The Five Best Political TV Shows

And no, Yes Minister and its successor do not feature anywhere.

5. A Very British Coup

This show is an odd one for me - it basically makes a far left British Prime Minister a hero, and as a result I find I have nothing politically in common with the central character. Therefore, it is a testament to the writing that I at any point give a shit about the increasingly malign conspiracy against him. But this realistic, and occasionally grim, look at what a truly left-wing government would face is absorbing drama. To be sure, it is in parts a left conspiracy theory, but for me it remains interesting and relevant since it shows the sort of powers that would conspire against a non-consensus government - regardless of the ruling party's ideology.

4. G.B.H.

Again, this is - in part - a left-wing paranoid fantasy. It suggests that the establishment would do anything to stop the left... But it is also much more than that. It is about the battle for the soul of the Labour Party in the 1980s/early 1990s. It is keen to point out the danger presented by the deeply unreasonable and dogmatic far left, and how their bullying tactics had to be fought. Sure, the end result of the ditching of the far left was Blairism, but the drama shows that the alternative to Nu Labour was not palatable either.

And in a sense this is far more than just a political drama - it is about secrets, manipulation, dealing with the past and mental illness. It is clever and compelling in its own right; in short, it is great drama regardless of the political content.

3. The West Wing

A lot of people seem to dislike The West Wing - in part, I think, because it is a Democrat administration running the country. Sure, there's a bias in the programme - but I'm not sure how possible it is to do a political TV show without some sort of a bias. And there is a certain amount of schmaltz in the show - particularly in the first few episodes, where every episode seemed to have a full-on GODBLESSAMERICA moment. But the show is, at its best, an extremely well-written and performed offering, with genuine wit and intelligence on show. It should also be noted that the show was perfectly happy to go very dark in some of its story lines, and no character was presented as flawless. Finally, it had some of the best season cliffhangers of any show out there (especially Season One, Two and Four - indeed, the title of this blog was taken from the Graham Greene quoted used in the superb episode that ended Season Two).

2. House of Cards

It contains one of TV's greatest anti-heros and is endlessly quoted, but the House of Cards trilogy is about more than the conniving of the central character. The plotting is tight, and the whole thing is perfectly realised. There is a degree of verisimilitude that can't be taken for granted, particularly since the Prime Minister elected at the end of the first series is a double murderer (he's actually killed twice that number, but we don't learn about that until The Final Cut). The idea that a candidate for the highest office could personally off those who stand in his way sounds ludicrous, but the way the piece is performed has it all making complete sense and being very credible at all times.

Of course, the law of diminishing returns rears its ugly head across the trilogy, and when our anti-hero bites the dust at the end of The Final Cut there is a feeling that this is for the best, and the whole thing has gone on for a bit too long. But in doing so, the series (intentionally or otherwise) mimics real life - after all, how many long-serving Prime Ministers leave you wanting more? It is fitting that The Final Cut should make you think that the whole thing has gone on for just a bit too long...

1. The Thick Of It

I'd argue that The Thick Of It is neither the best nor the most entertaining of the shows in this list; however, I think it is the most accurate. Which is why, for me, it is less of a comedy and more of a horror story. I mean, who would want the laws by which they have to live their lives being made up by panicking politicians on the hoof under the watchful, malevolent glare of an unaccountable Prime Ministerial advisor? Yet who doesn't believe that this is precisely how politics in this country operates?

That's why Yes Minister isn't in this list; as great as it was at the time, its relevance has been diminished by the rise of the likes of Malcolm Tucker, Ollie Reeder and the Fucker. And that is why The Thick Of It is top of the list, despite not being the best. It is about how politics operates today and why we should be so cynical about that politics and our politicians.