The Thick of It_
Set in the corridors of power and spin, the Minister for Social Affairs is continually harassed by Number 10's policy enforcer and dependent on his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.
Created By
Armando Iannucci
Network
BBC Four
Episodes
21
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
BritBox
3 countries
Peacock
1 country
Hulu
1 country
BBC iPlayer
FREE
1 country
Watcha
1 country
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Overview
The Thick of It has 4 seasons with 21 episodes spanning 2005-2012.
Peter Capaldi →
Rating
With a 8.1/10 rating from 200 votes, The Thick of It is considered highly rated.
Year context
The Thick of It first aired 21 years ago in 2005.
CAST (6)
SEASONS (4 seasons, 21 episodes)
SEASON 1
01
Episode 1
Hugh Abbot is the Minister for Social Affairs and he's facing a policy crisis; his 'Snooper Squad' idea has been vetoed which leaves him with…
02
Episode 2
Hugh enlists the help of a focus group to help him make a decision between two policies.
03
Episode 3
An empty London flat threatens the future of a potential Housing Bill. Dan Miller is getting plenty of media-attention for his work on the bill,…
SEASON 2
01
Episode 1
Something goes terribly wrong at a ministerial visit to a factory – only Malcolm can help, but will he?
02
Episode 2
There's a reshuffle in the offing and the PM's new 'blue skies' advisor is making trouble...
03
Episode 3
Someone sends an email they shouldn't have, while Hugh lies to a Select Committee...
SEASON 3
01
Episode 1
Reshuffle day at Number 10. When the job at the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship is turned down by everybody else, there is no…
02
Episode 2
Nicola Murray MP has only been secretary of state for just over a week, but already there is press speculation on how long she will…
03
Episode 3
Nicola Murray is stuck in an Eastbourne hotel bedroom with nothing but a laptop, a printer and a tiny kettle while she and Olly try…
04
Episode 4
The civil servants at DoSAC are preparing for a visit from the DoSAC shadow minister Peter Mannion. For Mannion and his team, this informal pre-election…
05
Episode 5
After weeks of trading bitter blows in the press, DoSAC minister Nicola Murray MP and her shadow Peter Mannion MP are invited onto BBC Radio…
06
Episode 6
With the Prime Minister away at a summit in Spain, Malcolm Tucker is left at home to mind the shop. Just as Nicola Murray is…
07
Episode 7
Nicola Murray and her team are desperate to find a major sports personality to be the face of DoSAC's new Healthy Choices campaign. Malcolm's away…
08
Episode 8
As the election looms and the Opposition eye the prize, the word around the Westminster Village is that Malcolm Tucker is running out of both…
SEASON 4
01
Networked Nation
Peter Mannion, the Secretary of State for Social Affairs, gets told to launch his Coalition partner Fergus's new 'Networked Nation' policy at a school.
02
New Advisor
With Glenn gone, Nicola Murray is busy breaking in her new policy advisor, Helen Hatley. When Helen is accidentally photographed holding notes from an ideas…
03
Thought Camp
Stewart Pearson is running 'Thought Camp' at a remote country house hotel, as the perfect way to re-engage the party with the creative cloudscape.
04
Hear 2 Hear
With Nicola safely on a train to attend the party's Here 2 Hear in far-flung Bradford, Malcolm is free to launch his latest plot.
05
The Leak
With Nicola Murray and Peter Mannion both on the back foot after the unravelling of the key-worker housing sell-off policy there's inevitably going to be…
06
The Inquiry
The government, opposition and civil service are called before Lord Goolding's inquiry.
07
The Final Reckoning
Dan Miller gets sent on a fact-finding mission to the local cop-shop to press the flesh.
SERIES INFO
4
Seasons
21
Episodes
30 min/ep
Per Episode
Ended
Status
CREW
Creator
Armando Iannucci
NETWORKS (2)
BBC Four
BBC Two
AWARDS (1)
B
Chortle Awards
WON
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Thick of It about?
Set in the corridors of power and spin, the Minister for Social Affairs is continually harassed by Number 10's policy enforcer and dependent on his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.
Where can I watch The Thick of It?
The Thick of It is available on BritBox, Peacock, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Watcha. Availability varies by region.
How many seasons does The Thick of It have?
The Thick of It has 4 seasons with 21 episodes total.
Who created The Thick of It?
The Thick of It was created by Armando Iannucci.
Who stars in The Thick of It?
The cast of The Thick of It includes Peter Capaldi, Rebecca Front, Chris Addison, Joanna Scanlan, James Smith.
What is the rating of The Thick of It?
The Thick of It has a rating of 8.1 out of 10 based on 200 votes on TMDB.
Is The Thick of It still running?
The Thick of It has ended. The final episode aired on .
GENRES (1)
Comedy
