plots can really be used to impugn the shows comedic value. Would you care to elucidate on this point Mr La Rouge given that it's so central to your critique? Maybe also you could explain why the show being "left to the cast to carry" is a bad thing in a self consciously character based sit com?


You seem a bit annoyed.  It's only an opinion.  Without going through the episode point by point, I just think the laughs were sparse.  In fact, I don't think I actually _did_ laugh last night.  It seemed to me a scrappily-made episode.  When I talk of plot, I don't mean at all in the same way as a detective show, I just mean logical flow and coherence of writing. It's not a hard point to understand.  It is a show shot in a faux verite style.  It needs to follow those conventions to make sense, to flow.    Otherwise we may as well just have a sketch show, or a succession of inventive swears.  It sets itself up that way, so that is how I judge it.

On the evidence of this series, it is a very hit or miss affair.


----------



## Wookey (Nov 22, 2009)

Superb episode last night, it's all incredibly well-sustained.


----------



## Stigmata (Nov 22, 2009)

I'd been waiting a while for Tucker to cross swords with his punchable Tory counterpart. Good stuff.


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Nov 22, 2009)

episode 3 doesnt seem to be getting the respec' it deserves.  I reckon it was  as ep 4.  Gonna dip into number 5 on iplayer over the week...


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 22, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> You seem a bit annoyed.  It's only an opinion.  Without going through the episode point by point, I just think the laughs were sparse.  In fact, I don't think I actually _did_ laugh last night.  It seemed to me a scrappily-made episode.  When I talk of plot, I don't mean at all in the same way as a detective show, I just mean logical flow and coherence of writing. It's not a hard point to understand.  It is a show shot in a faux verite style.  It needs to follow those conventions to make sense, to flow.    Otherwise we may as well just have a sketch show, or a succession of inventive swears.  It sets itself up that way, so that is how I judge it.



Again, the second part of your paragraph is just a series of vague and generally meaningless assertions. If you put some meat on them with some concrete examples to illustrate what you mean then I might take your arguments seriously.

The first part of paragaph seems to me to be the real crux of your dislike of the show - you just don't find the gags funny. Well fine, you didn't need to go all Mark "massive hands" Kermode on our arses to say that. 

Not annoyed by the way - just pissing about. If there was a pissing about emoticon I'd have used it.


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 22, 2009)

It was effectively a 3-hander farce with decent slapstick; Tory, NL and BBC. Even if they didn't fall down, we  got the  trousers jokes. 

I assumed the ending was supposed to be the dark compliment to the light (the exchange between chief spinners), whether it quite got there is a subjective matter.

That's how I saw it, anyway. But I like a modern farce - especially with that quality of one-liner.


----------



## Spion (Nov 22, 2009)

Jon-of-arc said:


> episode 3 doesnt seem to be getting the respec' it deserves.  I reckon it was  as ep 4.  Gonna dip into number 5 on iplayer over the week...


They all really deserve a re-viewing on iPlayer. I've been doing that over the past week.

I was a bit sceptical about this series at the beginning because of the lack of Langham, but I think it's really coming good.


----------



## Spion (Nov 22, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> I'd been waiting a while for Tucker to cross swords with his punchable Tory counterpart. Good stuff.


I started to think they were setting up Stuart for a bigge role in future, and getting a new series made if the Tories get in


----------



## Balbi (Nov 22, 2009)

"They're dark trousers and it's lukewarm, I STILL WIN" 

Loved it - absolutely laughed myself sore.

Malcolm's birthday cake


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 22, 2009)

Jeff Robinson said:


> Not annoyed by the way - just pissing about. If there was a pissing about emoticon I'd have used it.


OK, fair enough. 



> Again, the second part of your paragraph is just a series of vague and generally meaningless assertions. If you put some meat on them with some concrete examples to illustrate what you mean then I might take your arguments seriously.


OK, first in general, let's try to achieve some common ground: I think that last week's episode was the best so far.  Do you agree that last week's was superior to this week's, or do you think they were of equal merit?

If you can see a difference, then we'll know we're talking about the same thing.  If you can't, then we're probably still not going to understand each other.

The difference I can see is a tightness of writing in last week's that wasn't there in this week's.  That isn't about one particular thing, it's an overall presentation thing.  The interweaving of the threads in the last weeks were better handled.  

We have a developing story: first the minister's daughter has been placed in a state school, for political advantage.  Do the opposition use that?  How do they use that?  We see the opposition team, and get to contrast them at work with the government team.  (The impression we get is that the opposition chief spin doctor is far less effectual than Tucker, whereas the shadow minister is far more effectual - and, comparatively, has more integrity - than the minister).  This develops into a story about the minister's daughter involved in bullying: who knows, how will they handle it, how does she handle it.  (She handles it, as with everything, very badly, and the impression is created that she blames herself - probably rightly - though not enough to actually make any changes. If she knew how).

This is interwoven with her ridiculous and meaningless "policy" idea about pathfinders.  The only concrete thing we know about this is that she considers the headteacher to be one.

All of this leads to dramatic tension, which is used to good dramatic and comedic effect.  These are good ideas, and they are well used.

Contrast with last night's episode: the ideas are more sparse, and they are not so well handled, in the writing.  The minister and shadow minister are on a late night talk show.  The two teams are creating havoc in the studio.  They have personal agendas and their bosses are badly briefed.  Meanwhile two junior advisers aren't there, and their across-the-trenches relationship is on the rocks.  Into this mix, a caller breaks a story about donations.

These are good ideas, but the execution is far less adept than last week.  The moment the big news story breaks is not made the most of in the structure.  It should be a dramatic climax, but it isn't used to as good effect as it could be, dramatically and comedically.  It's a missed opportunity. Similarly, the fact that others know Olly is to be dumped before he does is a good tool to draw out comedic and dramatic tension, but in the end it is squandered.  The way it is handled is like the way a poor Hitchcock copyist handles suspense: the elements are there, but the effect is spoiled because of the hamfisted way the scripting is handled.  The actor playing Ollie is left to pull faces and emote, which he does very well; he's a skillful actor.  But with better developed material, it could have been much better.  As it was it was obvious, it was telegraphed (which _can_ be used well, incidentally, like suspense, but wasn't), and we get a weak smile where we could have had a laugh.



> The first part of paragaph seems to me to be the real crux of your dislike of the show - you just don't find the gags funny. Well fine, you didn't need to go all Mark "massive hands" Kermode on our arses to say that.


Well, that's the thing: the gags were funny last week, but this week because of the weakness of the writing, they went off like damp squibs.  It isn't that I don't like the type of humour. The reason that I bothered to watch so many shows, and to comment on the thread so often, is that I _do_ like the type of humour, and would like to see it better done than it is here. 

(By comparison, I watched ten minutes of Miranda, will never do so again, and felt obliged only to blurt a perfunctory "it's shite" on the dedicated thread).

This is, of course, my opinion.  Maybe other people were wetting themselves.

I won't blame anoyone who doesn't read all that ^, but I was asked to expand!


----------



## Balbi (Nov 22, 2009)

For fucks sake danny


----------



## strummerville (Nov 22, 2009)

Ms T said:


> I've worked on Richard Bacon's show, so I particularly enjoyed last night's episode.


I thought he was actually really good. Pitched it just right. It's alot harder playing yourself in a drama than it looks.


----------



## Spion (Nov 22, 2009)

I thought the 'dramatic climax' such as it was, was the showdown and mutual admission that neither of the spin doctors gave a monkeys about their respective charges.  

More of a dramatic anti-climax really, and intentionally so.

It's mostly a comedy of character and script, of witty bitchiness and zeitgeist as well as straighforward slapstick.


----------



## agricola (Nov 22, 2009)

Very good last night, I thought.


----------



## corporate whore (Nov 22, 2009)

A cake...that could be from anyone


----------



## Balbi (Nov 22, 2009)

corporate whore said:


> A cake...that could be from anyone



I know what birthday cake I want next year


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 22, 2009)

Balbi said:


> For fucks sake danny


What?


----------



## Balbi (Nov 22, 2009)

It's comedy, you're not supposed to take it apart to show how it works. Like babies.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 22, 2009)

Balbi said:


> It's comedy, you're not supposed to take it apart to show how it works. Like babies.


  I was specifically asked to, though!  Because I'd previously been "too vague" about what I didn't think worked.


----------



## Stigmata (Nov 22, 2009)

I also liked the brilliantly unhinged texted-in comments. "You don't see robots wearing strips of human flesh..."


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 22, 2009)

If I can paraphrase Jeff Robinson; if you want to be Charlie Big Bollocks with your judgements expect to be asked to offer insights. Thus we get this:



danny la rouge said:


> These are good ideas, but the execution is far less adept than last week.  The moment the big news story breaks is *not made the most of *in the structure.  It should be a dramatic climax, but it isn't used to as good effect as it could be, dramatically and comedically.  It's *a missed opportunity*. Similarly, the fact that others know Olly is to be dumped before he does is a good tool to draw out comedic and dramatic tension, but in the end it is squandered.  The way it is handled is like the way a poor Hitchcock copyist handles suspense: the elements are there, but *the effect is spoiled because of the hamfisted way the scripting is handled*.  The actor playing Ollie is left to pull faces and emote, which he does very well; he's a skillful actor.  But with better developed material, it could have been much better.  As it was it was obvious, it was telegraphed (which _can_ be used well, incidentally, like suspense, but wasn't), and we get a weak smile where we could have had a laugh.


"Not made the most of" How so -  one won, one lost, it turned out based on  a bogus argument neither side had researched and, in any event, on a matter of point-scoring not the policy itself e.g.  who had donated how much to which party is the usual playground nonsense we're asked to accept as political discourse - here it was lampooned successfully, so not "a missed opportuinty" but rather something you missed.

Agree, the foreshadowing of Ollie's position was reasonably engineered, I'm not sure what was lost as he and the older guy had a memorable exchange.


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Nov 22, 2009)

Balbi said:


> It's comedy, you're not supposed to take it apart to show how it works. Like babies.



or




			
				truth-speaker said:
			
		

> analysing a joke is like dissecting a frog - nobody's interested, and the frog dies


----------



## Spion (Nov 22, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> I also liked the brilliantly unhinged texted-in comments. "You don't see robots wearing strips of human flesh..."


Yep 

"The body is a temple. Temples are not made of metal. Case closed"


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Nov 22, 2009)

btw, without having seen ep 5, are we reckoning that the concentration on conservatives is looking to mirror the cast-iron guaranteed cameron victory in '10?  Seems ominous...


----------



## Spion (Nov 22, 2009)

Jon-of-arc said:


> btw, without having seen ep 5, are we reckoning that the concentration on conservatives is looking to mirror the cast-iron guaranteed cameron victory in '10?  Seems ominous...


Well, they're hedging their bets at least


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 22, 2009)

Most def not cast-iron _imo_, but the liasing between the parties as the election draws near is an interesting opportunity they're making quite a lot of. We're seeing rather a lot of the internal architecture of TVC as well.


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Nov 22, 2009)

London_Calling said:


> Most def not cast-iron _imo_, but the liasing between the parties as the election draws near is an interesting opportunity they're making quite a lot of. We're seeing rather a lot of the internal architecture of TVC as well.



a long Clay Davis "sheee-iitt, pardner" at your assertion that a cameron victory is not guaranteed.  Do you know how to spell "opinion poll"?  Those scummers are _in there like swim-wear  _(sorry )

"TVC"?


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 22, 2009)

Opinion poll

TVC is Television Centre - the BBC's White City (tv) HQ.


----------



## Balbi (Nov 22, 2009)

Have you seen the polling jon? Conservative 6% ahead, which would be (as long as it's under 6.9%) a LABOUR hung parliament.

Look 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_in_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election


----------



## Balbi (Nov 22, 2009)

Haha, jinx


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 22, 2009)

I like your link - bookmarking that !


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 22, 2009)

made me laugh out loud. good stuff.


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 22, 2009)

I see The Guardian  are doing episode-by-episode threads  on CIF - a good places to remind yourself of the one-liners (A clown walking across a minefield, etc).


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 22, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> OK, fair enough.
> 
> OK, first in general, let's try to achieve some common ground: I think that last week's episode was the best so far.  Do you agree that last week's was superior to this week's, or do you think they were of equal merit?
> 
> ...


you need to get out more son.


----------



## kyser_soze (Nov 22, 2009)

That made me laugh out loud in a way I haven't since Spinners and Losers, and is a high point for this series so far. From the text messages, to 'If you don't get in there now I'll shove a magnet down your fucking throat and watch your fucking head implode.' to the clown walking across a minefield, for me it was 30 minutes of sustained laughter. The best bit for me tho was Malcolm threatening to break the fingers of everyone in Ruislip until he found 'Tim' 

Absolute fucking class.


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 22, 2009)

"Tina from Weymouth has sent us a text" - well done the CIF punter who spotted that ref.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Nov 22, 2009)

It was a reasonable episode last week, better than the first two, but not better than the third. It did still rely a bit on "minister says daft things and embarrasses herself" which I've said before I don't find very funny, and is also weak in believability (politicians do make tits of themselves in public at times, but it's not very believable that somebody would get to MP position being *that* crap, and also that their spin doctors would let them appear *at all* if they did).

However it did move along at a good clip and was internally consistent. The device of them all sharing areas and moving between areas in the studio was good and well used, as was the studio environment and character set generally.

I was disappointed that the cake was censored.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 22, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> you need to get out more son.


I was asked by Jeff to go into detail.

I can't win, really.  Can I?


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 22, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> I was asked by Jeff to go into detail.
> 
> I can't win, really.  Can I?


you've gone a bit portsmouth tbf.

don't let it git ya down dan.

you _can_ rise again


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 22, 2009)

danny la rouge said:


> I was asked by Jeff to go into detail.
> 
> I can't win, really.  Can I?



I appreciated the effort Danny.


----------



## danny la rouge (Nov 22, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> you've gone a bit portsmouth tbf.


I have no idea what that means.


----------



## Gingerman (Nov 22, 2009)

I loved the scene between Malcolm and his opposite number in the corridor,fuckin brilliant


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Nov 23, 2009)

London_Calling said:


> Opinion poll
> 
> TVC is Television Centre - the BBC's White City (tv) HQ.





Balbi said:


> Have you seen the polling jon? Conservative 6% ahead, which would be (as long as it's under 6.9%) a LABOUR hung parliament.
> 
> Look
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_in_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election



One poll at 6% - the rest with an overwhelming 10%+.  Polls, btw, are always going to be subject to statistical anomalys.  And even this one in Browns "favour" shows him behind.   I see a conservative victory as almost inevitable.  Would be good to see otherwise, mind...


----------



## corporate whore (Nov 23, 2009)

FridgeMagnet said:


> politicians do make tits of themselves in public at times, but it's not very believable that somebody would get to MP position being *that* crap


 
Hazel Blears? 

The crap minister is a reflection of how the 'talent pool' has been drained after 12 years. Remember when she turned up, Tucker admitted he didn't have a file on her?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 23, 2009)

FridgeMagnet said:


> but it's not very believable that somebody would get to MP position being *that* crap, .
> .



Haha.


----------



## Ms T (Nov 23, 2009)

FridgeMagnet said:


> It was a reasonable episode last week, better than the first two, but not better than the third. It did still rely a bit on "minister says daft things and embarrasses herself" which I've said before I don't find very funny, and is also weak in believability (politicians do make tits of themselves in public at times, but it's not very believable that somebody would get to MP position being *that* crap, and also that their spin doctors would let them appear *at all* if they did).
> 
> However it did move along at a good clip and was internally consistent. The device of them all sharing areas and moving between areas in the studio was good and well used, as was the studio environment and character set generally.
> 
> I was disappointed that the cake was censored.




Loads of inconsistencies in the studio bit though - I have no idea where they were at one point - definitely not outside the studio and there's no way the spin doctors would have been allowed to be in with the producers/studio managers.  Armando Iannucci was on Richard Bacon's show a few months back, btw.  A really lovely guy with no pretentions whatsoever.  He made his own way to the studio and bought his own coffee.


----------



## agricola (Nov 23, 2009)

I appreciate this was a point that the Guardian made, but is Peter Mannion the hero of this show?


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 23, 2009)

I like the idea because it obviously creates a dilemma among a chunk of the target dempgraphic.

Just not sure I'm prepared to see it in those terms yet.


----------



## Balbi (Nov 23, 2009)

Mannion's the new Hugh isn't he, except he's slightly less pathetic  He can take shots at Malcolm and get away with it, infuriates the hell out of his own Press guy. Out of all the hateful people, he's the least of them all. 

His rant about the leader and his friends racism in the specials endeared him to me as well.


----------



## agricola (Nov 23, 2009)

Balbi said:


> His rant about the leader and his friends racism in the specials endeared him to me as well.



As much as locking Stewart in his toilet did?


----------



## paolo (Nov 23, 2009)

agricola said:


> I appreciate this was a point that the Guardian made, but is Peter Mannion the hero of this show?



Maybe in an anti-hero kind of way


----------



## Spion (Nov 23, 2009)

agricola said:


> As much as locking Stewart in his toilet did?


That was a classic scene. On a par with Julius getting food thrown at him. I love it when it descends occasionally into schoolboy horseplay


----------



## Gavin Bl (Nov 23, 2009)

agricola said:


> I appreciate this was a point that the Guardian made, but is Peter Mannion the hero of this show?



he seems to be the one with some residual decency..


----------



## paolo (Nov 24, 2009)

Balbi said:


> Mannion's the new Hugh isn't he, except he's slightly less pathetic  He can take shots at Malcolm and get away with it, infuriates the hell out of his own Press guy. Out of all the hateful people, he's the least of them all.
> 
> His rant about the leader and his friends racism in the specials endeared him to me as well.



