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| Spin doctor spin-off hits cinemas | Spin doctor spin-off hits cinemas |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter James Gandolfini plays as a US General loosely based on Colin Powell | By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter James Gandolfini plays as a US General loosely based on Colin Powell |
| If you had to choose a BBC comedy series to turn into a film, which one would it be? | If you had to choose a BBC comedy series to turn into a film, which one would it be? |
| Gavin and Stacey might make a passable Welsh romcom, or Little Britain could bring its greatest hits to the big screen. | Gavin and Stacey might make a passable Welsh romcom, or Little Britain could bring its greatest hits to the big screen. |
| But The Thick Of It? | But The Thick Of It? |
| A sharp, vicious political satire, the programme is a Bafta winner, although its most recent episode in July 2007 only drew 580,000 viewers to BBC Two. | A sharp, vicious political satire, the programme is a Bafta winner, although its most recent episode in July 2007 only drew 580,000 viewers to BBC Two. |
| Nonetheless, the series is coming to the big screen via a spin-off called In The Loop and, so far, the critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive. | Nonetheless, the series is coming to the big screen via a spin-off called In The Loop and, so far, the critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive. |
| "Achingly, wrenchingly, dizzyingly funny," wrote one US journalist after the film's premiere at the Sundance festival. | "Achingly, wrenchingly, dizzyingly funny," wrote one US journalist after the film's premiere at the Sundance festival. |
| The Telegraph called the cast - including Sopranos star James Gandolfini and Tom Hollander - "universally excellent". | The Telegraph called the cast - including Sopranos star James Gandolfini and Tom Hollander - "universally excellent". |
| 'Busking it' | 'Busking it' |
| The movie follows a British delegation during the build-up to a crucial UN vote to invade a Middle East country. | The movie follows a British delegation during the build-up to a crucial UN vote to invade a Middle East country. |
| Gaffe-prone minister Simon Forster (Hollander) is being courted by hawks in the US after telling reporters: "Britain must be ready to climb the mountain of conflict". | Gaffe-prone minister Simon Forster (Hollander) is being courted by hawks in the US after telling reporters: "Britain must be ready to climb the mountain of conflict". |
| But his off-the-cuff remark enrages the Prime Minister's communications director, Malcolm Tucker, who accuses the minister of behaving like "a Nazi Julie Andrews", and sets about trying to contain the damage. | But his off-the-cuff remark enrages the Prime Minister's communications director, Malcolm Tucker, who accuses the minister of behaving like "a Nazi Julie Andrews", and sets about trying to contain the damage. |
| Armando Iannucci's previous credits include Alan Partridge Q&A with Armando Iannucci | Armando Iannucci's previous credits include Alan Partridge Q&A with Armando Iannucci |
| In many ways, the film is a Doctor Strangelove for the spin doctor generation - but all the more chilling because its rooted in real events. | In many ways, the film is a Doctor Strangelove for the spin doctor generation - but all the more chilling because its rooted in real events. |
| "I was reading about what went on behind the scenes in the build-up to the Iraq invasion," says writer-director Armando Iannucci. | "I was reading about what went on behind the scenes in the build-up to the Iraq invasion," says writer-director Armando Iannucci. |
| "Part of me thought, 'this is awful, I want to scream', but part of me also thought it was inherently comic. | "Part of me thought, 'this is awful, I want to scream', but part of me also thought it was inherently comic. |
| "The world is run by little people who don't really know what they're doing. They're sort of busking it." | "The world is run by little people who don't really know what they're doing. They're sort of busking it." |
| Iannucci, who speaks in a bemused Glaswegian drawl, offers examples of some of the eye-opening discoveries he made while researching the film. | Iannucci, who speaks in a bemused Glaswegian drawl, offers examples of some of the eye-opening discoveries he made while researching the film. |
| "When I was out in Washington, I spoke to a 22-year-old who had been sent out to Baghdad to help draw up the constitution simply because he had a degree in constitutional studies. | "When I was out in Washington, I spoke to a 22-year-old who had been sent out to Baghdad to help draw up the constitution simply because he had a degree in constitutional studies. |
| "He didn't know how to drive or shave, but he and his iPod went out to Baghdad to help draw up a constitution. | "He didn't know how to drive or shave, but he and his iPod went out to Baghdad to help draw up a constitution. |
| I've never seen Alistair Campbell behave like Malcolm Tucker. Have you? