I suppose now’s my chance to write about it too. Writing my review of In The Loop was strangely enjoyable – at the time I wrote that it was the scariest horror film I’d ever seen, and Malcolm Tucker, as far as evil villains go, has a body count the envy of monsters the world over. Comedy? Are you sure? So, hey, why don’t I  write about the Political Anorak’s favourite TV programme – The Thick of It, or “that documentary about New Labour they have on the arty channel.”

See, I’m starting to believe that Armando Iannucci isn’t all that impressed with everyone loving Malcolm Tucker, uncritically, simply because he’s funny when he swears. He doesn’t want to look back, in ten years, and think that he’d abandoned all artistic integrity by turning the programme into nothing but a few hours of angry scottish people shouting a lot.

Armando doesn’t actually write the ultra-swearing himself, which, I suppose, makes people only wanting funny swearing all the more depressing. There’s more to Thick of It than threats involving balls and anuses… really really good threats involving balls and anuses, admittedly:

“I think we should use the carrot and stick approach. Yeah.. take a carrot, stick it up his fucking arse, followed by the stick,  followed by an even bigger, rougher carrot.”

But still – there has to be more to it than that, right?

So this new series of the Thick of It sees a very different (although still genitally and anally obsessed) Tucker – one that’s not actually in control of the media any more – the media, in fact, have started laughing at him. We’re seeing this new pathetic, helpless Malcolm Tucker and, I think, that’s a much more truthful – and biting – satire of the current Government.

The Thick of It’s true genius is the blurring of reality and fiction. Where does the documentary end and the satire begin? Like Tina Fey’s devastating portrayal of Sarah Palin, Armando simply takes the truth and adds a few winks here and there, and that’s all it needs – the absurdity and horror of the reality is comedy enough.

But perhaps that’s also the problem. Perhaps it’s just a little bit too close to reality for comfort. Maybe – just maybe – this series isn’t quite as funny because this time most of us are thinking, “Oh God! They’re STILL in power!” which kind of makes me want to do some Tucker style swearing myself.

While I’m on the subject of Thick of It, this week’s episode was notable for the presence of the bloggers… here’s Tucker again:

“Oh yeah, I read all the blogs cos I’m an under-employed, fat fucking loser, cos I’ve got nothing better to do with my time than to sit in my bedroom like a fat space-hopper in a tracksuit, reading endless, inconsequential, un-spell checked shit, fabricated by other fat fucking losers.”

It’s true. I don’t spell check and you – yes you – look like a space-hopper.