Yes, most like Hugh.

Probably started out with the best of intentions and principles, and had them almost totally ground out of him. Now largely goes with the flow, but knows it's all a game he's stuck with.


----------



## Pie 1 (Nov 24, 2009)

kyser_soze said:


> That made me laugh out loud in a way I haven't since Spinners and Losers...Absolute fucking class.




Same here - had to pause it I was laughing so hard at the clown/minefield quote


----------



## Balbi (Nov 24, 2009)

agricola said:


> As much as locking Stewart in his toilet did?





Spion said:


> That was a classic scene. On a par with Julius getting food thrown at him. I love it when it descends occasionally into schoolboy horseplay



 Indeed, that's because it's very realistic.


----------



## Spion (Nov 25, 2009)

Just noticed that in the last ep they were in 'Studio 54'


----------



## sojourner (Nov 25, 2009)

'fuck off Bagpuss' cracked me up


----------



## stavros (Nov 25, 2009)

It was my birthday on Monday and I was half tempted to go to a baker and ask for a cake like Malcolm's.

"This could be from anyone."


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 25, 2009)

that line _and_ the look on his face.

priceless


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 26, 2009)

i like this series. perhaps i need to rewatch the other series.
has it always been filmed in those offices?
i work there!


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 26, 2009)

I've long had you pegged as one of those programme continuity bods


----------



## Spion (Nov 26, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> has it always been filmed in those offices?


The one with the big wooden staired atrium? They moved there part way through series 1


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 26, 2009)

Spion said:


> The one with the big wooden staired atrium? They moved there part way through series 1



aye!


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 26, 2009)

London_Calling said:


> I've long had you pegged as one of those programme continuity bods



not quite


----------



## Onket (Nov 26, 2009)

Last night's episode was brilliant. In fact, this series has just got better and better imo.


----------



## stavros (Nov 26, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> i like this series. perhaps i need to rewatch the other series.
> has it always been filmed in those offices?
> i work there!



Are you Ollie? Or Glenn?


----------



## Psychonaut (Nov 26, 2009)

stavros said:
			
		

> Are you Ollie? Or Glenn?


just reminded me i had a TTOI dream last night. 

 I was in my nans house with glenn & terry, they were messing about and telling jokes. I wanted to join in with the fun, but malcolm came in and specifically told me to write some sort of character assassination speech.


----------



## stavros (Nov 27, 2009)

What did your nan think of Malcolm's diatribes? Does she even watch the show? If so, coolest nan ever?


----------



## Psychonaut (Nov 27, 2009)

stavros said:


> What did your nan think of Malcolm's diatribes? Does she even watch the show? If so, coolest nan ever?



i dont recall seeing my nan, (if she was there i only hope she didnt have her hearing-aids in!) next time ill try and scribble down some quotes when i wake up. 

usually when i read a book, itll be set inside a house that i lived in once. 
I think that my imagination (or lack of) lazily scanned the databanks for off-the-peg environments and selected nans sunday/best room as the most 'ministerial' atmosphere available.


----------



## agricola (Nov 28, 2009)

Not too sure about that one... funny in places, but dull in others and did they reuse a line from one of the specials?


----------



## Limejuice (Nov 29, 2009)

Malcolm: Don't panic, Orca, we'll get sandwiches.


----------



## London_Calling (Nov 29, 2009)

I actually turned off after some "cum" reference. Not in the mood I suppose.


----------



## Balbi (Nov 29, 2009)

Nicola: You're about as on the ball as a dead seal Malcolm

Tucker: That's my line, you're using MY LINE.



Good to see Blinky McFuck back


----------



## Balbi (Nov 29, 2009)

Oh, and Malcolm is seriously losing it isn't he?


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 29, 2009)

Ah, I have just remembered that I watched this last night. I must have been drunk. Not great. Shame that pedo guy can't be in it anymore.


----------



## Balbi (Nov 29, 2009)

'Where's Hale and Pacemaker?' 

A lot of very good stuff this week imo.


----------



## Spion (Nov 29, 2009)

"Giant Gaystacks"


----------



## dlx1 (Nov 29, 2009)

1st time see last night LA said about it, _She looks like an pissed aunt Sally _


----------



## kyser_soze (Nov 29, 2009)

Low on big laughs, high on excellent drama and acting.

Malcolm's scene with Terri was awesome:

'I was a fucking pharoh, now I'm in a Nile of shit. Well you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to fashion a paddle of shit and row my way back.'


----------



## stavros (Nov 29, 2009)

I spoke with my Dad on the phone today and he disagreed, but I thought it was the best of the series last night. Nicola's "You're like sultanas in a salad" was a very good line, and Malcolm had his usual brilliance, but Ollie got the two best lines last night.

Glenn: "Outside here, I have life."
Ollie: "Yes, but so does a jellyfish or athlete's foot."

And on finding out Glenn was going to run: "It's a bit like finding out your dad's gay."


----------



## Balbi (Nov 29, 2009)

Shit happened to everyone last night in increasingly funny ways.

The wiki page is updating ahead of the last two (last two, nooooooooo) in the next two weeks.

The big baldy fuck is featuring apparently


----------



## SpookyFrank (Nov 29, 2009)

kyser_soze said:


> Low on big laughs, high on excellent drama and acting.
> 
> Malcolm's scene with Terri was awesome:
> 
> 'I was a fucking pharoh, now I'm in a Nile of shit. Well you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to fashion a paddle of shit and row my way back.'



That Malcolm scene was brilliant. Instead of his usual razor-sharp rantings he's just talking utter nonsense because he's genuinely losing the plot. When he's apologising to people you know something is horribly, horribly wrong


----------



## Wookey (Nov 29, 2009)

"You'll know when I need your advice, because I'll give you the special signal  - and that signal will be me being sectioned under the Mental Health Act!"


----------



## Balbi (Nov 29, 2009)

When he was just staring at Terri, I was having a Tucker-esque shout at her to shut the fuck up and fuck the fuck off


----------



## sojourner (Nov 30, 2009)

Limejuice said:


> Malcolm: Don't panic, Orca, we'll get sandwiches.



Had me cackling that one 



Balbi said:


> Oh, and Malcolm is seriously losing it isn't he?



I know!  I got really worried!


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Nov 30, 2009)

Malcolm: "This is like the shawshank redemption except with a lot more crawling through shit and no fucking redemption".


----------



## agricola (Dec 5, 2009)

I have no idea what to make of that, except that the short clip of Tucker appearing to stand up for Sam (though he could easily have been preventing anyone to talk to her) was wonderful.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 5, 2009)

Jeff Robinson said:


> Malcolm: "This is like the shawshank redemption except with a lot more crawling through shit and no fucking redemption".


class


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 5, 2009)

LOL!

#BringBackMalcom will be trending on Twitter before long!


----------



## pennimania (Dec 5, 2009)

If my darling Malcolm is not back nest episode he will be earning thousands more as a journo.

But I want him back.  NOW!!! 

Lord Julius wtf


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Dec 6, 2009)

Tucker has resigned! Is that the end of the series?


----------



## Balbi (Dec 6, 2009)

Oh dear, I can see Tucker getting all wrath of god like on Murray, Fleming and Nicholson


----------



## fubert (Dec 6, 2009)

I reckon he'll either go over to the oppostion or be brought back when they lose the election.


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 6, 2009)

Well, it's a two-parter so we'll know next week.


----------



## fubert (Dec 6, 2009)

OR nicola murray sorts out the telephone call thing and sorts it out..


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 6, 2009)

I quite liked the timing of the celebrity issue with the week Allsop appeared on Question Time - mind you, that could have happened in many weeks. Maybe.


----------



## fubert (Dec 6, 2009)

Spoiler: From some website



The election is looming and the opposition appears confident of winning. Malcolm Tucker, meanwhile, appears to be running out of both options and friends.

It looks like he may have bitten off more than he can chew with Steve Fleming but, when an offer of help appears from an unlikely direction, Malcolm starts to set his finest trap yet.

(looks like stewart pearson will be jumping in to help malc out)


----------



## Balbi (Dec 6, 2009)

Interesting fubert.

Murray could be a help, but I reckon her leaving when Tucker needed her might play into that. She wasn't celebrating like the others, but still. 

I think the Opposition have a great role to play in the final ep., but my fanboy side wants a return of Jamie and Hugh to really fuck things up (it's impossible though )


----------



## Gingerman (Dec 6, 2009)

"Gangbollocked" ,Flemming is one grade A ass


----------



## Gingerman (Dec 6, 2009)

"I was playing golf with Stephen Hawking. He lied about his handicap"


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Dec 6, 2009)

At least you wouldn't need a buggy if you played golf with Stephen Hawking you could just sit on his lap


----------



## Balbi (Dec 6, 2009)

I got annoyed with Olly, Glenn and Teri celebrating - tempered with schadenfreude in that they're going to get utterly fucked under twatty Fleming 

Nicola seemed genuinely upset, and even if she'd gone with Malcolm's line - the damage was done


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 6, 2009)

Balbi said:


> I got annoyed with Olly, Glenn and Teri celebrating - tempered with schadenfreude in that they're going to get utterly fucked under twatty Fleming
> 
> Nicola seemed genuinely upset, and even if she'd gone with Malcolm's line - the damage was done



Tis true, she seems to understand at least that it's better the devil you know...


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 6, 2009)

Balbi said:


> Interesting fubert.
> 
> Murray could be a help, but I reckon her leaving when Tucker needed her might play into that. She wasn't celebrating like the others, but still.
> 
> I think the Opposition have a great role to play in the final ep., but my fanboy side wants a return of Jamie and Hugh to really fuck things up (it's impossible though )


it would be fantastic to see jamie come back.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 6, 2009)

Aye, this series has badly missed him.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 6, 2009)

he makes malcolm seem rational


----------



## Balbi (Dec 6, 2009)

I think no Jamie in this one highlighted how alone Malcolm was. He lost Jamie when he went to work for Tom, who didn't like Malcolm in the first place. The re-emergence of Fleming over the last few episodes combined with Malcolm losing the ability to spin, intimidate and coerce like he used to makes it high tragedy. Right from the off this series, the mood has been one of an upcoming election with character after character referencing it in each episode - even Murray's appointment at the start.

It's a lot darker this series, and the focus has shifted from the DoSac minister to the shift in power - how things slip away from the Malcolm at the end of Spinners and Losers who'd just fucked Nick out of the job as Press Chief, had got at least on side with Tom and stymied Ben Swain, Olly and Jamie all at the same time. Now he's alone, vulnerable and fucking steaming.

Great television.


----------



## Ich bin ein Mod (Dec 6, 2009)

Balbi said:


> I got annoyed with Olly, Glenn and Teri celebrating - tempered with schadenfreude in that they're going to get utterly fucked under twatty Fleming
> 
> Nicola seemed genuinely upset, and even if she'd gone with Malcolm's line - the damage was done



Glen (with one N as Olly said in the ep ) was being ignored by the others with his "are we sure this is good news -it feels like it but are we sure"

I can see how Jamie could come back in in the next episode, be interesting to see that dynamic.


----------



## Balbi (Dec 6, 2009)

I've put hope in here, but the actor who plays Jamie says he's not in the series  

Yeah, he's not there...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pd5w4



But it does say it's Glenn Cullen


----------



## perplexis (Dec 6, 2009)

Awesome stuff. I want to kill Stewart Fleming. What a revolting tosspot!


----------



## Ich bin ein Mod (Dec 6, 2009)

Yeah I feared my excitement was going to be misplaced.

And I'm sure it is Glenn Cullen, from the factory visit episode in series 1. I was just being anoraky.


----------



## Balbi (Dec 6, 2009)

Pure Mandelson though 










"Don't you ever fucking call me sweetheart?"
"Oh sorry sweetheart, he was talkin' to me - couldn't you tell from the moustache?"


----------



## fubert (Dec 6, 2009)

Balbi said:


> I think no Jamie in this one highlighted how alone Malcolm was. He lost Jamie when he went to work for Tom, who didn't like Malcolm in the first place. The re-emergence of Fleming over the last few episodes combined with Malcolm losing the ability to spin, intimidate and coerce like he used to makes it high tragedy. Right from the off this series, the mood has been one of an upcoming election with character after character referencing it in each episode - even Murray's appointment at the start.
> 
> It's a lot darker this series, and the focus has shifted from the DoSac minister to the shift in power - how things slip away from the Malcolm at the end of Spinners and Losers who'd just fucked Nick out of the job as Press Chief, had got at least on side with Tom and stymied Ben Swain, Olly and Jamie all at the same time. Now he's alone, vulnerable and fucking steaming.
> 
> Great television.



This is all true. But have we ever see Malcolm not come out of a shit situation on top ? Even in "In The Loop". He doesn't go down easily.


----------



## perplexis (Dec 6, 2009)

I want Malcolm to bring down the government. That'd show the fuckers!


----------



## Gingerman (Dec 6, 2009)

perplexis said:


> Awesome stuff. I want to kill Stewart Fleming. What a revolting tosspot!


The rather mirthless way he laughted was rather creepy and sinister was'nt it?


----------



## fubert (Dec 7, 2009)

Gingerman said:


> The rather mirthless way he laughted was rather creepy and sinister was'nt it?



Malcolm's an ill tempered bastard. This guy's just a mentalist.


----------



## dolly's gal (Dec 7, 2009)

it was genius - can't wait for next instalment


----------



## Rod Sleeves (Dec 7, 2009)

perplexis said:


> I want Malcolm to bring down the government. That'd show the fuckers!



That would be completely out of character, he is a 100% party machine man, even if the machine fucks him he's not going to go over to the opposition, that would be terrible writing.

My bet is that he will come back fuck Fleming up, and the election will be on a knife edge, the episode will end on a cliff hanger with the result not announced until series four, or a special.


----------



## perplexis (Dec 7, 2009)

Rod Sleeves said:


> That would be completely out of character, he is a 100% party machine man, even if the machine fucks him he's not going to go over to the opposition, that would be terrible writing.
> 
> My bet is that he will come back fuck Fleming up, and the election will be on a knife edge, the episode will end on a cliff hanger with the result not announced until series four, or a special.


Is he though? Don't forget his "reconciliation" with Stewart Pearson. He knows they're all playing the game, he probably wouldn't go to the opposition but he will fuck Stewart Fleming up with a mighty vengeance, and he blatantly won't let anything stand in his way, even if meant sparking a leadership contest (though they won't do that cos it's a device already pulled this series).


----------



## Stigmata (Dec 8, 2009)

Do you suppose Mandelson is really like that?


----------



## Zeppo (Dec 8, 2009)

Mandelson? Three times had to resign fron the Cabinet. Now in the heart of Government, not even elected. What odds he ands up on the Tory front bench. Tucker is a million times better than Mandy. Mind you M does somersaults under the belly of a snake.


----------



## kyser_soze (Dec 8, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> Do you suppose Mandelson is really like that?



Who? Fleming? No, he's not. Fleming is really not based on Mandy at all. 

I'm going to have to re-watch this series. It's been up and down on the laffs for me so far, with this week and the one with the radio phone in getting the most laffs, but the best scene of the series so far has been Malcolm's Pharoah monologue to Terri.

Wry did point out to me who Fleming is actually based on (certainly his backstory of being booted out but coming back in over the head of a rival), but I forget...


----------



## agricola (Dec 8, 2009)

kyser_soze said:


> Wry did point out to me who Fleming is actually based on (certainly his backstory of being booted out but coming back in over the head of a rival), but I forget...



The only person I thought of when watching it was Derek Draper - Fleming is certainly smug enough.


----------



## kyser_soze (Dec 8, 2009)

Not Draper...will tell all when Wry gets home


----------



## Maurice Picarda (Dec 8, 2009)

I was wondering if it was Philip Gould or someone like that. A relic.


----------



## Belushi (Dec 8, 2009)

Its Dave Hill isnt it? Labour Director of Communications leading up to 97 who later came back to replace Campbell.


----------



## marty21 (Dec 8, 2009)

I haven't watched any of this, and not much of the previous series, so I've downloaded 7 episodes from bbc iplayer, looking forward to catching up


----------



## kyser_soze (Dec 8, 2009)

Belushi said:


> Its Dave Hill isnt it? Labour Director of Communications leading up to 97 who later came back to replace Campbell.



Yep.

marty - watch the previous series, especially the two resignation specials 'Rise of the Nutters' and 'Spinner and Losers' with possibly the funniest Newsnight interview ever, and Jamie monstering everyone in sight


----------



## Clair De Lune (Dec 8, 2009)

I have been watching this series on iplayer for the past few nights. It's weird, cos I don't find any of it laugh out loud funny or even that interesting but it does have something indefinably good about it that keeps me watching.


----------



## Spion (Dec 8, 2009)

Belushi said:


> Its Dave Hill isnt it? Labour Director of Communications leading up to 97 who later came back to replace Campbell.


----------



## krtek a houby (Dec 8, 2009)

Clair De Lune said:


> I have been watching this series on iplayer for the past few nights. It's weird, cos I don't find any of it laugh out loud funny or even that interesting but it does have something indefinably good about it that keeps me watching.



It's scary but funny. These could be the people in charge?


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 8, 2009)

I  was on the bus this evening and for no reason at all though of (from Giant Gaystacks): "A takeaway, a punchup, all we need now for the great British night out is a hand job in the bus shelter". Just started chuckling, veh embarrassing.


----------



## Clair De Lune (Dec 8, 2009)

jer said:


> It's scary but funny. These could be the people in charge?



ha yes there is that obviously. I think the thing that intrigues me is the different faces people put on, masks for different occasions.


