The Thick of It backdrop
Comedy

The Worst Episodes of The Thick of It

Every episode of The Thick of It ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Thick of It!

Binge this in 10h 52m•Peaking at 8.8/10

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.

Airs on
BBC FourBBC Two
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons4

All1234

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    The Thick of It Season 4 Episode 1 - Networked Nation
    7.4/10(469 votes)

    #1 - Networked Nation

    S4:E1

    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.

    Director:Natalie Bailey
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. The Thick of It Season 1 Episode 1 - Episode 1
    7.7/10(849 votes)

    #2 - Episode 1

    S1:E1

    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 just forty minutes to come up with a new policy.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Sam Bain

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. The Thick of It Season 1 Episode 3 - Episode 3
    7.8/10(670 votes)

    #3 - Episode 3

    S1:E3

    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, which is creating a degree of envy.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Simon Blackwell

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. The Thick of It Season 2 Episode 2 - Episode 2
    7.8/10(583 votes)

    #4 - Episode 2

    S2:E2

    There's a reshuffle in the offing and the PM's new 'blue skies' advisor is making trouble...

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writers:Simon Blackwell, Jesse Armstrong, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. The Thick of It Season 4 Episode 2 - New Advisor
    7.8/10(438 votes)

    #5 - New Advisor

    S4:E2

    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 meeting, Nicola is understandably angry.

    Director:Billy Sneddon
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. The Thick of It Season 3 Episode 4 - Episode 4
    7.9/10(478 votes)

    #6 - Episode 4

    S3:E4

    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 briefing is a good opportunity to measure up for new curtains. For Terri Coverley, this principally means putting on a bit more make-up. For Nicola Murray, it is simply another distraction on a day when nothing seems to be going right. All she really wants to do is get Glenn and Olly to kick-start the Fourth Sector Pathfinder Initiative. And then she gets a call.

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of The Thick of It

    READ
  7. The Thick of It Season 1 Episode 2 - Episode 2
    8.0/10(728 votes)

    #7 - Episode 2

    S1:E2

    Hugh enlists the help of a focus group to help him make a decision between two policies.

    Director:Unknown
    Writers:Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. The Thick of It Season 3 Episode 1 - Episode 1
    8.0/10(521 votes)

    #8 - Episode 1

    S3:E1

    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 option but to promote unknown quantity Nicola Murry to the Cabinet. The downside is she is very keen, has a husband who works for a company that has government contracts, has an 11-year-old about to go to a private school and is about to face the media at a crucial by-election poster launch. Something will have to be done.

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writers:Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. The Thick of It Season 3 Episode 8 - Episode 8
    8.1/10(462 votes)

    #9 - Episode 8

    S3:E8

    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 options and friends. He may have bitten off more than he can chew with Steve Fleming, but when an offer of help appears from an unlikely direction, Malcolm starts to set his finest trap yet.

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writers:Simon Blackwell, Jesse Armstrong

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. The Thick of It Season 4 Episode 3 - Thought Camp
    8.1/10(453 votes)

    #10 - Thought Camp

    S4:E3

    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.

    Director:Natalie Bailey
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. The Thick of It Season 4 Episode 5 - The Leak
    8.1/10(433 votes)

    #11 - The Leak

    S4:E5

    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 a scramble for the moral high-ground.

    Director:Chris Addison
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. The Thick of It Season 2 Episode 1 - Episode 1
    8.2/10(641 votes)

    #12 - Episode 1

    S2:E1

    Something goes terribly wrong at a ministerial visit to a factory – only Malcolm can help, but will he?

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writers:Simon Blackwell, Jesse Armstrong, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. The Thick of It Season 3 Episode 6 - Episode 6
    8.2/10(505 votes)

    #13 - Episode 6

    S3:E6

    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 about to launch her Fourth Sector Initiative to the media, the media decide that what they really want is someone to launch another leadership contest. Does Nicola have what it takes and, if she does, can Malcolm take it away from her before she does any damage?

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writer:Simon Blackwell

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. The Thick of It Season 4 Episode 4 - Hear 2 Hear
    8.2/10(428 votes)

    #14 - Hear 2 Hear

    S4:E4

    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.

    Director:Becky Martin
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. The Thick of It Season 3 Episode 3 - Episode 3
    8.3/10(513 votes)

    #15 - Episode 3

    S3:E3

    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 to finish her speech for the annual party conference. It's not going well. But Glenn has brought in his secret weapon - Julie Price, tragic widow, people's champion and regional photo opportunity. Is this the breakthrough they need, or the start of a tug-of-Julie with Malcolm Tucker?

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writer:Tony Roche

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. The Thick of It Season 4 Episode 7 - The Final Reckoning
    8.3/10(426 votes)

    #16 - The Final Reckoning

    S4:E7

    Dan Miller gets sent on a fact-finding mission to the local cop-shop to press the flesh.

    Director:Tony Roche
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. The Thick of It Season 2 Episode 3 - Episode 3
    8.4/10(606 votes)

    #17 - Episode 3

    S2:E3

    Someone sends an email they shouldn't have, while Hugh lies to a Select Committee...

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writers:Simon Blackwell, Jesse Armstrong, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. The Thick of It Season 3 Episode 2 - Episode 2
    8.4/10(523 votes)

    #18 - Episode 2

    S3:E2

    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 last. And now someone at the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship has completely wiped the immigration records of 170,672 people. Who's going to get the blame, who will have to break the news to Malcolm and how will Nicola get through lunch with the staff of the Guardian without revealing the scale of the latest disaster?

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writers:Jesse Armstrong, Roger Drew

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. The Thick of It Season 3 Episode 7 - Episode 7
    8.5/10(497 votes)

    #19 - Episode 7

    S3:E7

    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 on holiday and doesn't want to be disturbed, so they take advice from Steve Fleming, who's back on the scene as the PM's new fixer. Is Steve really as nice as he seems? Everyone knows Malcolm never takes holidays, so what's he up to now?

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writers:Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. The Thick of It Season 3 Episode 5 - Episode 5
    8.7/10(578 votes)

    #20 - Episode 5

    S3:E5

    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 5Live for a debate on Richard Bacon's late-night phone-in programme. Director of communications Malcolm Tucker and opposition PR guru Stewart Pearson decide to listen in the comfort of their respective offices, but when some breaking news threatens to make things difficult for the politicians, the programme quickly turns into a phone-in like no other. Malcolm and Stewart are left no choice but to start getting their people over to the studios.

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writers:Roger Drew, Tony Roche

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. The Thick of It Season 4 Episode 6 - The Inquiry
    8.8/10(550 votes)

    #21 - The Inquiry

    S4:E6

    The government, opposition and civil service are called before Lord Goolding's inquiry.

    Director:Armando Iannucci
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"Networked Nation" is the worst rated episode of "The Thick of It". It scored 7.4/10 based on 469 votes. Directed by Natalie Bailey and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/8/2012. This episode scored 0.3 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Episode 1".