Like political obsessives across the country, I grieved this weekend as The Thick of It came to an end. Being misquoted so it sounds like English isn’t my first language in a newspaper article about it was hardly a consolation.
I actually think it got better and better, with the Lib Dems in the final series being particularly well observed. But (no spoilers) it would be hard to do more after that finale.
So what are your other favourite British political dramas/comedies etc? My top four consists of these three plus TToI:
- Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister. No explanation required. Nukes, the media, national service.
- A Very British Coup. Chris Mullin’s glorious fantasy of a proper Labour leader winning where Kinnock failed. Channel 4, 1988 – whole thing here.
- House of Cards etc. Owned entirely by Ian Richardson’s wonderfully vicious Francis Urquhart (pictured above), even more than Capaldi’s Tucker owned TToI. Sample monologue.
Go on – what should I add to that list? One thing that’s definitely missing is anything by way of Scottish political drama or comedy. Come on BBC/STV, let’s be having something: a dramatisation of Brookmyre’s Boiling A Frog at least.
#1 by Stuart on October 29, 2012 - 12:04 pm
If it counts, I’d say The Hunt for Tony Blair was brilliant- Stephen Mangan as Mr Blair and Jennifer Saunders as Thatcher were hilarious.
#2 by Gryff on October 29, 2012 - 12:04 pm
State of Play always seems to be forgotten, but it is still a very fresh bit of television.
I think Holyrood is too small for a Scottish TToI or a Yes First Minister. Both these benefitted from the obscurity and seperation of the Department for Administrative Affairs and DoSAC respectively.
On the other hand I think Scotland would be the perfect setting for a remake of Borgen.
#3 by Indy on October 29, 2012 - 1:35 pm
GBH was a great series. Alan Bleasdale. Tragi-comic tale with Derek Hattonesque hero brilliantly played by Robert Lindsay.
But it was so much of its time not sure it would resonate now.
Still incredibly funny though.
#4 by Allan on October 29, 2012 - 6:48 pm
Drat & Double drat, Gryff got there first with “State Of Play”. Still probably the best political drama in the past decade. That was the start of David Morrisey’s own hat trick of great dramas, that also included “The Deal” (introducing Michael Sheen’s remarkable capturing of the essence of Blair).
On adaptations of Brookmyre… Don’t. just don’t. STV’s adaptation of “Quite Ugly One Morning” was awful, truely dreadful.
#5 by James on October 29, 2012 - 6:51 pm
Oh, I didn’t know they’d done one. I’ll avoid 😉
#6 by Allan on October 29, 2012 - 7:41 pm
They did… James Nesbitt as Jack Lapsley Parliabane… no thanks!!!
#7 by Doug Daniel on October 29, 2012 - 10:37 pm
Can’t really add anything to those already mentioned – Yes Minister/PM is just brilliant and we still use phrases like “brave decision” today. House of Cards ditto with “I couldn’t possibly comment”, and anyone who hasn’t seen it or GBH should definitely get the box sets and clear a space in their calendar for watching them.
State of Play would have been my addition, but Gryff got their first. One of my favourites and right up there with the sort of shows we only seem to get from Scandinavia these days – very much a “okay, we’ll watch ONE more episode, but then we’ll go to our beds…” type series. The Deal is good, but maybe not quite as engaging, maybe mainly because it’s a one-off rather than a serial. Presumably Sheen’s other two Blair outings (The Queen and The Special Relationship) are similarly good? I’m sure I’m missing a really obvious one…
One from my childhood, and can’t remember much about it, but… The New Statesman?
(Spitting Image and HIGNFY presumably don’t count for this sort of list?)
#8 by No_Offence_Alan on October 30, 2012 - 12:32 am
I nominate John Mortimer’s “Paradise Postponed” starring the superb David Threlfall.
#9 by mav on October 30, 2012 - 11:12 pm
I’m trying to remember what it was called. It was a Comic Strip production. Robbie Coltrane as Ken Livingston, Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson… The name?
#10 by James on October 31, 2012 - 3:27 pm
GLC: The Carnage Continues..
Starring Robbie Coltrane as Charles Bronson as Ken Livingstone, etc. Good choice!