Small Screen Scenes: BBC Home Entertainment's The Thick of It Seasons 1-4 Highly Recommended by Whom You Know! Our Coverage Sponsored by Stribling and Associates
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BBC Home Entertainment is renowned for the excellent quality of their programs, and with The Thick Of It, they have yet another winner! This witty and engaging series was the inspiration behind the Academy Award-nominated film In The Loop, as well as the HBO original series Veep, and it's easy to see why. There's nothing quite as funny as watching the foibles and miscues of government officials, and nobody does dry humor (or, should I say, "humour?") like the Brits! The Thick Of It, which debuted in 2005, follows the goings-on in the fictitious Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, which is clearly looked down upon by other departments, and which constantly finds itself under abuse from the Prime Minister's policy enforcer, Malcom Tucker (brilliantly portrayed by Peter Capaldi). In Seasons 1 and 2, the Minister of Social Affairs, Hugh Abbot, is played by Chris Langham, and in Seasons 3 & 4, after the Prime Minister's resignation, a new Minister, Nicola Murray, played by Rebecca Front, is appointed. Both actors to a beautiful job of bringing their characters to life, and the supporting cast throughout the series is stellar. Viewers will find themselves sitting through episode after hilarious episode, chuckling along and shaking their heads at the predicaments in which the ministers and their staffs find themselves. Backstabbing, lies, email debacles, and horrifying press conferences are just the tip of the iceberg, as inter-office politics and the seemingly ever-present Malcom provide plenty of added drama within the ministry. A must-see for any comedy fan, In The Thick of It is highly recommended by this panelist!
The Thick of It is another great comedy from BBC Home Entertainment. Nothing quite compares to the British wit, and this comedy is a quintessential example. The series follows the Department of Social Affairs through wacky situations. Each wacky situation calls for political scheming and even wackier attempts to deal with the situation. My favorite cast-member is Malcolm Tucker, the hilariously domineering (and often abusive) enforcer of Downing Street’s will. His facial expressions alone will have you laughing out loud. You’ll enjoy following them through the bumbling mistake of taking an actress’ word as gospel during a focus group study to all sorts of crass, insensitive, yet hilarious situations. Although it’s distinctly British, the situations can be understood in the context of our political environment and maneuvering. If you are in search of a series that is entertaining and full of dry wit and sarcasm, look no further than this entertaining production from BBC Home Entertainment!
This involved political series from BBC Home Entertainment may perhaps be a cross between The Office, The West Wing, and Spin City. But from a British point of view, of course. It's an ultra popular series that opens the back door to cabinet ministers. The agency under scrutiny pits PR against convoluted politicking that seems like the Keystone Kops meets Tammany Hall at times. Phraseology notwithstanding, doublespeak reaches professional levels as each day presents chess move after chess move as options, and solutions. "Sorting out" is the sport at hand with this crew, with #10 Downing Street the off screen (for the most part) Divine presence. But it's chess played by somewhat bumbling, quite lucky members of the team as they fall into play with each new Minister that is appointed to fill the empty shoes of the former. There's no "incidental" music track to distract, so all of your attention is captured by the fast paced dialogue. Lots of heavy hitting with the artfully crafted dialogue, aka swearing. It's said in the notes that a coach was brought in to fill in more, for extra added punch. You'll see and hear what we mean by that. The aggressive approach to text takes our attention away from any actual real-life events, although, as in West Wing, there may be a soupçon of an actual headline as the storyline. Our major actor, Malcolm soon to be the new Dr. Who on another cult series, is funniest when the veins aren't popping out of his forehead. This is a guy with anger management issues, constant and forever. Until he softens up a bit, and becomes actually likable. Keep watching the entire series, with the extras that BBC Home Entertainment has included in this set, because the merry-go-round keeps moving, and you won't want to miss a flyspeck of this script. Their writer is so good, he's been cribbed by our home grown political series, Veep, that won in the Emmys.
If you like political satire then you will love The Thick of It from BBC Home Entertainment. Find out what the Brits are raving about in this fantastic series. This 7 disc DVD set features season 1 through 4 in its entirely, guaranteed to get you hooked for more. This witty comedy and drama, set in present day, shows the inner working of the Department of Social Affairs and the backstabbing, lies and deceit which pave the road to success. Our characters are concerned with only one thing, their rise to top and the press covering the action, sound familiar? The acting is wonderful too, making you really feel like you have an exclusive seat at the table, very similar to The Office, with a political twist. This DVD set also features commentary, delegated scenes and much more. This fowl and funny series is thoroughly entertaining and will have you begging for more. Go get your politics on and get ready to laugh at in The Thick of It.
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THE THICK OF IT: SEASONS 1-4
Length: Approx. 750 mins + bonus materials / 7-disc set
The original BBC inspiration for the hilarious HBO series Veep as well as the Academy Award® nominated film In the Loop finally arrives on DVD with this collection. The Thick of It smashes its way through the corridors of power in a bulldozer of amusing slip-ups and sharp satire. This brilliant and hilarious series chronicles the blunders of the fictitious Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, a government department barely registering on the national radar. In this Ministry, every announcement is followed by a whirlwind of u-turns, every policy is a scramble and every mishap is met with abuse from the Prime Minister’s policy enforcer. Garlanded with rave reviews and packed with awards, this irreverent, brilliant, and painfully funny series is justly seen as a jewel in the BBC’s crown.
