Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-04-13
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 120 minutes

DVD Description
Special 2006
The team from the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship is back with brand-new, bigger problems to solve. Something goes terribly wrong on BBC2's Newsnight and everything begins to unravel for Malcolm Tucker, as enemies in the Government and the Opposition both make bids for power.

Special 2007
The Westminster village is now in meltdown after the Prime Minister's shock resignation. As all the various factions begin jockeying for the top jobs, Malcolm Tucker is now fighting to save his political career .

Synopsis
From the creator of The Day Today and I'm Alan Partridge, The Thick of It is a biting comedy satire set in the world of Westminster politics. The show follows the trials and tribulations of Hugo Abbot, a lowly MP who finds himself continually harassed by the PM’s policy enforcer. The Thick of It is an award-winning, and critically acclaimed series that is bolstered by the work of some of Britain's best comedy writers and a fine cast. This release includes the Summer and Christmas specials.

Customer Reviews

Special is the word!
I wonder if the BBC is releasing this to coincide with the release of In The Loop?! After all, they were shown on TV about 18 months ago and could quite easily have followed up or, even better, been on the original The Thick of It DVD (which is only six half-hour episodes).

Cynicism aside, these two are well worth having and are by far the funniest programmes to come out of the BBC in many a long year. Despite the absence of Chris Langham (for obvious reasons) there if no drop in quality and the focus switches in the first episode, The Rise of the Nutters, to the reluctant modernisation of Peter Mannion, Hugh Abbot's opposite number in the Conservative Party, and in the second, Spinners and Losers, to the machinations of various factions when the PM says his going to stand down.

Despite the brilliance of everyone in this, it is, of course, Peter Capaldi, who stands out as Malcolm Tucker, a character who takes swearing to new heights. In these episodes Capaldi's performance makes Tucker into his own perfect comic creation rather than having people wonder if he's just impersonating Alistair Campbell. Roger Allan is also superb as Peter Mannion as is Vincent Franklin as Stewart Pearson, the Tories' finger-on-the-pulse PR guru ("Are you an Ameri-can, Peter, or an Ameri-can't?").

Well written, fantastically acted, dangerously funny, this is as quotable as it gets. If you don't find it hilarious, you probably need help.

In The Thick Of The Thick Of It
I came in a little late to the The Thick Of It party, so these two specials were my first experience of the show, and I was immediately hooked - it really is as good as you may have heard!

Though watching the first series would help with knowledge of the main players, the key characters introduce themselves very effectively, and a whole raft of new characters helps to fill out the political spectrum after the departure of Chris Langham's Hugh Abbot MP. The introduction of the backward and foppish Opposition, and their PR officer's fight to bring them into the 21st century, is a joy to behold. Also featured is the grooming of a Junior Minister for Immigration, Ben Swain, advisor Olly Reeder's hopeless relationship with a member of the Opposition, and the infamous Malcolm Tucker fighting tooth and claw (does he know any other way?) for his political career with the resignation of the PM.

The writing in this series is terrific, and there isn't a single dud character, from the public-schooled opposition minister Peter Mannion to Tucker's even more vicious and foul-mouthed pitbull sidekick Jamie MacDonald.

These are two fantastic episodes which are a welcome addition to my DVD shelf - I can't wait for series 2!

Sweary Genius with Chatty Genius Extras, What's not to ****ing like?
I'll be brief. The Thick of It is profoundly important, cardiac arrestingly funny and deeply, unsettlingly, resonant for people who work anywhere near policy. I work somewhere near policy. This DVD exemplifies why, as a serious proposition, "UK PLC" is a disaster waiting to happen... again and again and again. However, as a comic proposition we're utterly indomitable. By way of a bonus, this product single handedly restores the reputation of DVD commentaries as a worthwhile endeavour. I swear by it...