The best political series to put on your watchlist
Scandal
Scandal shows the dark side of politics, the shady backdoor deals, selfish betrayals and hurtful lies.
The Thick of It
TV Picks: Comedies
This Way Up – Full series available on All4
Comedian Aisling Bea writes and stars in this touching comedy about a woman recovering from a ‘teeny little nervous breakdown’. Bea plays Aine, a witty English-as-a-foreign-language teacher trying to get her life on track in London with the help of her sister Shona, played by Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe).
Jo Brand pens social worker sitcom for Channel 4
Commissioned by Channel 4 and produced by What Larks Productions, Damned was previously piloted for Sky two years ago with filming of the latest production to start next month.
The show comes soon after Brand's recent return as nurse Kim Wilde in BBC's Going Forward and is her first major Channel 4 project for ten years.
Armando Iannucci on his 20 years at the top
By many people's reckoning, Armando Iannucci is one of our greatest and funniest TV satirists. The political classes and the grammar and conceits of television have proved fertile ground for Iannucci's wit and his team of gifted collaborators, notably Steve Coogan, Rebecca Front and Chris Morris.
Profile: Armando Iannucci, writer, producer, director, performer
Armando Iannucci, best known for creating hit political comedies The Thick of It and Veep, began his comedy career while at university, appearing in two revues at the Edinburgh Fringe.
He entered working life at the BBC where he served as a radio producer on shows such as Just a Minute and Week Ending.
It was here that he met the likes of Chris Morris, Steve Coogan and Rebecca Front, creating On the Hour, a satirical show that parodied news broadcasting and where Coogan debuted his notorious Alan Partridge character.