----------



## Psychonaut (Dec 8, 2009)

Alistair Campbell watches 'in the loop'


----------



## Stigmata (Dec 8, 2009)

One gem of a line that was almost lost in the crossfire of the 'resignation' scene was Nicola's plaintive "i'm only a cabinet minister!". I loved that.


----------



## Balbi (Dec 11, 2009)

Good news, Kermode is being referred to as 'Big Hands' by emailers and texters to 5 live


----------



## Callum91 (Dec 12, 2009)

Hmm , not too sure what to think of tonights episode , they seemed to have rushed Malcolm back into government.


----------



## fubert (Dec 13, 2009)

They're lining up an election special or something. Probably.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 13, 2009)

Yep he's deffered the story. Must say really haven't thought much of this series at all, aside from a couple good episodes it's barely managed average. Damn shame because it used to be excellent...


----------



## Balbi (Dec 13, 2009)

When Hollander turned up I cheer. Cal whatshisface, the opposition Malcolm


----------



## paolo (Dec 13, 2009)

One of the best episodes for me.

There's a sense of redemption for Malcom. The brief signs of mucking in as he gets back in to it. And when it comes to the rallying call, he unifies - unlike his even more odeous incoming oppo.

All set for the election then.

Unless they write a campaign orientated one verrry sharpish, I guess we won't see another until well after the election? Gah.

Fave character from this series: The tory MP. He's got that weariness that Hugh had.


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Dec 13, 2009)

Callum91 said:


> Hmm , not too sure what to think of tonights episode , they seemed to have rushed Malcolm back into government.



They stopped on the wrong cliff hanger. Last weeks episode should have been the finale.


----------



## Balbi (Dec 13, 2009)

I can feel a change in approach, it's not touchy feely, more squeezy testes.


----------



## Callum91 (Dec 13, 2009)

Divisive Cotton said:


> They stopped on the wrong cliff hanger. Last weeks episode should have been the finale.



Indeed they should have.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 13, 2009)

Divisive Cotton said:


> They stopped on the wrong cliff hanger. Last weeks episode should have been the finale.



Agreed.


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 13, 2009)

That only makes sense if you want Malcolm to be the entire focus for everything. Contrary to some perceptions, he's not. The purpose of the show is to explore the workings of government, of which Malcolm  was an important aspect.

I say *was* because nothing is permanent and The Thick of It is already several years behind the times - that style of spin had evolved in the years since Campbell/Blair into something less in your face but nastier: The Gordon Brown Years.

The cliffhanger was right, imo, it's about the election and who follows.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 13, 2009)

How many people wacth it for olly? Of course it's all about Malcom! He epitomises the workings of government.


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 13, 2009)

No he doesn't. He was/is a one-off and his time has passed.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 13, 2009)

London_Calling said:


> No he doesn't. He was/is a one-off and his time has passed.



I wouldn't speak to soon if I were you.


----------



## Stigmata (Dec 13, 2009)

It seems like they've set things up quite nicely so that the show can go in one of two directions, pending the IRL election results.


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 13, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> I wouldn't speak to soon if I were you.


I was referring to the 'Malcoms' in the NL goverment. I'll be a little disappointed if Iannucci doesn't move on to a more current style.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

you really know how to squeeze the fun out of things with *anal*ysis


----------



## krtek a houby (Dec 13, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> you really know how to squeeze the fun out of things with *anal*ysis



I know. Awful, isn't it? 

One of the funniest shows there is - with some of the best writing and characters - and still some are going to moan...


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 13, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> you really know how to squeeze the fun out of things with *anal*ysis


I didn't start it. Someone posted about how the scriptwriters got it wrong and someone else agreed. I offered an alternative view (as to why they didn't), with an explanation as to why.

You, on the other hand, still have that odd,  passive-aggressive posting style.


----------



## agricola (Dec 13, 2009)

jer said:


> I know. Awful, isn't it?
> 
> One of the funniest shows there is - with some of the best writing and characters - and still some are going to moan...



The last episode was rubbish though.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 13, 2009)

i laughed at the last one...*shame me bwoy*


----------



## krtek a houby (Dec 13, 2009)

agricola said:


> The last episode was rubbish though.



In your opinion.


----------



## Balbi (Dec 13, 2009)

Nicholsons furious 'You are a naughty bastard' and 'I will not eat the pissy biscuit' had me howling.

Especially because the 'pissy biscuit' reminded me that '...AND THEY COST FOUR POUNDS' as well as 'EAT THE CHEESE'


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 13, 2009)

i liked tache man losing it with julius as well.


----------



## Balbi (Dec 13, 2009)

"The bald man made a funny" 

Can you tell which hat i've got on?

Is it your baldy swimming cap?

Bahahaha.


----------



## soluble duck (Dec 13, 2009)

Last nights wasn't the best of the season, I think the radio interview was the highlight. 

Rebecca Front is a bit of a fox as well


----------



## Stigmata (Dec 13, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> As long as the horrific Julius Nicholson MP is back i'll be happy.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 13, 2009)

soluble duck said:


> Last nights wasn't the best of the season, I think the radio interview was the highlight.
> 
> Rebecca Front is a bit of a fox as well



Yeah the radio one was the on par with the previous series.


----------



## Ich bin ein Mod (Dec 13, 2009)

Last night's was worth it solely for Nicholson imo, best appearance he's had.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 13, 2009)

the bhaji bit was priceless.


----------



## Balbi (Dec 13, 2009)

Oh my god.







Nicholson, the mimsy quisling leakfuck, plays Matt Lucas' foil in that pile of shit Krod Mandoon 

Look at the wig


----------



## big eejit (Dec 13, 2009)

Just watched the last ep. Fucking funny.

Honi Soit Qui Mal-ky Fuck


----------



## Balbi (Dec 13, 2009)

Right, if they're working on the specials for the election - CAN WE PLEASE HAVE JAMIE BACK?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 13, 2009)

Balbi said:


> Right, if they're working on the specials for the election - CAN WE PLEASE HAVE JAMIE BACK?



Seconded!


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 13, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Seconded!


i'll do keyhole fucking surgery. with this fucking key!!!!


----------



## Maurice Picarda (Dec 13, 2009)

The opposition looks good enough to sustain this, now.


----------



## Balbi (Dec 13, 2009)

Ahahahahah, I have just realised that The Fucker is Andy Coulson  Even the estuary english.


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 13, 2009)

and you couldn't met a nicer fella. Tom Hollander does a fairly ropey 'Essex' though.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 13, 2009)

Balbi said:


> Ahahahahah, I have just realised that The Fucker is Andy Coulson  Even the estuary english.


yes. we sussed that one. very droll.


----------



## agricola (Dec 13, 2009)

jer said:


> In your opinion.



Its not as if its entirely unwarranted, the whole Fucker thing was deeply tedious (despite being needlessly signposted throughout the entire episode OMG THE FUCKER!!!!!!!!!!one) and was by far the worst thing ever associated with the Opposition in the show.  

I dont care if he is meant to be Andy Coulson, he is a lazy piece of writing and therefore shit.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

i didn't realise it was based on real life people


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 13, 2009)

agricola said:


> Its not as if its entirely unwarranted, the whole Fucker thing was deeply tedious (despite being needlessly signposted throughout the entire episode OMG THE FUCKER!!!!!!!!!!one) and was by far the worst thing ever associated with the Opposition in the show.
> 
> I dont care if he is meant to be Andy Coulson, he is a lazy piece of writing and therefore shit.


The Fucker was trailed in one scene quite early in the episode, then he arrived 6 mins. before then end. No mention in between.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 13, 2009)

agricola said:


> Its not as if its entirely unwarranted, the whole Fucker thing was deeply tedious (despite being needlessly signposted throughout the entire episode OMG THE FUCKER!!!!!!!!!!one) and was by far the worst thing ever associated with the Opposition in the show.
> 
> I dont care if he is meant to be Andy Coulson, he is a lazy piece of writing and therefore shit.



Agreed, his accent was terrible, really not convncing as a bastard either.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

i don't know who andy coulson is, but that fella wasn't very convincing as a scary fella. he's tiny.


----------



## big eejit (Dec 14, 2009)

Some of the scariest fellows are tiny. fact.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 14, 2009)

no, they just think they are. but one shove and it's over.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Dec 14, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Agreed, his accent was terrible, really not convncing as a bastard either.



He was the most disapointing character in the whole series I thought. The final episode was probably the weakest.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 14, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> i don't know who andy coulson is, but that fella wasn't very convincing as a scary fella. he's tiny.



It's not helped by the fact that he played the dithering dick of a minister in In The Loop either...


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 14, 2009)

I thought the point of the Fucker's long-heralded arrival was that actually, he was meant to be a bit shit. He does the whole abuse and taking over part, but comes out with drivel like "this government is maimed but it can't be shamed, it will be fucked!" and everybody's looking at him with a raised eyebrow. As opposed to Malcolm actually rousing the troops. And then, at the end, he says "okay! let's get going!" and people in the background say "so what do we do? what do we do?" and he's trying to get an outside line and doesn't know how.


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 14, 2009)

No, that can't be right. That means the scriptwriters would know what they're doing better than the posters on here. Fact is, it's a shit script, a lazy script, shit acting, shit accents, not as good as last week - which was a "flabby" script anyway - and no where as good as the last series. Plus, Malcolm is the star and the whole point and it's not at all a commentary on government in power. I think that's what we've learned so far.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 14, 2009)

You were off sick the day we were taught sarcasm in school innit?


----------



## isvicthere? (Dec 14, 2009)

Best line of  episode 8:-

"What's the story, Fuckamory?"


----------



## kyser_soze (Dec 14, 2009)

> That means the scriptwriters would know what they're doing better than the posters on here.





I thought it was a great end, and it was completely obvious that The Fucker was going to be a let down - having said that, his actual entrance was funny, as was this thin reedy voice yelling out ' I want a biscuit'.

Julius had the best line tho - 'I'm not going to eat the pissy biscuit'  

As an ep made me laugh properly, especially Fleming's 'We're coming out of the basement, the beatings are over' metaphor


----------



## Wookey (Dec 14, 2009)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I thought the point of the Fucker's long-heralded arrival was that actually, he was meant to be a bit shit. He does the whole abuse and taking over part, but comes out with drivel like "this government is maimed but it can't be shamed, it will be fucked!" and everybody's looking at him with a raised eyebrow. As opposed to Malcolm actually rousing the troops. And then, at the end, he says "okay! let's get going!" and people in the background say "so what do we do? what do we do?" and he's trying to get an outside line and doesn't know how.



Indeed!

What a great episode.


----------



## kyser_soze (Dec 14, 2009)

Malcom gave the speech from Braveheart, Cal gave out a Sun editorial.


----------



## belboid (Dec 14, 2009)

cracking last episode.  chilled malcolm was such a charmer, probably even more terrifying in his way. and the fucker was hilarious, so shit.

none of the labout lot can come back in any later series can they?  an election special, but other than that...


----------



## kyser_soze (Dec 14, 2009)

Wry and I were actually _scared_ by chilled Malcolm in his 40 tog fleece


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 14, 2009)

You've all over-stepped the mark on this page - expect condemnation for over *anal*ysing*!!!





* correctly interpreting


----------



## belboid (Dec 14, 2009)

fuck off arsehole


----------



## Rod Sleeves (Dec 14, 2009)

I thought it was a brilliant episode, and I would be happy if they ended the whole series here... Of course they won't and I'm sure future specials and episodes will be good as well.

It may not have as many belly laughs as it used to, but it has developed into good, solid, political satire and drama...

I think the last arc has done a lot to undermine and de-claw Malcolm as a deliberate ploy by the writers to stop him from completely taking the show over and remind us (and themselves) that this is supposed to be an ensemble piece.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 14, 2009)

Rod Sleeves said:


> I thought it was a brilliant episode, and I would be happy if they ended the whole series here... Of course they won't and I'm sure future specials and episodes will be good as well.
> 
> It may not have as many belly laughs as it used to, but it has developed into good, solid, political satire and drama...
> 
> I think the last arc has done a lot to undermine and de-claw Malcolm as a deliberate ploy by the writers to stop him from completely taking the show over and remind us (and themselves) that this is supposed to be an ensemble piece.


Malcolm's demise and rise also had reminiscences of a certain Mr Campbell's engagement with the current office holders I felt. Nice Malcolm is much more scary, like kyser said, him in a fleece was eerie and wierd and not in a good way.


----------



## London_Calling (Dec 14, 2009)

Still making me smile:

Can you tell which hat I'm wearing?
Is it your baldie swimming cap?


----------



## Balbi (Dec 14, 2009)

Most unthreatening and unsweary line in the series so far goes to...

Malcolm (to Olly): And do you think the little man in the red and yellow car?


----------



## stavros (Feb 21, 2010)

Maybe this should be linked to the thread on the original poster, but this is fucking excellent;

http://www.andybarefoot.com/politics/tucker.php


----------



## sleaterkinney (Feb 21, 2010)

Watch, do you see what I am doing?

I am eating the onion bhaji.

Why?. Because i am the man that makes the bhaji _go away_


----------



## stavros (Feb 24, 2010)

I watched the Malcolm's birthday one on the iPlayer last night;







"Well this could be from anyone."


----------



## kyser_soze (Feb 24, 2010)

stavros said:


> Maybe this should be linked to the thread on the original poster, but this is fucking excellent;
> 
> http://www.andybarefoot.com/politics/tucker.php



Beyond genius.


----------



## sojourner (Feb 25, 2010)

stavros said:


> Maybe this should be linked to the thread on the original poster, but this is fucking excellent;
> 
> http://www.andybarefoot.com/politics/tucker.php



hehe - I just sent that to a couple of people


----------



## stavros (Aug 28, 2012)

Ancient thread revive, because the new series starts in less than two weeks. 

A piece by the show's, ahem, "language consultant" Ian Martin here. Unsurprisingly, there's an ill-balanced coalition in power, which must mean Malcolm, Jamie, et al are in opposition, which is bound to make them a little angry. I think I read somewhere that Nicola's now the leader of the opposition too.

Discuss.*



*If you don't like this thread, you can pop a jaunty little bonnet on your opinion and ram it up the shitter with a lubricated horse cock.


----------



## killer b (Aug 28, 2012)

I'm enraged, as I thought it started tonight. So now I have nothing to do, except tidy the fucking house.


----------



## Balbi (Aug 28, 2012)

Excellent. Excellent. Excellent.


----------



## 8115 (Aug 28, 2012)

No wayyy.

I'm so happy.

George Alagaia was reading the news earlier and I went, "alright, easy George".


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Aug 28, 2012)

Hoping it returns to the excellent first two series and specials not the luke warm drawn out averageness of series 3..!


----------



## 8115 (Aug 28, 2012)

I like Nicola Murray.

And the 3rd series has Julius Nicholson is, who is, if it's possible, funnier than Tucker.

"See this onion bhajee?"


----------



## Balbi (Aug 28, 2012)

The excellent Alex Macqueen.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Aug 28, 2012)

8115 said:


> I like Nicola Murray.
> 
> And the 3rd series has Julius Nicholson is, who is, if it's possible, funnier than Tucker.
> 
> "See this onion bhajee?"


 
Nicola Murray was good, the lack of Jamie didn't make up for having more Nicholson. It just felt drawn out too, like they were trying to tell a story rather than just ripping the piss each episode...


----------



## Stigmata (Aug 28, 2012)

The second series had an abundance of Peter Mannion, who's clearly the best character


----------



## stavros (Aug 29, 2012)

It won't happen, but bringing back Hugh in some capacity would be a masterstroke.

The specials were the very peak of the show so far, but I'm very hopeful for the new series. Presuming Malcolm et al were modelled on Labour, it'll be interesting to see how they deal with trying to redefine themselves in opposition.


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Aug 29, 2012)

The end of the last series seemed to introduce a character called "the fucker", the trailer doesnt show any hint of him though.  wonder if he'll make an appearance...


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Aug 29, 2012)

Well he was based on Andy Coulsdon who er didn't last long at all...


----------



## stavros (Sep 1, 2012)

I'm sure there'll be Leveson references. Whether Malcolm or anyone else, maybe Ollie's ex-girlfriend at the Daily Fail, gets called before him, we'll see.


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Sep 2, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Well he was based on Andy Coulsdon who er didn't last long at all...


 
yeah, but campbell was pretty much gone by the time the first series started, so why not keep him?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 2, 2012)

Jon-of-arc said:


> yeah, but campbell was pretty much gone by the time the first series started, so why not keep him?



True although he'd been in gov far longer and was a bigger and more well known person for the wider public.


----------



## Balbi (Sep 3, 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00y4flr

Some clips here. mannion


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 3, 2012)

Balbi said:


> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00y4flr
> 
> Some clips here. mannion



Heh love the new hair do, great clips!


----------



## Maggot (Sep 4, 2012)

Saw the trailer last night and got excited.


----------



## stavros (Sep 4, 2012)

NoMFuP.


----------



## stavros (Sep 8, 2012)

Tonight's the night. No Malcolm or Nicola apparently, but Teri and Glenn are both working for the new government. I'm not sure if their minister is from the big or little coalition party, but the last 2 and a half years have given them plenty of ammunition.

If anyone here doesn't watch it, I will personally eviscerate them. Now I haven't had your fucking Oxbridge education so I don't exactly know what that means, but I'll start by ripping off your balls and busk it from there.


----------



## Kuso (Sep 8, 2012)

mate was at a premiere of the first 2 episodes, reckons its hilarious, with some proper LOL moments


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 8, 2012)

Gonna catch it on iplayer later...


----------



## Firky (Sep 8, 2012)

One to watch and download, looking forward to it.


----------



## pennimania (Sep 8, 2012)

Cannot fucking wait!

