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The Thick of It: Seasons 1-4 DVD review




  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 7
  • Rated: NR (Not Rated)
  • Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: August 6, 2013










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            If you have ever longed for a show which has the awkward sense of humor of “The Office” paired with the political savvy of “The West Wing,” this British satire is exactly that. “The Thick of It” follows the misadventures of the fictitious government offices of the Department of Social Affairs led by successive ministers, Hugh Abbot and Nicola Murray (Chris Langham and Rebecca Front). The series ran for four seasons and was the inspiration for the feature film, In the Loop, and HBO’s series, “Veep.”

     

            The series focuses on the daily spin put on the news in order to keep the truth from the public, though it mostly just points out the incompetence and uselessness of the positions. The Department of Social Affairs has several different cabinet ministers, with one being fired in the pilot episode. The one constant is the abusive party leader, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), who is the one to do the firing and a majority of the creative cursing that the show is famous for. They even employed a special writer just to come up with some of the more inflammatory insults used in each episode.

     

            This seven disc set includes all four seasons that make up the complete series. The first two discs are shorter, contained entirely on one disc each season. The third and fourth each take two discs each, with longer seasons, and there is a seventh disc with the specials. The special features are contained on each season along the way, which were all previously released discs combined in this set. The special features include commentaries on select episodes, deleted scenes and outtakes, and a number of making-of featurettes for the more dedicated fans.

           

     

    Entertainment Value: 7/10

    Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

    Historical Significance: 7/10

    Disc Features: 7/10

     

     

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