Saturday 31 October 2009

The Thick of It

It is good to see The Thick Of It back on tv, and the move from BBC4 to BBC2 is recognition of its popularity. I know there will be some people, possibly lots of people, who will be troubled by the bad language, but I’m ok with it as used in this programme, and think it’s a great series.

The use of hand held cameras, and some improvisation by the performers, gives it what we believe to be a truthful and ‘dangerous’ air. The presence of Martin Sixsmith, an ex Downing Street staffer, as a script adviser will also help lend authenticity. I know they had some opposition MP’s in series 2, but I wonder if it will sustain a change of (real) government next year. Will the creator Armando Ianucci want to continue it and make a Tory version, or will we simply have to watch the re-runs?

The first series back in 2005 was shot inside an empty office building in west London but the landlord reneged on the deal at very short notice, leaving the production in a hole. I got a call asking if I could suggest any empty commercial premises in that part of town and asked why they didn’t use this building - the BBC’s own Media Centre. Part of the 2nd floor was standing empty and so they moved in. You can see lots of it being used in this current series.


I hear that forthcoming episodes are set and/or shot in The Guardian and in Radio 5Live.

Incidentally, when I was Technical Director of Scottish Opera, way back at the beginning of the 1980’s, actor Peter Capaldi (who plays Malcolm Tucker) was a student in Glasgow and worked evenings as one of our costume dressers. Hasn’t he done well.



Don't forget: if you missed the programme, you can catch it on BBC iPlayer

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