Mind you, there is something delightfully masochistic about the idea of stavros personally eviscerating me.

Even though I do not possess any fucking testicles.


----------



## killer b (Sep 8, 2012)

shit, tonight? my fucking digibox is on the blink.


----------



## junglevip (Sep 8, 2012)

I love this show.  I thought labour would win the election on Malcolm's closing speech


----------



## Stigmata (Sep 8, 2012)

A slow start to this one but it picked up brilliantly around the halfway mark


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 8, 2012)

Just watched the first episode on iplayer, a good start to the series.  Looks like Tucker and co are featured next week which should be good.


----------



## pennimania (Sep 8, 2012)

Digitards


----------



## Lord Camomile (Sep 8, 2012)

Settle an argument with my flatmate: what proportion of The Thick of It's audience would have got the Robotnik reference?


----------



## Firky (Sep 8, 2012)

iPlayer is being a cnut


----------



## Metal Malcolm (Sep 9, 2012)

Lord Camomile said:


> Settle an argument with my flatmate: what proportion of The Thick of It's audience would have got the Robotnik reference?


 
Probably not all of them, just those under 35 say? But then that's the point - the 'inbetweeners' understand (or think they understand) modern technology, and the old timers haven't got a clue.


----------



## Firky (Sep 9, 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00wsskj/The_Thick_of_It_Series_4_Episode_1/

Some reason it isn't appearing on the tablet version of iPlayer.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 9, 2012)

I thought it was pretty good, not sure it needed to be this long thought...


----------



## Balbi (Sep 9, 2012)

"raffles, the gentleman M.P"


----------



## Hollis (Sep 9, 2012)

I've only every watched afew episodes of 'The Thick of It'.. I like it and will probably end up watching it, but I find it a bit monochrome.  Do they really all need to be shouting at each other all the fucking time?


----------



## purves grundy (Sep 9, 2012)

Hollis said:


> I've only every watched afew episodes of 'The Thick of It'.. I like it and will probably end up watching it, but I find it a bit monochrome. Do they really all need to be shouting at each other all the fucking time?


That's why I prefer the first series. Hugh Abbot was a great character, Chris Langham did his world-weariness very well. I feel the balance tilted more towards shouty-sweary after he, errrm, 'left'.


----------



## Balbi (Sep 9, 2012)

Mannion is equal to Abbot imho.


----------



## Hollis (Sep 9, 2012)

Please note Firky ... my comments predate reading this review..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9529415/The-Thick-of-It-BBC-Two-review.html

"Previously, Tucker was the key character: he drove the plot, he got the best lines. On Saturday, to compensate for his absence, the remaining characters appeared to be taking turns to do his job.
Everyone had Tucker’s sense of humour: cruel, quick, blackly cynical. Everyone had his knack for nicknames (the Lib Dems were “The Inbetweeners”, Mannion was “Raffles the gentleman MP”). Everyone had his gift for inventive swearing (“Seven years of ear-p---,” muttered Phil, Mannion’s aide)"


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Sep 9, 2012)

Just started watching this... man it's funny so far - 'you come in here like doctor robotnik'


----------



## Maggot (Sep 9, 2012)

Lord Camomile said:


> Settle an argument with my flatmate: what proportion of The Thick of It's audience would have got the Robotnik reference?


I didn't get it.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Sep 9, 2012)

Maggot said:


> I didn't get it.


 
He's the egg shaped villian from the children's video game sonic the hedgehog


----------



## purves grundy (Sep 9, 2012)

Jeff Robinson said:


> He's the egg shaped villian from the *children's* video game sonic the hedgehog


----------



## Firky (Sep 9, 2012)

Jeff Robinson said:


> He's the egg shaped villian from the children's video game sonic the hedgehog


 
He's the spit and double of a 'new media studies' lecturer I had for one unit at uni. Even the things he says, how he dresses, phrases he uses. It is uncanny. 

"Used more words than a Will Self interview"


----------



## Orang Utan (Sep 9, 2012)

I wondered why they were talking about Alexander Robotnik


----------



## magneze (Sep 9, 2012)

Watched the whole 1,2,&3 series this week in prep. Just finished the first episode. Good start. Great characters carried over from series 3.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 9, 2012)

Hopefully this is the last season, can't see it going much further without it becoming boring.


----------



## stavros (Sep 10, 2012)

Stewart was the best character this week, with his buzzword garbling, but Mannion had the best line;

"I'm bored of this - I'm going for a Twix."


----------



## Maggot (Sep 10, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Hopefully this is the last season, can't see it going much further without it becoming boring.


Why do you think that?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 10, 2012)

Maggot said:


> Why do you think that?



Well given that series three was very weak compared to the first one and specials, the length between series meaning the next will likely be after the next election, the central plank of humour really is the Blairite/Campbell/Brown years piss taking and that the creator is plainly more keen on breaking America I just don't think it'll have the elements to return to how great it once was.


----------



## Yata (Sep 11, 2012)

i dont think they'll ever run out of things to take the piss out of when it comes to british politicians, especially now


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 11, 2012)

Yata said:


> i dont think they'll ever run out of things to take the piss out of when it comes to british politicians, especially now



They may not run out of material but there's only so many times you can tell the same joke. They're dangerously close to that tired old state now...


----------



## DaveCinzano (Sep 11, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> They may not run out of material but there's only so many times you can tell the same joke. They're dangerously close to that tired old state now...


 
If only you and your playmate Michael would heed that advice!


----------



## belboid (Sep 11, 2012)

Hollis said:


> "Previously, Tucker was the key character: he drove the plot, he got the best lines. On Saturday, to compensate for his absence, the remaining characters appeared to be taking turns to do his job.
> Everyone had Tucker’s sense of humour: cruel, quick, blackly cynical. Everyone had his knack for nicknames (the Lib Dems were “The Inbetweeners”, Mannion was “Raffles the gentleman MP”). Everyone had his gift for inventive swearing (“Seven years of ear-p---,” muttered Phil, Mannion’s aide)"


this is a bit unfair, i think.  That cruel, blackly cynical, humour _is_ common across the parties these days - alike in so many ways. That the libs try and do it, but do it quite badly, late on the act, is part of the joke. As balbi  has pointed out, Manion is a tory version of Abbot, who also got a good few killer put downs to his name.

It does mean its less original, and less excitingly 'daring,' but that happens to pretty much any show when we get used to its tone.

I hope its it the last series, there are still so many openings for it to rip the piss out of.


----------



## killer b (Sep 11, 2012)

it was a gentle start, but still excellent imo. and they've a lot of new characters to introduce, so fair enough. reckon it should be pretty sweet.


----------



## Spanky Longhorn (Sep 12, 2012)

Just watched, thought it was brilliant loads of classic one liners the only thing that doesn't ring true is Glen's defection to the Libdems, it's good that he's around because he's a top actor but I just don't buy it.

People don't seem to have noticed because they assume he's a civil servant but he wasn't he was a Labour spad and a party loyalist in my view.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 12, 2012)

He was a party loyalist, he was with Hugh for like 25 years. Made no sense for him to defect to the LibDems...


----------



## Orangesanlemons (Sep 12, 2012)

"Oh, great, here comes Dennis Norden - and he's brought his laughter file..."


----------



## Spanky Longhorn (Sep 12, 2012)

Orangesanlemons said:


> "Oh, great, here comes Dennis Norden - and he's brought his laughter file..."


 
 It was worth the nonsense idea for that line


----------



## Kuso (Sep 12, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> He was a party loyalist, he was with Hugh for like 25 years. Made no sense for him to defect to the LibDems...


 
It made sense to me after he wasn't allowed to stand for election in series 3


----------



## OneStrike (Sep 12, 2012)

If you didn't enjoy it do what I did and re-watch with attention, it is still great.  Tucker is back next time as an underdog, I can't wait to see how he operateS in opposition against the 'nearly royals' and libs.


----------



## discokermit (Sep 12, 2012)

Spanky Longhorn said:


> Just watched, thought it was brilliant loads of classic one liners the only thing that doesn't ring true is Glen's defection to the Libdems, it's good that he's around because he's a top actor but I just don't buy it.
> 
> People don't seem to have noticed because they assume he's a civil servant but he wasn't he was a Labour spad and a party loyalist in my view.


even his actual character was different.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 12, 2012)

Kuso said:


> It made sense to me after he wasn't allowed to stand for election in series 3



That was his own fault which is why it didn't to me.


----------



## Kuso (Sep 12, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> That was his own fault which is why it didn't to me.


 
Would have to watch it again, but I thought he didn't get standing because of the whole Nicola Murray for PM thing?


----------



## Balbi (Sep 12, 2012)

Yeah, he didn't get it because Murray backed him.


----------



## articul8 (Sep 12, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> He was a party loyalist, he was with Hugh for like 25 years. Made no sense for him to defect to the LibDems...


 
although - he's really quite old for a SPAD and you get less positions like that in opposition - so maybe in a sort of career self preservation way it's thinkable...


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Sep 12, 2012)

Might be quite funny when glen meets tucker etc in later episodes.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Sep 12, 2012)

discokermit said:


> even his actual character was different.


 
That kind of made sense for me. Having to serve his enemies is clearly eating him up inside and he behaved accordingly.

But yeah, his defection seems more like something done to keep him in the show than something that actually makes sense.

I like the contrast between him and Terri though, she's clearly happy to be just as useless to the coalition as she was to labour.


----------



## Firky (Sep 12, 2012)

Terri is great


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 12, 2012)

Balbi said:


> Yeah, he didn't get it because Murray backed him.



Yep and he was the one that chose to fight to stay on and advise her.

A better argument for his switch would be to point to his near break down in the specials "I AM A MAN!! YOU KNOW!?"


----------



## porno thieving gypsy (Sep 12, 2012)

Some great lines from the first show here http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2012/sep/08/the-thick-of-it-episode-one

Missing my favourite though -  the "seven years of ear piss" quip.

Love it.


----------



## belboid (Sep 12, 2012)

"Always on the horizon – like an Antony Gormley statue." was class


----------



## stavros (Sep 12, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> I like the contrast between him and Terri though, she's clearly happy to be just as useless to the coalition as she was to labour.


 
"When I want your advice, Terri, I'll give you the secret sign, which is me being sectioned under the fucking mental health act."


----------



## Firky (Sep 13, 2012)

It's on tonight isn't it?


----------



## stavros (Sep 13, 2012)

A repeat might be, but the first runs are on Saturday nights. I've looked ahead and they've fucked up the scheduling this week with a 5 minutes overlap with MOTD. They can stick a jaunty little bonnet on that and ram it up the shitter with a lubricated horse cock.


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 15, 2012)

Tucker is back on form this week


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 15, 2012)

Dammit forgot it was on...and not on iplayer yet either....


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 15, 2012)

I reckon Ollie's out of his depth being brought into the fold by Tucker. I simultaneously don't want him to get fucked over by Tucker and want him to get fucked over by Tucker in the most monumental of styles. He's just a lackey, of course, so said fucking will come just by being tossed to the side and possibly being the stooge for something or other. Poor Ollie.


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Sep 15, 2012)

Sure its still very good. The occasional great line, great acting and scripting, and well realised characters.

Buuuu-uttttt!!!! - it's efforts to keep its finger on the pulse of modern English politics is, paradoxically, making it increasingly irrelevant. The first series satirised not just "New Labour", but NLs emphasis on media manipulation, and specifically Alistair Campbell's (by the time of the first series...) famously bullying take on "spin". This was particularly ripe for satire, despite the fact that AC was (as I've mentioned before) gone for a couple of years by the time the show came out.

The new series falters, even though the emphasis, the main "comedy moments", remains about party political spin. This is possibly because it is _too_ modern - current politics don't have any party with the confidence and power to attempt the "malcolm tucker/alistair campbell" style of political communication. The "new agey" style of Stewart from the tories simply does not have the same comic potential as Tucker in his prime. Similarly, Tucker in opposition feels like a ghost of the past; a character brought back mostly to keep the fans happy. AC is, in reality, a highly sought after guest speaker, earning almost as much as Blair, and would be highly unlikely to come back and help labour move out of opposition. The LDs have been focussed on little thus far, but the biggest comic potential lies there.

The point being, though, that despite the attempt to focus on politics as it has been in the past two years, the last two years of politics are not nearly as well defined to most viewers, as the previous 8 were when the first series came out. I have no doubt that it is a brilliantly researched show, and I suspect that in "westminster circles" it will be considered the best series yet, but it is nowhere near as refreshingly original as it was when it started.

Still 10x better than almost everything else on telly, though.


----------



## 8115 (Sep 15, 2012)

Why was Nicola Murray at Cabinet?  I thought they were the opposition?  I didn't watch it last week though.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 15, 2012)

They have their own Shadow Cabinet meetings.

Anyway, Chris Addison just posted this on twitter:
"For everyone who watched tonight's The Thick of It. Look what's turned up in the papers: http://bit.ly/Ud1npo"

Brilliant.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 16, 2012)

They've fucking nailed the new SpAd for Murray! Someone has a great researcher because her character is spot on.


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 16, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> They have their own Shadow Cabinet meetings.
> 
> Anyway, Chris Addison just posted this on twitter:
> "For everyone who watched tonight's The Thick of It. Look what's turned up in the papers: http://bit.ly/Ud1npo"
> ...


It'll be quiet bat people next week


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 16, 2012)

neonwilderness said:


> It'll be quiet bat people next week


 
Or not-so-quiet:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...tish-superheroes-find-crime-hard-to-find.html


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 16, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> Or not-so-quiet:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...tish-superheroes-find-crime-hard-to-find.html


I prefer the Salford Knight Warrior myself
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...set-to-wed-his-very-own-knight-maiden---video


----------



## DaveCinzano (Sep 16, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> Or not-so-quiet:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...tish-superheroes-find-crime-hard-to-find.html


 


> He admits to suffering from irritable bowel syndrome which can become inflamed at times of stress if the situation gets "a little tasty".


 
ITCHY HOLE, CRAPMAN


----------



## 8115 (Sep 16, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> They've fucking nailed the new SpAd for Murray! Someone has a great researcher because her character is spot on.


 
Someone was watching when Robin was onscreen, is all.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 16, 2012)

8115 said:


> Someone was watching when Robin was onscreen, is all.



Not at all, far more well observed (so much so that I think I know who she's based on).


----------



## DexterTCN (Sep 16, 2012)

I missed Tucker.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Cunt


----------



## SpookyFrank (Sep 16, 2012)

Murray's episode was a lot better than Mannion's I thought. Last week's episode felt a bit phoned in, and there was nobody in it who wasn't completely hateful. This week's actually had some emotional impact as well as loads of great lines. For once we got to see Malcolm upset for a reason other than the stupidity or disobediance of his charges, and for a second he almost felt like a real character.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 16, 2012)

It's Tucker that makes this show, always has been...


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 16, 2012)

Best description of Star Wars ever


----------



## OneStrike (Sep 16, 2012)

That was a great scene, Tuckers Star Wars analogy was bafflingly brilliant, his sincerity about helping people opened a door into his morality. Fucking Fanta.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 16, 2012)

OneStrike said:


> That was a great scene, Tuckers Star Wars analogy was bafflingly brilliant, his sincerity about helping people opened a door into his morality. Fucking Fanta.



That one quick line about helping people really added dimension to him.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 16, 2012)

It did. It threw me a bit, to be honest. I'm not really sure what I thought his motivation was before then. And his lack of compassion previously made me do a double take, and wonder whether he was being genuine or not. I hope he is being. I can completely see how years of frustration in the face of seeing people being shat on by successive governments and being unable to really do anything to cut through the political bullshit might turn someone into a rabid mess of lovable poison.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 16, 2012)

Has anyone watched Veep? How does it measure up to this?


----------



## Firky (Sep 16, 2012)

I don't believe he wants to English help people, he's Scottish.


----------



## DexterTCN (Sep 16, 2012)

firky said:


> I don't believe he wants to English help people, he's Scottish.


Not being Scottish...you'll _never know_.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 16, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> Has anyone watched Veep? How does it measure up to this?



Watched the first two episodes and thought it was terrible.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 16, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> It did. It threw me a bit, to be honest. I'm not really sure what I thought his motivation was before then. And his lack of compassion previously made me do a double take, and wonder whether he was being genuine or not. I hope he is being. I can completely see how years of frustration in the face of seeing people being shat on by successive governments and being unable to really do anything to cut through the political bullshit might turn someone into a rabid mess of lovable poison.



Tempted to believe it, remember that line he says to Ollie in series three when he comes back after sacking: "Just because you're paid to kill for a living doesn't make you a killer." or something like that..?


----------



## Firky (Sep 16, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> Has anyone watched Veep? How does it measure up to this?


 
It had it's moments but over all it was um.... American (in a bad way).


----------



## stavros (Sep 16, 2012)

I think I prefered last week's episode, particularly Stewart's media-garbling. Malcolm seemed remarkably refined last night, although that may change as he plots Nicola's downfall, and Ollie and the SPAD fuck stuff up.

Bring back Jamie. He certainly wouldn't be refined.


----------



## Stigmata (Sep 16, 2012)

Yeah I preferred last week's episode too. Mannion has the potential to be as great a character as Tucker. The series so far has seemed very slow, but I imagine that's a consequence of the way it's being written with an ongoing storyline. I have high hopes for a big payoff later on.


----------



## BigTom (Sep 16, 2012)

I didn't think Tucker was being genuine when he said he wants to help people, he wants the power, saying it's to help people is just a way to get others to come along and make compromises.. how can we help people if we're not in power? = let's give up all our principles in order to get into power.


----------



## killer b (Sep 16, 2012)

I enjoyed that. Think things are shaping up nicely. Nicola Murray is perfectly hapless.


