--- title: "The Thick of It: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-thick-of-it/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-thick-of-it" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Thick of It (2005): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. The reviews are close to unanimous: seven of eight are warm. Critics call the series a political satire for the age of the spin doctor, a Yes, Minister with the manners removed, and praise the way its semi-improvised, fly-on-the-wall style makes ministerial chaos ring true. The praise gathers almost entirely around Peter Capaldi’s Malcolm Tucker, whose inventive swearing and the fear he spreads through every corridor are named again and again as the show’s engine. The one real dissent comes from the Telegraph, which finds the later series still funny but diminished, an echo of its earlier self once the move to coalition politics leaves Tucker without a peak to occupy. Elsewhere the reservations are slight: Radio Times notes a tonal shift in the finale, and several critics writing after 2012 spend as much time on the show’s influence over later satires as on the episodes themselves. The spread is narrow, apart from that single outlier. ## The Guardian — Kathryn Flett Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2005. The critic finds Armando Iannucci's political satire a triumphant Yes, Minister for the cynical age of spin doctors, profoundly unmissable and one of the funniest things on television. She singles out the pitch-perfect portrayal of the foul-mouthed enforcer Malcolm Tucker and the frantic, authentic detail of ministerial chaos for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2005/may/22/features.review57) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 2007. The Thick of It delivers the finest pitch-black comic vitriol aimed at Whitehall in years, a welcome upgrade on earlier political satires like Yes, Minister. It excels through its fly-on-the-wall style, improvisation from a tight script, and standout performances, especially Peter Capaldi as the fearsome Malcolm Tucker. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/thick-review/) ## The Times Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 October 2005. The critic praises the show as superbly acted and semi-improvised, highlighting its ring-true details of spin-obsessed government and the hailstorm of expletives that capture the behind-closed-doors reality. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/last-nights-tv-x2x66khdk59) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 September 2012. The critic hails the series as hilariously obscene political satire, far superior to its US remake Veep, with Malcolm Tucker as its explosive comic centerpiece. It singles out the inventive swearing, PR disasters, and sharp character work for praise. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/the-thick-of-it-the-most-perfectly-obscene-tv-show-ever.html) ## The AV Club — David Sims Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2012. The review highlights the show's realistic yet farcical portrayal of government dysfunction and the palpable fear inspired by Malcolm Tucker. It notes that even the formidable spin doctor is fallible. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-thick-of-it-series-1-episodes-1-and-2-1798172990) ## Radio Times — Jack Seale Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 November 2012. The critic praises the series' sharp satirical point that politicians and spin doctors operate in a bubble with no regard for the electorate. The finale is noted for its tonal shift and fitting exit for Malcolm Tucker. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/that-week-on-tv-the-year-the-town-hall-shrank-bbc4-the-thick-of-it-bbc2/) ## The Telegraph — Michael Deacon Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2012. The critic finds the return of the series still funny but diminished without Malcolm Tucker at his peak, feeling like an echo of its former self amid the shift to coalition politics. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9529415/The-Thick-of-It-BBC-Two-review.html) ## Collider — Greer Riddell Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 April 2026. The critic calls the series a gloriously cynical workplace sitcom that holds up a mirror to British politics and its 'omnishambles.' Malcolm Tucker's profane, blistering dialogue and the show's believable disasters are singled out for praise, along with its lasting influence on later political satires. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-thick-of-it-political-satire-sitcom/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/the-thick-of-it.md