The Thick of It, Series 1: Political Fictions podcast

The Thick of It, Series 1: Political Fictions podcast

Author: Mark Pack April 2, 2026 Duration: 52:06
A special treat for listening of this podcast: a new episode of my other podcast, Political Fictions: "Mark and Cory talk about political TV for the first time, and there’s nowhere better to start than The Thick of It. After rewatching the first series, they talk about which fictional policy proposals ended up becoming reality, why it’s important that focus groups thought Keir Starmer was an eagle, and given that Malcolm Tucker keeps screwing everything up perhaps the secret genius behind the British Government is actually Terri Coverley?" Show notes Subscribe to Political Fictions in all the usual places, or listen to it via www.politicalfictionspodcast.com. You can view the IMDB page for The Thick of It here. UK listeners can watch the show on BBC iPlayer. If you enjoyed our segment on focus groups, you may my post about them here (note the date). Cory’s email newsletter Paperback Rioter. Mark’s family of email newsletters. Our theme tune is “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and licensed under the Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Join Mark Pack for Never Mind The Bar Charts, a podcast that digs into the mechanics, personalities, and unexpected stories shaping British politics, with a particular eye on the Liberal Democrats. This isn't a dry recitation of policy papers or a simple replay of the week's headlines. Instead, Mark and his guests pull apart the political narratives, examining the strategies, the polling data behind the bar charts, and the human moments that often get lost in the Westminster fray. You'll hear conversations that go beyond the soundbites, offering analysis that is both insightful and accessible, whether you're a political insider or just a curious observer. The tone is conversational and often wry, with those promised stray digressions into history, culture, and the occasional oddity that makes politics so perpetually fascinating. It's a show for anyone who finds the 'how' and 'why' of political life more compelling than the 'what'. New episodes of this podcast regularly feature a range of voices from across the political spectrum, all brought together by Mark's long-standing expertise and genuine curiosity about the subject.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 100

Never Mind The Bar Charts
Podcast Episodes
New podcast: Political Fictions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15
Exciting news! This month I’m launching Political Fictions, a new podcast with Cory Hazlehurst, from the Not Enough Champagne podcast. It’s all about TV, film and books featuring politics. Take a listen to our trailer to…
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Duration: 59:14
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I've popped up on a movie podcast, War Movie Theatre with Rob Hutton and Duncan Weldon. Here is what they have to say about the show: "A 1964 film about accidental nuclear war from a legendary director and featuring a Ge…
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Duration: 45:58
This episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts features podcast favourite Phil Cowley talking about his new book, The Smallest Room in the House. It is crammed full of fun yet useful insights from political science. Listen to…
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Duration: 50:21
The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts sees me discuss with polling expert Steve Akehurst what has happened to Labour's July 2024 vote. We dive into the characteristics of those who voted for Starmer but are now…
Liberalism: a great new book focusing on what politicians do [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:34
The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts features an interview with Emeritus Professor Jonathan Parry, whose new book, Liberalism, explores the history of liberalism as a political idea in Britain. Parry emphasise…
Local elections 2025: the Lib Dem verdict [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:03
The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts saw me team up with John Potter and the Lib Dem Pod team to discuss the local elections. How did they go for the Liberal Democrats and what lessons are there for the party?…