----------



## Balbi (Sep 16, 2012)

Cenotwat


----------



## articul8 (Sep 17, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> They have their own Shadow Cabinet meetings.
> Anyway, Chris Addison just posted this on twitter:
> "For everyone who watched tonight's The Thick of It. Look what's turned up in the papers: http://bit.ly/Ud1npo"
> 
> Brilliant.


or "Shad Cab"


----------



## Balbi (Sep 17, 2012)

Just watched it again and realised that it's Sam, Malcolm's secretary from being in govt that he's talking to as he walks in. Which is why he treats her like a proper human. Aw.


----------



## Firky (Sep 17, 2012)

articul8 said:


> or "Shad Cab"


----------



## stavros (Sep 17, 2012)

I read something on the Graun website today from one of the writers who said there was a definite story arc to this series. From the preview, it looks like we're going back to the government on Saturday, but no doubt some intertwining of the coalition and opposition will occur over the coming weeks.

Sit tight.


----------



## Balbi (Sep 17, 2012)

It goes coalition, opposition, coalition, opposition, everyone x 3 I hear.


----------



## pennimania (Sep 18, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> It did. It threw me a bit, to be honest. I'm not really sure what I thought his motivation was before then. And his lack of compassion previously made me do a double take, and wonder whether he was being genuine or not. I hope he is being. I can completely see how years of frustration in the face of seeing people being shat on by successive governments and being unable to really do anything to cut through the political bullshit might turn someone into a rabid mess of lovable poison.


If you saw 'in the Loop' he spoke along similar lines.

I'm loving this series - both government and opposition


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 18, 2012)

pennimania said:


> If you saw 'in the Loop' he spoke along similar lines.
> 
> I'm loving this series - both government and opposition


 
Yeah, I did watch that but it was a while ago, and before I'd seen any TTOI, so I'm not sure I paid enough attention


----------



## spliff (Sep 18, 2012)

I'm really pissed off about this. I loved the thick of it but my hearing has got so bad so I need sub-titles but it's all so quick I keep having to rewind which takes the fun out of it when it becomes a chore. Pity.


----------



## stavros (Sep 18, 2012)

spliff said:


> I'm really pissed off about this. I loved the thick of it but my hearing has got so bad so I need sub-titles but it's all so quick I keep having to rewind which takes the fun out of it when it becomes a chore. Pity.


 
It's like Shawshank, only with more digging through shit and no fucking redemption.


----------



## 8115 (Sep 18, 2012)

spliff said:


> I'm really pissed off about this. I loved the thick of it but my hearing has got so bad so I need sub-titles but it's all so quick I keep having to rewind which takes the fun out of it when it becomes a chore. Pity.


 
Yeah, it's very off the cuff.  Can you not get it with subtitles?


----------



## spliff (Sep 18, 2012)

8115 said:


> Yeah, it's very off the cuff. Can you not get it with subtitles?


Yeah I can get it with sub-titles but if I miss a line because it's a quick-fire thing I have to rewind about 30 seconds before the sub-titles kick in again.
That's what I meant about it becoming a chore. It's a shame 'cos it's right up my street.


----------



## spliff (Sep 18, 2012)

stavros said:


> It's like Shawshank, only with more digging through shit and no fucking redemption.


That's a gay movie I've been told. When I asked why it seems it's because there's no women in it.


----------



## Callum91 (Sep 19, 2012)

The first episode was good, the second utter shite. Hope it's back on form in episode three or I might just cry.


----------



## youngian (Sep 19, 2012)

There has been a few hints about what sort of person Tucker is off duty and they seem to be developing that. Not a motiveless psycho but a high adrenaline soldier with a purpose.


----------



## sojourner (Sep 19, 2012)

Cheers firky for linking to the first episode.  I've only just started using iplayer and couldn't for the life of me find the first episode


----------



## sojourner (Sep 19, 2012)

I thought iplayer only had a week's worth of programmes on it?

Does anyone know if I can find all episode of Uni Challenge? Have managed to fucking miss almost all of them so far and only have freeview now


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 19, 2012)

Doesn't it have longer access for BBC programmes?


----------



## Psychonaut (Sep 20, 2012)

spliff said:


> Yeah I can get it with sub-titles but if I miss a line because it's a quick-fire thing I have to rewind about 30 seconds before the sub-titles kick in again.
> That's what I meant about it becoming a chore. It's a shame 'cos it's right up my street.


 
sounds like you need a copy with hard-coded subs.

If someone more knowledgeable than me could tell you how to record off the screen, then you could play it with subs whilst recording, then watch the copy youve made later.


----------



## Balbi (Sep 22, 2012)

Best J.G Ballard namecheck ever.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 22, 2012)

It was the picture of the slide that did it for me. Great episode.


----------



## zoooo (Sep 22, 2012)

Such a funny episode.


----------



## Balbi (Sep 22, 2012)

Something tells me Fergus will get his arse ripped out over this 2 billion banking thing.

And hopefully next weeks episode will be all about the opposition on the same day, so we get to see Tuckers reaction to it all.


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 23, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> It was the picture of the slide that did it for me. Great episode.


The bit in the car when Peter told his wife to take the dog to dog hospital and she thought he was taking the piss made me chuckle.  Plus Phil (AKA the King's Hand) seems to be getting nerdier by the week


----------



## zoooo (Sep 23, 2012)

Loved 'You've turned into the wrong Mitford sister'.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 23, 2012)

Pretty fucking brutal pace too!


----------



## dooley (Sep 23, 2012)

fucking armando making a tory the best (and most likable) character


----------



## Ranu (Sep 23, 2012)

Excellent episode this week.  You just knew the climbing up the slide for phone reception would come back to bite them on the arse.


----------



## Looby (Sep 23, 2012)

I can't believe I've only just started watching this, I must have had my head up my arse when it was first on.

I've now seen series 1 and In the loop but didn't have time to get any further before the new series.

I watched Veep and enjoyed it til I watched this, especially as I noticed quite a few jokes recycled from early TTOI.


----------



## pennimania (Sep 23, 2012)

Absolutely loved it


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 23, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Pretty fucking brutal pace too!


I'm about to watch it again, I'm sure I probably missed loads of good lines as it was going so fast!


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 23, 2012)

neonwilderness said:


> I'm about to watch it again, I'm sure I probably missed loads of good lines as it was going so fast!



Yup me too!


----------



## Balbi (Sep 23, 2012)

Glen is the only character who hasn't changed dramatically since the beginning. He's still an old war horse, dedicated towards people, trying to make changes etc - but his reaction to the inbetweeners and tories this week showed that even though he stuck two fingers up at Nic, he did it because he's like Tucker, or at least what Tucker said, he's in government to help people.


----------



## weltweit (Sep 23, 2012)

Watched this for the first time, yesterday (I think) quite good, will look out for it in future.


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 23, 2012)

Balbi said:


> Glen is the only character who hasn't changed dramatically since the beginning. He's still an old war horse, dedicated towards people, trying to make changes etc - but his reaction to the inbetweeners and tories this week showed that even though he stuck two fingers up at Nic, he did it because he's like Tucker, or at least what Tucker said, he's in government to help people.


He's like a modern day Jeeves, but not modern day and not as good


----------



## Firky (Sep 23, 2012)

spliff said:


> I'm really pissed off about this. I loved the thick of it but my hearing has got so bad so I need sub-titles but it's all so quick I keep having to rewind which takes the fun out of it when it becomes a chore. Pity.


Headphones.


----------



## purves grundy (Sep 23, 2012)

errrmm... I didn't enjoy it.

I loved the first series, found the 2 specials dreadful, warmed to series 2 after a few viewings. Last night was the first TTOI I've seen of this series so maybe I haven't got the context but... nah. Maybe I need to see the whole series.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 23, 2012)

purves grundy said:


> errrmm... I didn't enjoy it.
> 
> I loved the first series, found the 2 specials dreadful, warmed to series 2 after a few viewings. Last night was the first TTOI I've seen of this series so maybe I haven't got the context but... nah. Maybe I need to see the whole series.


 
It's a bit different in that it's following both sides, so the smaller regular cast have less air time, and there's a bunch of new faces. I'm not entirely sure I like that format either, but hopefully it'll all come together when their worlds collide.


----------



## 8115 (Sep 23, 2012)

I love Terri.  She's completely come into her own this series, she was brilliant before.

"Two hundred years ago they wouldn't have let him milk a cow"


----------



## purves grundy (Sep 23, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> It's a bit different in that it's following both sides, so the smaller regular cast have less air time, and there's a bunch of new faces. I'm not entirely sure I like that format either, but hopefully it'll all come together when their worlds collide.


yeah, maybe that's it - wide array of new faces, less space for the regulars. And it seemed to have a developing storyline so just watching a single episode probably isn't the best way to enjoy it.

Still can't help thinking that Chris Langham was wrong to do the paedo thing  I do miss Hugh


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 23, 2012)

Yeah, Hugh was great.


----------



## Supine (Sep 23, 2012)

Just started watching this, for some reason it's always passed me by.

Very good. Even if they did use a joke blatantly nicked from 30 Rock!


----------



## stavros (Sep 23, 2012)

"It's the shit family Robsinson."



I think rewatching is definitely required, because it's so quick.


----------



## spliff (Sep 23, 2012)

firky said:


> Headphones.


Because of my hearing problems I don't like headphones, it cuts me off even further.
I've sorted it anyway with iPlayer. Thanks anyway.


----------



## pennimania (Sep 23, 2012)

I always watch each episode about 4 times

I've watched the specials at least 10 times (each).


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 23, 2012)

I'm rewatching them all at the moment, because I missed loads when I first watched them, and have a habit of not really paying attention when things are just on telly. I have to download them and watch them again before I actually listen to what everyone says. It's a terrible habit/trait/flaw, but it keeps me in telly programmes, I never run out


----------



## Firky (Sep 23, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> I'm rewatching them all at the moment, because I missed loads when I first watched them, and have a habit of not really paying attention when things are just on telly. I have to download them and watch them again before I actually listen to what everyone says. It's a terrible habit/trait/flaw, but it keeps me in telly programmes, I never run out


 
I sometimes have to do that, had to rewatch a few episodes of the wire because I drifted off into none attention. I understand what's happened and get the main part but all the subtle nuances that give it depth are missed. Usually only happens if I watch several in a row at once.


----------



## Firky (Sep 23, 2012)

spliff said:


> Because of my hearing problems I don't like headphones, it cuts me off even further.
> I've sorted it anyway with iPlayer. Thanks anyway.


 
I was thinking of my Dad, he has the same trouble. He puts subtitles on and headphones so he can listen it an audible level with out keeping my mum up all night


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 23, 2012)

tbh, my attention span has been shot to fuck over the past few years. I blame the internet. Not in a Daily Mail the-kids-of-today-we're-all-doomed kind of way. Just in a 'I'm my own worst enemy' kind of way.


----------



## Firky (Sep 23, 2012)

I think Terri is one of the most overlooked characters, she's proper funny and obviously she isn't stupid, far from it, she wouldn't still be in a job and remain relatively neutral without being smart, the dizziness is an act. She's the lube and they're the dildo.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 23, 2012)

Terri's great. She's this little bundle of pent-up aggression, which she (mostly, sort of) keeps at a gentle simmer in order to get the job done.


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 23, 2012)

firky said:


> I think Terri is one of the most overlooked characters, she's proper funny and obviously she isn't stupid, far from it, she wouldn't still be in a job and remain relatively neutral without being smart, the dizziness is an act. She's the lube and they're the dildo.


I think this has been developed over the series.  At the start when Hugh was around she was fairly normal, although I suppose she wasn't such a main character back then.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 23, 2012)

She was at her best when working for Nicola, I reckon.


----------



## Firky (Sep 23, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> She was at her best when working for Nicola, I reckon.


 
I know you like derp pics


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 23, 2012)

She's one of those petty little jobsworths that litter the civil service, well observed.


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Sep 23, 2012)

Best episode yet. The lib deems are coming across far to sympathetically,in my eyes. Still don't know who tickell is, but I assume that's going somewhere. Same with the lib dem banking thing, and murrays leadership.

I only just noticed that Stewart is based on Cameron's blue sky thinker policy chap. Steve someone. Rides a bike, and comes to number 10 in a t shirt or some shit. Has brainstorming sessions like tonight's, with suggestions like "no benefits if you've been on Jeremy Kyle" and other such Tory shite. Scary that that's pretty close to thei truth in a lot of ways...


----------



## captainmission (Sep 23, 2012)

It was steve hilton.  He needed explaining to him why the government couldn't simply ignore the law. The man was on £90k pa of public money.


----------



## DexterTCN (Sep 24, 2012)

I prefer the Tucker based episodes by far however the Mannion character makes the other ones excellent.  It's not so much that he's funny, more that I tend to agree with a lot of what he says.


----------



## Firky (Sep 24, 2012)

Jon-of-arc said:


> Best episode yet. The lib deems are coming across far to sympathetically,in my eyes. Still don't know who tickell is, but I assume that's going somewhere. Same with the lib dem banking thing, and murrays leadership.
> 
> I only just noticed that Stewart is based on Cameron's blue sky thinker policy chap. Steve someone. Rides a bike, and comes to number 10 in a t shirt or some shit. Has brainstorming sessions like tonight's, with suggestions like "no benefits if you've been on Jeremy Kyle" and other such Tory shite. Scary that that's pretty close to thei truth in a lot of ways...


 

It's Steve Hilton, you'll like this

http://politicalscrapbook.net/stevehilton/



> *Reduce health and safety legislation in the cloud.*


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Sep 24, 2012)

First one I came to refs Jeremy Kyle...


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 24, 2012)

> *Ban top buttons because I'm off my tits on lapsang souchong.*


Wasn't Stewart drinking lapsang souchong in the first episode?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 24, 2012)

Er is this show just predicting the future each week?!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/24/vince-cable-small-business-bank1


----------



## gosub (Sep 24, 2012)

is getting spooky


----------



## Stigmata (Sep 24, 2012)

I sometimes buy the Big Issue when i'm socially embarrassed, I don't buy a FUCKING BANK


----------



## debaser (Sep 24, 2012)

'You're the last VHS in Oxfam. They won't take them anymore, I've tried. Seasons 1 to 5 of the X-files, can't even give them away." Poor Glenn.


----------



## youngian (Sep 24, 2012)

This Tory whip in a shit storm for swearing at the coppers. Didn't this happen to Ben Swain for swearing at the cleaner? Ianucci again has been writing scripts for government.


----------



## Firky (Sep 24, 2012)

neonwilderness said:


> Wasn't Stewart drinking lapsang souchong in the first episode?


 
Yes


----------



## stavros (Sep 24, 2012)

debaser said:


> 'You're the last VHS in Oxfam. They won't take them anymore, I've tried. Seasons 1 to 5 of the X-files, can't even give them away." Poor Glenn.


 
That's Phil isn't it?

"This is like watching a lion rape a sheep--in a bad way."


----------



## killer b (Sep 24, 2012)

just watched the latest episode, was cracking (although i knew as soon as the kids playground was mentioned it'd be a set up for something similar to what transpired...)


----------



## coltrane (Sep 25, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Er is this show just predicting the future each week?!
> 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/24/vince-cable-small-business-bank1


 
History creates itself, first as satire, second as government policy


----------



## stavros (Sep 25, 2012)

"Stewart's thought sphincter."


----------



## Maggot (Sep 26, 2012)

killer b said:


> just watched the latest episode, was cracking (although i knew as soon as the kids playground was mentioned it'd be a set up for something similar to what transpired...)


Aren't you clever.


----------



## killer b (Sep 26, 2012)

Fuck off.


----------



## stavros (Sep 26, 2012)

The Emily Maitlis dialogue was great too.


----------



## George & Bill (Sep 27, 2012)

After wanting to like TTOI for ages but not really getting into it, it's finally clicked. I think people focus too much on the Capaldi character (great though he is, especially in his portrayal of Tucker's growing impotence towards the end of S3). I think it's the ensemble that really make it - Glenn, who looks more like a part-time FE lecturer than a senior civil servant, is a favourite of mine.



Maggot said:


> Aren't you clever.



He is compared to you, but I don't know why you choose to single him out as the same could be said for every member of the board, living or dead.


----------



## stavros (Sep 29, 2012)

Yet again, there's a 5 minute overlap between tonight's episode and MOTD. The Beeb schedulers couldn't organise a bum rape in a barracks.


----------



## DexterTCN (Sep 29, 2012)

stavros said:


> Yet again, there's a 5 minute overlap between tonight's episode and MOTD. The Beeb schedulers couldn't organise a bum rape in a barracks.


Agreed...every fucking week.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Sep 29, 2012)

"looks like a Quentin Blake illustration" 

I laughed far too hard at that


----------



## DaveCinzano (Sep 29, 2012)

Back on track


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 29, 2012)

Another great episode!

Someone get me a fucking Fanta


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 29, 2012)

Excellent episode. Poor Nicola. Ollie's had his first proper taste of being a cunt.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Sep 29, 2012)

I was actually a little surprised that Ollie pulled it off, I think I've always thought, wrongly perhaps, that he generally fucks things up.


----------



## 8115 (Sep 29, 2012)

That was a good episode. I like the format where they keep switching between parties every week, it keeps it fresh. I also like the character development of Glen.

So, the Dad from My Parents are aliens is going to be the new party leader then?


----------



## DaveCinzano (Sep 29, 2012)

8115 said:


> So, the Dad from My Parents are aliens is going to be the new party leader then?


 
Who knows - we might get Zoe from _May To December_, or even David from _The Archers_...


