As the third season of HBO's delightfully foul-mouthed Veep kicks into full gear, much has been made of the show's penchant for cursing and elaborate insults. And it's true that show creator Armando Iannucci and his writers have come up with a plethora of putdowns that relish in their own vulgarity. "It's poetry with four-letter words," said The Daily Beast's Kevin Fallon. If you find this type of salty language endlessly hilarious, might we suggest another show worth watching?
The Thick of It, which aired on the BBC for four seasons from 2005 to 2012 and produced a spin-off film, In the Loop, is Iannucci's first (and arguably most masterful) foray into the the world of unabashed swearing. Much like Veep, the show satirizes the antics of hapless government employees, this time in Britain's Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship. The show's success in Britain is what got Iannucci invited by HBO to create Veep in the first place.
While the show may at first be a bit difficult for American audiences to digest (the politics of British parliament are, after all, quite different than those of American government), the show is worth the effort for star and scene-stealer Malcolm Tucker (played by the newly anointed Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi). Don't believe me? All four seasons of The Thick of It are available to stream on Hulu. Or watch a supercut of his greatest hits below. --Samantha Rollins
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