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 29, 2012)

My prediction: Dan Miller right royally gets a shafting somehow, and Ben Swain becomes the new leader, somehow. He reminds me of Ed Balls. It's the big pasty face.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Sep 29, 2012)

Have to say that's probably not a bad shout; Dan looked far too happy at the end there, that never lasts.


----------



## Cornetto (Sep 29, 2012)

Malcolm is back in black.


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 29, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> My prediction: Dan Miller right royally gets a shafting somehow


What did Malcolm mumble to Dan at the end?  It sounded something like "we've got some work to do with you".


----------



## DaveCinzano (Sep 29, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> It's the big pasty face.


 
Pasty as in ashen pallor, or pasty as in spud chunks and gristly meat?


----------



## DexterTCN (Sep 29, 2012)

'Please...Please...I'm not Christ  ....He was quite a scruffy man.'

Nearly wet myself.


----------



## gosub (Sep 29, 2012)

So. On past form. Ed Millibland fucked by Monday


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 29, 2012)

gosub said:


> So. On past form. Ed Millibland fucked by Monday


Is he getting a train to Bradford?


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 30, 2012)

DaveCinzano said:


> Pasty as in ashen pallor, or pasty as in spud chunks and gristly meat?


 
Both are remarkably applicable.

I missed what Malcolm mumbled at the end too. If anyone managed to catch it, let us know. Dan didn't seem to like the sound of it 

I harken back to earlier times, when Hugh told Dan that if he'd resigned early in his career, he'd have been PM by now. And by the end of the episode Dan resigned


----------



## DexterTCN (Sep 30, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> ...I missed what Malcolm mumbled at the end too. If anyone managed to catch it, let us know. Dan didn't seem to like the sound of it ..


Pretty sure it was along the lines of 'we need to have a serious talk about you' no specific quote but I had to rewind it and turn it up, that was the gist.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 30, 2012)

Confirmed kill, heh.


----------



## Firky (Sep 30, 2012)

"JD", f'ing CRINGE!


----------



## SpookyFrank (Sep 30, 2012)

Superb bit of telly that. Endless wonderful lines as always, but Malcolm's description of Ollie as 'a bit like a Quentin Blake illustration' was a particular gem


----------



## pennimania (Sep 30, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> Superb bit of telly that. Endless wonderful lines as always, but Malcolm's description of Ollie as 'a bit like a Quentin Blake illustration' was a particular gem


Bit unfair to Quentin Blake IMO


----------



## little_legs (Sep 30, 2012)

_




_


----------



## Maurice Picarda (Sep 30, 2012)

I did want to see Nicola get the "waste of fucking skin" bouquet, though.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 30, 2012)

little_legs said:


> _
> 
> 
> 
> _


 
It just floated out so, so slowly.

Wonderful moment.

I almost didn't want it to work, the whole coup thing. Malcolm's at his best, imo, when he's desperately trying to fix the problems he created not 20 minutes earlier.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Sep 30, 2012)

Giving that odious fucker Ben Swain the rope to hang himself with and then shoving him in front of a TV camera was genius.


----------



## stavros (Sep 30, 2012)

Best episode of the series so far. The Glenn-Ollie double act returned and Malcolm went back into high-speed dictator mode.

"You two, make like a tree and go fuck yourselves."


----------



## Cid (Sep 30, 2012)

The line to Dan was 'We have got some work to do with you' I think. Great episode. 

'did you actually buy me flowers Malcolm?'

'no, no, no - It's one of the many advantages of living next to an accident black spot'


----------



## Vintage Paw (Sep 30, 2012)

One of the many


----------



## killer b (Sep 30, 2012)

that was fucking intense.


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 30, 2012)

I'm liking the pace of the recent episodes. You can watch them a few times without feeling like you're watching the same thing.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 30, 2012)

Yup complete opposite of series three.


----------



## Firky (Sep 30, 2012)

neonwilderness said:


> I'm liking the pace of the recent episodes. You can watch them a few times without feeling like you're watching the same thing.


 
You drift off for a second and you've missed an entire conversation.


----------



## eatmorecheese (Sep 30, 2012)

Best so far this series. Getting the feeling Dan Miller's progress ain't gonna be smooth...

Where's Ian Fleming?


----------



## 8115 (Sep 30, 2012)

Where's Julius Nicholson?


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 30, 2012)

8115 said:


> Where's Julius Nicholson?


Probably out buying biscuits


----------



## Firky (Sep 30, 2012)

These biscuits cost £4.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Sep 30, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> Pretty sure it was along the lines of 'we need to have a serious talk about you' no specific quote but I had to rewind it and turn it up, that was the gist.



Think it was "We have got some work to do with you." Which looked like Tucker's attempt at asserting himself over the new leader...


----------



## DrRingDing (Sep 30, 2012)

That was the best episode so far. Very fucking good.


----------



## neonwilderness (Sep 30, 2012)

eatmorecheese said:


> Where's Ian Fleming?


Steve? 

I'm just re-watching yesterday's episode.  He's quoted in the paper at the start saying Nicola is unelectable.


----------



## eatmorecheese (Oct 1, 2012)

neonwilderness said:


> Steve?
> 
> I'm just re-watching yesterday's episode. He's quoted in the paper at the start saying Nicola is unelectable.


 
Of course, Steve 

Choo fucking choo....


----------



## 8115 (Oct 1, 2012)

"This is like the end of a book, a very short, shit book that nobody wanted to read"


----------



## stavros (Oct 1, 2012)

"Ollie Toynbee"


----------



## stavros (Oct 1, 2012)

8115 said:


> Where's Julius Nicholson?


 
"Julius, being of sound mind but with a body that looks like a giant sex toy."


----------



## 8115 (Oct 1, 2012)

"Watch the fuckpuppetmaster at work"


----------



## Favelado (Oct 1, 2012)

Coked-up cousin-fucking chinless aliens.


----------



## Ted Striker (Oct 1, 2012)

stavros said:


> "Ollie Toynbee"


 

Pipped it as my fave of the episode...One of those lines where you think it must come to the writers in the middle of the night that they scribble down on their pad next to their bed, then try and work out they can insert it into the show.


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 6, 2012)

No TTOI tonight, fucking beatles programmes instead.


----------



## Maurice Picarda (Oct 6, 2012)

Probably because every episode comes true and this one features terrorism or war.


----------



## Stigmata (Oct 6, 2012)

Fuck the Beatles


----------



## 8115 (Oct 6, 2012)

Oh no, fuck that.  I'm so disappointed.  How many episodes in this series to go?


----------



## stavros (Oct 6, 2012)

An almighty scheduling cluster-fuck.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 6, 2012)

8115 said:


> Oh no, fuck that.  I'm so disappointed.  How many episodes in this series to go?



Well if it's anything like S3 it's another four left.


----------



## Tankus (Oct 6, 2012)

Just caught up with 3 and 4 ...........outstanding

 Going back on the train in first class..after Swains knife.... the bit about not Wanting to speak to the husband on the phone as he would act smug and then she would have to ask for a divorce, getting stuck with the effin kids......I felt a well of sympathy rise within me...... utterly no one left to lean on.

Will she Tickle her way out in the last episode..... I wonder?


----------



## Maggot (Oct 7, 2012)

To make up for the lack of The Thick of it this week, here's an article by Peter Mannion about conference. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices...its-like-queueing-at-an-abattoir-8200271.html


----------



## stavros (Oct 7, 2012)

I haven't read it yet, but it struck me as odd that the front page says "Peter Mannion at the Tory conference", when the show has studiously never used party names, regardless of the obvious intended targets.

Have the Beeb given a reason for postponing their best show for yet another pointless brown-nosing of the Beatles?


----------



## Maurice Picarda (Oct 7, 2012)

The piece is quite careful; idiot subs.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Oct 7, 2012)

'you don't look a gift corpse in the mouth'


----------



## Ted Striker (Oct 7, 2012)

stavros said:


> I haven't read it yet, but it struck me as odd that the front page says "Peter Mannion at the Tory conference", when the show has studiously never used party names, regardless of the obvious intended targets.


 
Dear Points of View...

[/nerdy voice]


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 8, 2012)

stavros said:


> ...Have the Beeb given a reason for postponing their best show for yet another pointless brown-nosing of the Beatles?


Tory conference?


----------



## stavros (Oct 8, 2012)

The Beatles are the sort of band Abbot or Mannion would pretend to be into to appear hip.


----------



## Stigmata (Oct 8, 2012)

Mannion wouldn't pretend to like anything. Duke Ellington and Puccini all the way. Abbott would cling desperately to the Beatles as one of the few bands he's heard of.


----------



## youngian (Oct 8, 2012)

While Fleming and Tucker are the Gallagher Brothers of British politics


----------



## Stigmata (Oct 8, 2012)

I prefer to think of Tucker as the Thin White Mugabe


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 9, 2012)




----------



## Maurice Picarda (Oct 9, 2012)

They spelled fourth wrong. Pathfinders they are not.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 9, 2012)

Still fucking genius though!


----------



## Tankus (Oct 10, 2012)




----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 10, 2012)

Woohoo Levenson!


----------



## 8115 (Oct 13, 2012)

Proper, shit hitting the fan episodes are the best ever 

An inquiry into all of leaking


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 13, 2012)

Holy fucking shit that was some meltdown episode!


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 13, 2012)




----------



## MBV (Oct 13, 2012)

cum lolly


----------



## 8115 (Oct 13, 2012)

Paedophile's funeral (topically)


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 13, 2012)

Mary Queen of shits.


----------



## Firky (Oct 13, 2012)

Forgot >_<


----------



## 8115 (Oct 13, 2012)

firky said:


> Forgot >_<


 
Iplayer.

It was good.


----------



## Firky (Oct 13, 2012)

Yeah, it's not on there yet - just checked


----------



## Firky (Oct 13, 2012)

Is now!


----------



## 8115 (Oct 13, 2012)

Whitehall arab spring


----------



## weltweit (Oct 13, 2012)

I am a recent viewer of this ... watched it tonight ....

Not yet getting who all the charachters are

A lot of shouting and swearing


----------



## 8115 (Oct 13, 2012)

weltweit said:


> I am a recent viewer of this ... watched it tonight ....
> 
> Not yet getting who all the charachters are
> 
> A lot of shouting and swearing


 
Honestly, get the box set of the first three (two?) series. I think it's quite cheap on Amazon. Genius.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 13, 2012)

weltweit said:


> A lot of shouting and swearing


Sounds like you've got it.


----------



## Tankus (Oct 13, 2012)

I don't understand Glen....?

And why doesn't Murray just knife Tucker...?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 13, 2012)

Tankus said:


> I don't understand Glen....?
> 
> And why doesn't Murray just knife Tucker...?



Because she's a dithering idiot that deserves everything she gets..?


----------



## mack (Oct 13, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Because she's a dithering idiot that deserves everything she gets..?


 

Tuckers verbal evisceration of Murray was fucking harsh, felt sorry for her, hope she gets some kind of revenge in the end.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 13, 2012)

Excellent!


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 13, 2012)

mack said:


> Tuckers verbal evisceration of Murray was fucking harsh, felt sorry for her, hope she gets some kind of revenge in the end.



Nah it was well deserved don't forget she fucked him in series 3.


----------



## killer b (Oct 14, 2012)

last couple of episodes have been incredible. totally loving this.


----------



## Badgers (Oct 14, 2012)

Not seen any of this. I take I am missing out?


----------



## killer b (Oct 14, 2012)

yes.


----------



## little_legs (Oct 14, 2012)

"Now fuck off back to your office and organize the wedding!"


----------



## Stigmata (Oct 15, 2012)

Hard to pick out a favourite moment. The collapse of Phil's smugness was great.


----------



## stavros (Oct 20, 2012)

An hour of Leveson-esque wonder tonight. Oh it's on, it's on like Fat Pat's thong.

Another almighty catastrofuck by the BBC means I'm going to bed straight after and get up early for the MOTD repeat.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

I've got pizza and some fucking fanta


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 20, 2012)

Balbi said:


> I've got pizza and some fucking fanta


I might break out the good biscuits


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

You fools!


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 20, 2012)

They cost £4!


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Maximum respect.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 20, 2012)

This is already painful


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

But gorgeously real.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

Balbi said:


> Maximum respect.


Was just coming on to quote that myself 

This has already been excellent


----------



## gaijingirl (Oct 20, 2012)

political pompidou centre...


----------



## Ponyutd (Oct 20, 2012)

Far too over done. Just tuned out.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Iago with a blackberry.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

"The newspaper that hates newspapers" - that's a direct reference to Leveson?


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Malcolm's digging himself into a hole here.


----------



## binka (Oct 20, 2012)

Balbi said:


> Malcolm's digging himself into a hole here.


not believing his testimony at all. not how his character would behave imo


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 20, 2012)

binka said:


> not believing his testimony at all. not how his character would behave imo


 
Well it's not like he can tear them all a new one and call them all fuckers


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

Did find it a bit barefaced.

Bloke who played Brutus is doing a good job.


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 20, 2012)

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012...ven-no-chance-to-prepare-for-goolding-inquiry

You can tell they didn't get any chance to rehearse


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Oh Malcolm, you fucking genius.



Who's the Jonathan Aitken lookalike?


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 20, 2012)

"He was homeless only in the sense that he had no home."

Brilliant.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Oh for gods sake, why would Emma want to be anywhere near Phil during this?


----------



## DaveCinzano (Oct 20, 2012)

"...two silverbacks..."


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

"Man on man, thats how I like it...."


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

DaveCinzano said:


> "...two silverbacks..."


it was the reaction of Lib Spad that made it


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

booooooom, there goes the economist from the episode earlier


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

They're stitching up Terri! My goodness. Cowards.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

That's a circulation thing, not a moral thing.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 20, 2012)

I fucking love Terri. She's brilliant.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Jo Scanlon is ace.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

I've got to stop quoting, it's very stupid


----------



## DaveCinzano (Oct 20, 2012)

Lord Camomile said:


> it was the reaction of Lib Spad that made it


Ben Willbond gave us a masterclass in facepalm


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Oh jesus christ, nooooooooooo.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

Ohhhhhh, Malcolm.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 20, 2012)

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.....

Oh dear, Malcolm. Oh dear.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

Are they killing off Malcolm Tucker?


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

How does Malcolm get out of this, Ollie under the bus?


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 20, 2012)

Balbi said:


> How does Malcolm get out of this, Ollie under the bus?


 
As soon as he brought Ollie into the fold that's what I thought would happen. Malcolm does nothing unless it's in his interest, and he plays the long game (even if it gets fucked up along the way).


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Wtfs just happened!


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Robyn is finally breaking.

Brilliant.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

Fucking MotD!!


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Ahahahahahahahhahahahahahha, Malcolm's on it.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

It's even more sinister with it happening off-screen!


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

They're absolutely shitting it because of Malcolm.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

Ollie you little shit! I mean, we always knew you were a little shit, but you little shit!


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

Capaldi's non verbal acting is what has me in stitches tonight.


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 20, 2012)

Brilliant.  Is next week the last episode?


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 20, 2012)

neonwilderness said:


> Brilliant. Is next week the last episode?


 
Yep. Apparently so. Last one ever, so they say. I wonder if Malcolm will get out of this.


----------



## gaijingirl (Oct 20, 2012)

that was superb!


----------



## Supine (Oct 20, 2012)

That hour went quickly!


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 20, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> Yep. Apparently so. Last one ever, so they say. I wonder if Malcolm will get out of this.


He's managed it before


----------



## ferrelhadley (Oct 20, 2012)

More drama than comedy.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

Supine said:


> That hour went quickly!


Didn't it! Was very surprised when we were 45 mins in.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

"A political class who has given up on morality and simply pursues popularity at all costs"


----------



## Firky (Oct 20, 2012)

Off to watch it now it is on iPlayer, I was too lazy to get off my arse and go in the room with the TV


----------



## ferrelhadley (Oct 20, 2012)

Balbi said:


> "A political class who has given up on morality and simply pursues popularity at all costs"


Tucker is just Iannucci voicing his hatred of modern politics and their venality and stupidity.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

If a journalist or a politician stated that, without already being fatally comprimised in some way, they'd be snowed under with criticism.


----------



## binka (Oct 20, 2012)

i wasnt that impressed tbh. the bit with malcolm tucker at the end made me think of that bit when ricky gervais in extras is in big brother and speaks directly to the audience


----------



## youngian (Oct 20, 2012)

Reading out the newspaper articles about Tucker recalls that wonderful Spinal Tap scene when they are read the album reviews-

"and the Sunday Times; if you look at Malcolm Tucker you have spilt his pint."
And to Stewart Pearson- "this is not CSI Miami, Mr Pearson despite your shirt"

Loved they way poor old Glen bowled it out to Ollie.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 20, 2012)

It was ad libbed, almost entirely. Cast and crew kept separate, inquirers separate from all of them. Direction given, outcomes outlined, but all off the top of their heads.

Which makes Robyn's stuff even better


----------



## Lord Camomile (Oct 20, 2012)

I'm amazed that was mostly ad-libbed. They must have been fed some lines to use at least?


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 20, 2012)

It was excellent.   To be honest I spent the first 20 minutes in sweary/insulting-language withdrawal but it was clever, subtle and non-subtle.


----------



## youngian (Oct 20, 2012)

The man on the right on the enquiry panel looked a familiar face, was he Villa from Blake's 7?


----------



## gosub (Oct 21, 2012)

youngian said:


> The man on the right on the enquiry panel looked a familiar face, was he Villa from Blake's 7?


Spent a lot of time trying to place him as well either soldier or more likely dibble roles but can't place him. Villa would be an old man by now


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

Was Baroness Sueka (sp?) supposed to be Sayeeda Warsi and what was the craic with her being the subject of a leak, probably being thick?

I thought it was excellent apart from Tucker's departing speech. It didn't feel quite right.


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 21, 2012)

firky said:


> Was Baroness Sueka (sp?) supposed to be Sayeeda Warsi and what was it she was the craic with her being the subject of a leak, probably being thick?...


I think she fucked with Tucker so he fucked with her.


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> I think she fucked with Tucker so he fucked with her.


 
I guessed there was some kind of history between the two of them but I can't recall anything but that's probably the point.

It was fucking brilliant, I could watch it all over again straight away. It was Iannucci giving his two fingers to it all. Superb dialogue. Really surprised to learn it was ad lib. I want more!


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 21, 2012)

I don't think there was any history (between them) but they both knew each other backwards, Tucker, wounded, sent a message that he could wound them as well.   His smug return with a legal loop-hole was excellent...saying as he left he was finished anyway.

Can't wait for the last episode, this ranks higher than Fawlty towers.


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

I remember watching the last ever episode of Black Adder when it was first broadcast and getting a lump in my throat.


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 21, 2012)

firky said:


> I remember watching the last ever episode of Black Adder when it was first broadcast and getting a lump in my throat.


The perfect ending.


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

Victor Meldrew's cap in the rain filled gutter


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 21, 2012)

Haven't seen it.  

Never got into OFITG, was doing other things then.


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> Haven't seen it.
> 
> Never got into OFITG, was doing other things then.


 
It's dated now I think but was good at the time. The final episode was the typical bleak ending that seems quite customary to British TV.

Least I think it was but now I come to think about it I might be wrong


----------



## telbert (Oct 21, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> I think she fucked with Tucker so he fucked with her.


I think theres more to come on this subject.Remember how he stitched Flemming &julius ?"
I think he's been a naughty bastard again.
 Pissy biscuits anyone?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 21, 2012)

That was pretty fucking excellent! Really loved Tuckers rant about privacy and the point we've all got to in this media age...


----------



## Stigmata (Oct 21, 2012)

Where was Ben Swain's testimony? He was in the trailer.


----------



## magneze (Oct 21, 2012)

Thought it was boring and unfunny tbh. Worst episode ever.


----------



## Serotonin (Oct 21, 2012)

youngian said:


> The man on the right on the enquiry panel looked a familiar face, was he Villa from Blake's 7?


Nah it was Brutus from Rome.


----------



## Looby (Oct 21, 2012)

Mariella Shitstrop. : D


----------



## Balbi (Oct 21, 2012)

Tumblr's taking it apart for the hidden ad lib funny.







Malcolm's subtle up yours to the inquiry there.


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 21, 2012)

Balbi said:


> Malcolm's subtle up yours to the inquiry there.


I didn't notice that last night!


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 21, 2012)

Some clarification on the ad-lib thing; from Rebecca Front on twitter just now:

"Oh, and to clarify, re last night's #*ttoi* , it was unrehearsed, but NOT improvised. Brilliantly written by the writing team, as ever."


----------



## Balbi (Oct 21, 2012)

Ah, apologies then. Still, Capaldi's ferociously good.


----------



## Tankus (Oct 21, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> I think she fucked with Tucker so he fucked with her.


 
Tucker implied an affair (not with him) before the leak happened ...and you could see _ Baroness Sueka's_ restraining hand on the duffer next to her when tucker was being admonished for party political point scoring at  Ferguson's expense  ...... 

not quite as good as the two preceding episodes I thought


----------



## killer b (Oct 21, 2012)

that was good. didn't think it worked perfectly, but still pretty intense. 

everyone is totally fucked.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 21, 2012)

So two more episodes then? Next week will be the fall out from last night and the  following the round up and crescendo?


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 21, 2012)

Nope, only one episode left.


----------



## killer b (Oct 21, 2012)

it's going to be fucking brutal. can't wait.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (Oct 21, 2012)

brilliant.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 21, 2012)

The Malcolm/Ollie thing could go one of two ways: either Malcolm's going to drop kick Ollie from a great height (and Ollie will then further pile it all on Glen, who will attempt to protect Terri possibly, or at least not be quite as cut throat towards her as Ollie was towards him); or since he's decided he's finished anyway, he'll not drop Ollie in it with a view to possibly passing on the torch in some way or another. The main problem with the latter of those is that Ollie is monumentally incompetent and doesn't have the same ethical framework or motivations that Malcolm has - it's blatantly clear Ollie is only in it for Ollie, whereas Malcolm has always been in it for the good of the party.

It'll be interesting to know the fate of people like Dan Miller as well, who I suspect will come up smelling of roses, being the clean new unsullied face of the party to take them forward after all this unpleasantness has been dealt with. But if he doesn't have Malcolm to keep him in line ... god help them.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 21, 2012)

Also, I really, really like Peter Mannion. He's a great character. Far more likeable than his irl counterpart.


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

sparklefish said:


> Mariella Shitstrop. : D


 
Robyn gave me the most laughs as did Terri. I love Terri, she's a seething little ball of pent up anger


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 21, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> Nope, only one episode left.


 
Oh yeah you're right, looks like a fairly standard ep on the face of it too...


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 21, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> Also, I really, really like Peter Mannion. He's a great character. Far more likeable than his irl counterpart.


Do they all have real life counterparts? 
Whose is his?
I like this programme much better than I used to. Does feel a bit written-by-committee though. Lots of jokes fall flat, but for some reason that doesn't spoil my enjoyment


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 21, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> Do they all have real life counterparts?
> Whose is his?
> I like this programme much better than I used to. Does feel a bit written-by-committee though. Lots of jokes fall flat, but for some reason that doesn't spoil my enjoyment


 
He's Ken Clark, I believe. They're not directly meant to actually _be_ them, but many of them have characteristics drawn from irl people.


----------



## 8115 (Oct 21, 2012)

youngian said:


> The man on the right on the enquiry panel looked a familiar face, was he Villa from Blake's 7?


 
I think he's been a police officer in something.  It's annoying me too.

I LOVE Robyn.  Mariella Shitstrop


----------



## Stigmata (Oct 21, 2012)

Vintage Paw said:


> He's Ken Clark, I believe. They're not directly meant to actually _be_ them, but many of them have characteristics drawn from irl people.


 
Elements of David Davis too


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 21, 2012)

Greg Bennett? IMDb has him playing lots of cops


----------



## 8115 (Oct 21, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> Greg Bennett? IMDb has him playing lots of cops


 
I don't think that's the right actor.


----------



## 8115 (Oct 21, 2012)

He was in the Shadow Line.  I had a funny feeling it might be that.


----------



## discokermit (Oct 21, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> Greg Bennett? IMDb has him playing lots of cops


tobias menzies.


----------



## discokermit (Oct 21, 2012)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobias_Menzies


----------



## discokermit (Oct 21, 2012)

this series has been rubbish. not funny. lots of formulaic sweary insults but not much else, the most recent episode devoid even of that.


----------



## gosub (Oct 21, 2012)

8115 said:


> He was in the Shadow Line.  I had a funny feeling it might be that.


The biking journo that was it.


----------



## 8115 (Oct 21, 2012)

gosub said:


> The biking journo that was it.


 
Thank you a million times!


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> Do they all have real life counterparts?
> Whose is his?
> I like this programme much better than I used to. Does feel a bit written-by-committee though. Lots of jokes fall flat, but for some reason that doesn't spoil my enjoyment


 
Dubversion shows Alistair Campbell his counterpart.


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

discokermit said:


> this series has been rubbish. not funny. lots of formulaic sweary insults but not much else, the most recent episode devoid even of that.


 
That is why I thought it was the best one of the series so far. I agree this has been the weakest of the series with the dialogue being a means to hear some swearing and creative insulting. However last night's episode took a more serious and poignant turn for the better. I'd like to see AI do something a bit more grown up and in the same vein. 

Still the entire series and the film is one of teh best things produced on British TV.


----------



## discokermit (Oct 21, 2012)

firky said:


> However last night's episode took a more serious and poignant turn for the better.


what? all politicians are cunts? everyone knew this already except iannucci who spent the last election prancing round saying vote libdem.

this last series is just the boohoos of a wounded liberal.


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

discokermit said:


> what? all politicians are cunts? everyone knew this already except iannucci who spent the last election prancing round saying vote libdem.
> 
> this last series is just the boohoos of a wounded liberal.


 
You can tell you set out not to like it before you even viewed it :[


----------



## discokermit (Oct 21, 2012)

firky said:


> You can tell you set out not to like it before you even viewed it :[


not at all. i was very much looking forward to it. i've got the box set which i've watched a few times and enjoyed the film as well.


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

Film is great!


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 21, 2012)

discokermit said:


> what? all politicians are cunts? everyone knew this already except iannucci who spent the last election prancing round saying vote libdem.
> 
> this last series is just the boohoos of a wounded liberal.


It' didn't come across as particularly anti libdem.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 21, 2012)

The inbetweeners being hopelessly spinelessly shit wasn't anti-lib dem. it was just lib dem.


----------



## stavros (Oct 21, 2012)

I thought Fergus had the best line last night;

"Can't you see, you're the orchestra and Tucker's playing you, he's the conductor, he's... he's... he's Goldie."


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 21, 2012)

I think the jokes are shit too. I just enjoy the machinations and the plotting


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

Balbi said:


> The inbetweeners being hopelessly spinelessly shit wasn't anti-lib dem. it was just lib dem.


 
No substance.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 21, 2012)

stavros said:


> I thought Fergus had the best line last night;
> 
> "Can't you see, you're the orchestra and Tucker's playing you, he's the conductor, he's... he's... he's Goldie."


See, stuff like that. Not really that funny. I don't laugh much watching it. It's too real to be funny in a way.


----------



## little_legs (Oct 21, 2012)

stavros said:


> I thought Fergus had the best line last night;
> 
> "Can't you see, you're the orchestra and Tucker's playing you, he's the conductor, he's... he's... he's Goldie."


 
_He is a Spinosa and you being spinned!_


----------



## Firky (Oct 21, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> I think the jokes are shit too. I just enjoy the machinations and the plotting


 
There's times in the current series where it was glaringly obvious that a scene was built around a one liner. As if someone came up with the insult or joke first of all then built the scene and story around it. Still made me laugh and I enjoyed it.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 21, 2012)

firky said:


> That is why I thought it was the best one of the series so far. I agree this has been the weakest of the series with the dialogue being a means to hear some swearing and creative insulting. However last night's episode took a more serious and poignant turn for the better. I'd like to see AI do something a bit more grown up and in the same vein.
> 
> Still the entire series and the film is one of teh best things produced on British TV.


Nah! It's no Father Ted or Fawlty Towers.
It's more House Of Cards.
Wry observation rather than laugh out loud comedy


----------



## discokermit (Oct 21, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> It' didn't come across as particularly anti libdem.


it isn't. he still loves them.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 21, 2012)

little_legs said:


> _He is a Spinosa and you being spinned!_


People keep quoting unfunny lines!


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 21, 2012)

discokermit said:


> tobias menzies.


Oh, that posh fella from Rome


----------



## Balbi (Oct 21, 2012)

This episode was interesting because it broke the fourth wall within the internal structure of the show. Usually, the nastiness, bullying and outright bastardry is concealed from the public and it's been shown that outside of the context some characters aren't like that.

But now they've got to justify themselves to the public within the show, and for the viewer who's watched the regularity of it, we're in on the joke of them all trying to avoid admitting just how despicable they have been.


----------



## little_legs (Oct 21, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> People keep quoting unfunny lines!


 
As I am pretty new to this show, I think it was funny.


----------



## Crispy (Oct 21, 2012)

Excellent episode IMO. Didn't even notice it was an hour. Impossible to enjoy unless you'd had a thorough watching and enjoyment of all the previous episodes though. Something they could only do with well known characters.

Can't wait to see how it ends.


----------



## kenny g (Oct 22, 2012)

Agreed- excellent as always. Can't please all the peeps all the time but still pretty class.


----------



## magneze (Oct 22, 2012)

Jumped the shark.


----------



## TopCat (Oct 22, 2012)

I was bored and never finished watching it. This has never happened before...


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 22, 2012)

Watched again last night, still excellent. The off screen stuff seems more apparent on a second viewing...


----------



## Balbi (Oct 25, 2012)

Chinless horse fucking twat.


----------



## Stigmata (Oct 25, 2012)

"Against that parade of top-hatted turds, how could I not win?"


----------



## belboid (Oct 25, 2012)

last ever episode on saturday then

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2012/oct/25/thick-of-it-bbc-political-satire-ends


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 26, 2012)

Good they pulled this series together after the tepid series three...


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 26, 2012)

I loved series 3


----------



## Ted Striker (Oct 26, 2012)

I think I could have watched Stewart forever on that panel. He looked like he could have gone on forever too. Worth the entrance fee alone for me.

Thought the Tucker/Female-Panellist-Who's-name-Escapes-Me was very good, though thought they could have made more of it. (Obvious aping of Murdoch-esque tactics from Tucker to discredit and leak the panellist).

I'm glad it's ending though. It would be very easy to have another x episodes of utterly fantastic insulting metaphors though it could get (is!) a touch one dimensional.


----------



## paolo (Oct 26, 2012)

Albeit a longer run than traditional classics, this - I think - is going out on a massive high.

I could replay that last episode over and over. It's like watching a modern day fall of Rome.

The final is going to epic I'm sure. I'll wave a teary goodbye. We need more things that puncture an easy belief, things that simpletons like me can follow and get a lightbulb above their heads.


----------



## stavros (Oct 26, 2012)

Do we know if there's going to be a complete DVD box set released before Christmas? I mean all 4 series and the specials.


----------



## Psychonaut (Oct 26, 2012)

stavros said:


> Do we know if there's going to be a complete DVD box set released before Christmas? I mean all 4 series and the specials.


 
idk, but i wouldnt be surprised if the BBC stall it for a long while - trying to put distance between them and anything paedophilia.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 26, 2012)

There'll a DVD box set out by Christmas I reckon.


----------



## Firky (Oct 27, 2012)

A reminder 

*bump*


----------



## Balbi (Oct 27, 2012)

Im not liking having to wait.


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 27, 2012)

Delayed gratification 

End of an era...where's the political comedy going to come from next?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 27, 2012)

Only 30 minutes too...


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 27, 2012)

Jim'll Fix It joke?!


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Oct 27, 2012)

Ohh, jim'll fix it comment. "Brave" to leave that in...


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 27, 2012)

Just another day at the fuck office


----------



## killer b (Oct 27, 2012)

'want the headset now don't you?'

'fuck off'


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 27, 2012)

This is great


----------



## Ted Striker (Oct 27, 2012)

I'm SURE I just heard a FENTON at the Tucker chasing pack! (watching it 3 mins behind on sky +!)


----------



## Belushi (Oct 27, 2012)

'solid bed of cunts'


----------



## killer b (Oct 27, 2012)

Belushi said:


> 'solid bed of cunts'


aye.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 27, 2012)

That was great.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 27, 2012)

Belushi said:


> 'solid bed of cunts'



Brilliantly delivered line!


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 27, 2012)

Glenn's speech was good too.  Looks like he decided to go and paint his sister's wall right at the end


----------



## Balbi (Oct 27, 2012)

Glenn's managed to get away clean as the moral core


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 27, 2012)

Fuck the police.


----------



## weltweit (Oct 27, 2012)

And I was just getting used to Tucker !!


----------



## Firky (Oct 27, 2012)

Nicked off Ianucci's twitter:


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 27, 2012)

firky said:


> Nicked off Ianucci's twitter:



Heh was gonna post that...nice image.


----------



## magneze (Oct 27, 2012)

Very good. Back to form for the end.


----------



## weltweit (Oct 27, 2012)

magneze said:


> Very good. Back to form for the end.


What, is it over? I just started watching it!!


----------



## Firky (Oct 28, 2012)

Peter's face when he learned Stewart was sacked by the PM.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Oct 28, 2012)

Some huge laugh out loud moments in that. Sad to see it go, but, as others have said, it was the right time. It would have been awful if they dragged it on and on.


----------



## Balbi (Oct 28, 2012)

firky said:


> Peter's face when he learned Stewart was sacked by the PM.


----------



## Firky (Oct 28, 2012)

Balbi said:


> View attachment 24434


 
Yes, and then he went and hid behind Mary's back


----------



## Firky (Oct 28, 2012)

AAWWRRR the cast group goodbye hug


----------



## ringo (Oct 28, 2012)

Best episode ever, Olympic quality swearing.


----------



## stavros (Oct 28, 2012)

"Urgh, my ovaries have just cringed."


----------



## stavros (Oct 28, 2012)

Malcolm in the taxi was great too. I may be paraphrasing, but;

"Step on it, and if you overcharge me I'll ram your fucking meter so far down your through you'll be paying for your next shit."


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Oct 28, 2012)

The Thick of It was a master class in great comedy. Even at its worst it was brilliant. I wonder how long we'll have to wait for something this good to come along again?


----------



## Sigmund Fraud (Oct 28, 2012)

neonwilderness said:


> Glenn's speech was good too.


 
Best bit of the finale. It was even better than Glenn's earlier 'I am a man' meltdown in one of the specials.


----------



## Maurice Picarda (Oct 28, 2012)

I was glad that Murray and the chop featured again. They didn't really need to, but it was fun.


----------



## Kuso (Oct 28, 2012)

Malcolm's run had me in stitches


----------



## xenon (Oct 28, 2012)

I managed to miss the previous series' so was playing catch up with who was who. This was great. Proper LoLs a few times but stayed just the right side of implausible.



weltweit said:


> What, is it over? I just started watching it!!



The whole series is on Iplayer...


----------



## little_legs (Oct 28, 2012)




----------



## paolo (Oct 28, 2012)

Jeff Robinson said:


> The Thick of It was a master class in great comedy. Even at its worst it was brilliant. I wonder how long we'll have to wait for something this good to come along again?



In terms of political satire, I think we'll wait a *very* long time.

Ianucci does definitive stuff. The Day Today, Partridge... they tore apart their respective subject matter and have never been bettered.


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 28, 2012)

Time for Chris Morris to step in then.


----------



## Firky (Oct 28, 2012)

little_legs said:


>


 
YES!!!

Funniest part of the entire season,


----------



## paolo (Oct 28, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> Time for Chris Morris to step in then.



Seems to have vanished


----------



## Firky (Oct 28, 2012)

paolo said:


> Seems to have vanished


 
He wrote a great deal of Stewart Lee's material for Comedy Vehicle he also directed Ianucci's American version of TTOI, Veep. He's still very much around.

I saw him two mornings in a row at Kennington tube.


----------



## paolo (Oct 28, 2012)

Writing for Stewart Lee? I'd never have guessed that. But if he's working closely with Ianucci, it fits I guess.


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 28, 2012)

firky said:


> He wrote a great deal of Stewart Lee's material for Comedy Vehicle he also directed Ianucci's American version of TTOI, Veep. He's still very much around.
> 
> I saw him two mornings in a row at Kennington tube.


I was just checking wiki...Morris, Ianucci, Coogan and so many others came up around the same time and were involved in so many projects, alongside Brooker, Herring, Lee, Linehan and others.....some not always to my taste but top quality stuff all round, really.


----------



## paolo (Oct 28, 2012)

A quick google suggests he script supervised / edited. Not trying to demean that, but it fits more with my perception that Lee's material is roughly his own, albeit shaped and tidied for TV.


----------



## paolo (Oct 28, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> I was just checking wiki...Morris, Ianucci, Coogan and so many others came up around the same time and were involved in so many projects, alongside Brooker, Herring, Lee, Linehan and others.....some not always to my taste but top quality stuff all round, really.



Linehan I place separately. He's one of the contemporary crew, clearly talented, but doing old-school format. No new ground broken. (I won't for one minute suggest doing laughter-track sitcom is easy. Arguably, in these times, it's harder).


----------



## Firky (Oct 28, 2012)

Well my point was that he is still working albeit in more hidden role, I am sure I heard Lee said he helped him write a lot of his material - which is obviously what he meant but I took it to mean in a different capacity.

Linehan is a bit stale.


----------



## paolo (Oct 28, 2012)

firky said:


> Well my point was that he is still working albeit in more hidden role, I am sure I heard Lee said he helped him write a lot of his material - which is obviously what he meant but I took it to mean in a different capacity.
> 
> Linehan is a bit stale.



No no, fair enough. Good to hear what he's been up to. There must be alot of people who'd like to see him back at the coal face. His stuff was brutal... feels like we're in less confrontational times in comedy, right when the climate suggest it should be the opposite.


----------



## neonwilderness (Oct 28, 2012)

firky said:


> Linehan is a bit stale.


He is too busy on Twitter these days 

The IT Crowd is ok, but no where near as good as his previous stuff.


----------



## Firky (Oct 28, 2012)

Twitter's great, if you're quick enough you can be the first to reply to a celebrity's message with a load of abuse. I reckon Lily Allen has got me on ignore by now, horribly twee liberal bellowing fuck pig of a woman.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 28, 2012)

firky said:


> He wrote a great deal of Stewart Lee's material for Comedy Vehicle he also directed Ianucci's American version of TTOI, Veep. He's still very much around.
> 
> I saw him two mornings in a row at Kennington tube.


He didn't write any material afaik. He was just script editor. Which meant he just had a couple of conversation with lee about it.


----------



## Firky (Oct 28, 2012)

I am a song editor for Lily Allen, I told her that her last song was shit and that her dad should drop ricin instead of MDMA on national TV.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 28, 2012)

That's not very nice


----------



## Firky (Oct 29, 2012)

I am trying my utmost to get arrested for tweeting


----------



## poului (Oct 29, 2012)

"What a great day..."

"I'm meeting in my office. What a SHIT day!"


----------



## discokermit (Oct 29, 2012)

shittest episode of the lot. fucking awful. not a single laugh.


----------



## magneze (Oct 29, 2012)

No that was the one before.


----------



## discokermit (Oct 29, 2012)

magneze said:


> No that was the one before.


compromise, joint shittest episode.


----------



## magneze (Oct 29, 2012)

The other one was twice as long.


----------



## discokermit (Oct 29, 2012)

magneze said:


> The other one was twice as long.


grrrrrr. you win this time, magneze.


----------



## DrRingDing (Oct 29, 2012)

So very satisfyingly good.


----------



## stavros (Oct 30, 2012)

DexterTCN said:


> I was just checking wiki...Morris, Ianucci, Coogan and so many others came up around the same time and were involved in so many projects, alongside Brooker, Herring, Lee, Linehan and others.....some not always to my taste but top quality stuff all round, really.


 
In their _Fist of Fun_ days, Lee and Herring used to say they were the most mediocre comedy double act (apart from Punt and Dennis), citing the fact that they wrote for _On The Hour_, and left before it went onto massive TV success as _The Day Today_.


----------



## stavros (Oct 31, 2012)

I don't know when this series was written and shot, but one of Olly's lines was more than a bit topical;

"Dear Jim, can you fix it for both parts of the coalition to completely fuck up at the same time?"


----------



## editor (Nov 5, 2012)

"Download rice"


----------



## neonwilderness (Nov 5, 2012)

You mincing fucking cunt


----------



## stavros (Nov 6, 2012)

They shouldn't bring it back, because to top that final episode would be difficult, difficult, lemon difficult.


----------



## Kuso (Nov 7, 2012)

The whole series is on iPlayer atm, I sat and watched them all back to back on Sunday there- much funnier the second time round and viewed together as a series instead of each week.

^^ agreed, the last episode was totes amazeballs (  at myself for saying that)


----------



## Firky (Nov 9, 2012)

It's available on itunes for the seriously stupid.


----------



## stavros (Nov 10, 2012)

firky said:


> It's available on itunes for the seriously stupid.


 
So fucking dense, light bends round them.


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 11, 2012)

Kuso said:


> The whole series is on iPlayer atm, I sat and watched them all back to back on Sunday there- much funnier the second time round and viewed together as a series instead of each week.


is it? where? i need to see the last 2 episodes!


----------



## Kuso (Nov 11, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> is it? where? i need to see the last 2 episodes!


 
it isn't any more unfortunately.  I suppsoe they normally keep things up there for a week after they've been aired


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 11, 2012)

Kuso said:


> it isn't any more unfortunately. I suppsoe they normally keep things up there for a week after they've been aired


so how come you saw it on iplayer?


----------



## discokermit (Nov 11, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> so how come you saw it on iplayer?


they were shitter than the others anyway. i wouldn't bother.


----------



## Kuso (Nov 11, 2012)

I watched it last weekend on iPlayer on virgin , I dunno, it's definitely not there now though.  they musta just had it up for a 2 weeks after the last episode or something


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 11, 2012)

Kuso said:


> I watched it last weekend on iPlayer on virgin , I dunno, it's definitely not there now though. they musta just had it up for a 2 weeks after the last episode or something


ah right, it's just i was looking last week and it wasn't there, but that was online not any of the cable/sat platform iplayers


----------



## Firky (Nov 11, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> so how come you saw it on iplayer?


It's on torrents


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 11, 2012)

i'm sure it is, but i cannot download big files at the mo


----------



## Firky (Nov 11, 2012)

:-(


----------



## rekil (Nov 12, 2012)

What's Simon Blackwell's background? Suspicious lack of any mention of schools on his wiki.


----------



## neonwilderness (Nov 13, 2012)

"Omnishambles" has been named word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20309441


----------



## ferrelhadley (Nov 15, 2012)

> There were reports yesterday that a peace deal was reached by Mr Cameron in which Mr Davey is given a joint sign off on every decision taken by Mr Hayes.


The double stamp arrives at DOSAC DECC


----------



## neonwilderness (Nov 15, 2012)

They will be brining in The Fucker next


----------



## Lord Camomile (Nov 23, 2012)




----------



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 23, 2012)

Heh. Where from?


----------



## Lord Camomile (Nov 23, 2012)

The pic's from Amazon but I think it's just a general release.


----------



## Looby (Nov 24, 2012)

Lord Camomile said:


>



Oooh!

The bbc shop is actually cheaper than amazon. I've never thought to look there but it came up on google.


----------



## stavros (Nov 24, 2012)

*Goes straight to the top of my Christmas list*


----------



## pennimania (Nov 24, 2012)

I ordered  it about 10 days ago

mr mania's xmas present (if I can resist it before the 25th)


----------



## stavros (Nov 25, 2012)

It was £35 in HMV I saw today.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 25, 2012)

£25 on the BBC shop.


----------



## stavros (Nov 25, 2012)

Yep, that's where I'll suggest my gift-giver gets it from.


----------



## neonwilderness (Jan 9, 2013)

I got the box set for Christmas so am working me through it all again.  The extras are very good too, one of the highlights being Peter locking Stuart in his bathroom in the oppositions view to Spinners and Losers


----------



## Balbi (Jan 9, 2013)

neonwilderness said:


> I got the box set for Christmas so am working me through it all again. The extras are very good too, one of the highlights being Peter locking Stuart in his bathroom in the oppositions view to Spinners and Losers


 
Which was an extra, and not in the original broadcast - god knows why


----------



## Crispy (Jan 9, 2013)

Balbi said:


> Which was an extra, and not in the original broadcast - god knows why


It was available on the red button


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 9, 2013)

Crispy said:


> It was available on the red button


 
Yup.


----------



## stavros (Jan 9, 2013)

I started on the box set last night. It's been a long time since I saw the first series, but it was good to see Hugh again, with his Snooper Force benefit scrounger plan being quite apt at the moment.

Malcolm was reasonably placid in this episode.


----------



## Looby (Jan 9, 2013)

We've got the new box set too. Watched s1 on Sunday night but viewing has been interrupted by my weeks training in London. 

When I suggested taking it with me I got a stern look. He'd better not have watched a second without me!


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 9, 2013)

stavros said:


> I started on the box set last night. It's been a long time since I saw the first series, but it was good to see Hugh again, with his Snooper Force benefit scrounger plan being quite apt at the moment.
> 
> Malcolm was reasonably placid in this episode.


 
The thing that struck me watching that ep last night is how young they all looked compared to the last series...


----------



## Balbi (Jan 9, 2013)

Malcolm especially. His hair was brown in episode one.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 9, 2013)

Balbi said:


> Malcolm especially. His hair was brown in episode one.


 
And not looking totally haggard either, Olly looks like he's about ten instead of you know 15.


----------



## Firky (Jan 9, 2013)

Best description of Olly from Malcom was "springer spaniel head". I still laugh at that now.


----------



## Balbi (Jan 9, 2013)

firky said:


> Best description of Olly from Malcom was "springer spaniel head". I still laugh at that now.



Mine's "and what say you, the little man in the red and yellow car"


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 9, 2013)

firky said:


> Best description of Olly from Malcom was "springer spaniel head". I still laugh at that now.


 
'Looks a bit like a Quentin Blake illustration...'


----------



## Firky (Jan 9, 2013)

Thing is he does look like a spriner spaniel, they have curly floppy ears covering their head and he has curly floppy hair covering his head. Brilliant


----------



## Firky (Jan 9, 2013)

I might go and buy the box set now


----------



## neonwilderness (Jan 9, 2013)

I'd forgotten there was a couple of references to Hugh looking like a nonce before he "went on holiday" too


----------



## Firky (Jan 9, 2013)

*Thank you for placing you order with BBC Shop.*
A confirmation email will be sent to malcom.tucker@gmail.com soon.

£25 - £4 cheaper than Amazon


----------



## Supine (Jan 10, 2013)

firky said:


> I might go and buy the box set now



I got it for Christmas. My mum is ace


----------



## stavros (Jan 10, 2013)

The Quentin Blake one wins it, I reckon, but "Foetus Boy" was another good one.


----------



## neonwilderness (Jan 12, 2013)

Season 3 tonight 

I've got a to-do list that's longer than a fucking Leonard Cohen song


----------



## stavros (Jan 12, 2013)

"Feet off the furniture, you Oxbridge twat. You're not on a punt now."

Episode three last night, with a nice foreseeing of the expenses scandal, with Hugh having a Notting Hill flat whilst living in the commuter belt. "Notting Hill Gate Gate" as Teri christened it.


----------



## Stigmata (Jan 13, 2013)

"Everyone else has a fuck-off huge grace-and-favour home, why can't I?"


----------



## stavros (Jan 21, 2013)

I just watched episode 4, Jamie's first full unleashing, although Malcolm still got the best line I think;

"I like to know whether I'm lying to save the skin of a tosser or a moron."


----------



## stavros (Jan 21, 2013)

neonwilderness said:


> I'd forgotten there was a couple of references to Hugh looking like a nonce before he "went on holiday" too


 
In the one I watched this evening had Hugh complaining about his profile picture on his website;

"Can you get rid of the of the photo of me with the moustache? I look like a disgraced Geography teacher."


----------



## Looby (Jan 21, 2013)

We watched series 3 yesterday (yes, all of it.  : o )

I think that might be my favourite, just the fucking uselessness of Nicola Murray makes it  all so wonderful. 

I bloody hate quoting telly and film stuff but I'm always looking for new ways to swear and feel like I should sit there with a notepad.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Jan 22, 2013)

Series three is 8 episodes! That's strong thick of it commitment. I'm watching through the box set atm. I think the character I loath most in the whole show is Ben Swain - there's not a single redeeming feature about that prick. Great to see him getting bullied to fuck by Malcolm.


----------



## stavros (Jan 22, 2013)

From watching them as they went out, the specials were the peak for me. However, it was quality through and through, not always relying on Malcolm and changing the ministers and their characteristics a lot.


----------



## Balbi (Jan 23, 2013)

Phil getting monstered by Malcolm while Olly looks through the door window giggling.


----------



## pennimania (Jan 24, 2013)

stavros said:


> From watching them as they went out, the specials were the peak for me. However, it was quality through and through, not always relying on Malcolm and changing the ministers and their characteristics a lot.


I love the specials best too. 

I've watched them umpteen times


----------



## stavros (Mar 6, 2013)

I watched the first special the other night, with Phil getting the best line with his comment watching Swain get taken apart by Paxman;

"This is like watching a lion rape a sheep, but in a bad way."


----------



## neonwilderness (Mar 6, 2013)

The TTOI Facebook page has been quite amusing lately too. Whoever runs it obviously thinks they're as funny as the writers when they're clearly not


----------



## dynamicbaddog (Aug 22, 2014)

Anyone watch VEEP? It's sort of the American verison . Created by Armando Iannucci and starring  Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as the Vice President. Quite getting into this  - I'm on the second season of it
http://www.hbo.com/veep#/


----------



## editor (Aug 22, 2014)

I so wish there was a new series.


----------



## Looby (Aug 22, 2014)

I'm enjoying Veep but it's no TTOI.

I guess we won't see another series whilst Capaldi is in Dr Who, if ever.


----------



## Favelado (Aug 22, 2014)

sparklefish said:


> I'm enjoying Veep but it's no TTOI.
> 
> I guess we won't see another series whilst Capaldi is in Dr Who, if ever.





Spoiler: TTOI ending spoiler



Tucker hiding from the press at the end of the last series is a definitive end for his character. Even in the unlikely event the programme came back, he's finished.


----------



## 8den (Aug 22, 2014)

sparklefish said:


> I'm enjoying Veep but it's no TTOI.
> 
> I guess we won't see another series whilst Capaldi is in Dr Who, if ever.



I think the tribunal was the end of The Thick of It. Besides I don't want to see Olly try and fill his boots.


----------



## Looby (Aug 22, 2014)

I know, you're both right but I still miss it.


----------



## 8den (Aug 22, 2014)

sparklefish said:


> I know, you're both right but I still miss it.



Just remember how bad some shows got when they went too long.


----------



## Looby (Aug 22, 2014)

8den said:


> Just remember how bad some shows got when they went too long.


 True.


----------



## neonwilderness (Aug 22, 2014)

I've recently started watching the series again, it gets better with each watch. I think it's ended in the right place, Tucker was finished after the enquiry so I think anything else would either get a bit silly or be an anti-climax.


----------



## zoooo (Aug 22, 2014)

dynamicbaddog said:


> Anyone watch VEEP? It's sort of the American verison . Created by Armando Iannucci and starring  Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as the Vice President. Quite getting into this  - I'm on the second season of it
> http://www.hbo.com/veep#/


I bloody love Veep. Has a different feel to The Thick Of It (for me) but they're both fantastic.


----------



## stavros (Aug 22, 2014)

editor said:


> I so wish there was a new series.



I disagree, as going out at the top is something that's quite rare, especially in comedy. One of my pet hates is the one-off specials they keep doing of Blackadder, especially when you consider how perfectly Goes Forth ended. Partridge has never topped the first series of IAP either, good as the second series and the film were.

Re. Veep, I want to see it and maybe some day I'll work out how to do this torrent malarky so I can. Iannucci very rarely misses the target.


----------



## Dandred (Aug 22, 2014)




----------



## stavros (Aug 23, 2014)

Has Malcolm told any Daleks to 'Kiss my sweaty balls, you fat fuck' yet?


----------



## DexterTCN (Aug 24, 2014)

Hoping for more sci-fi


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 3, 2021)

This today from TTOI's 'Swearing Consultant':


----------

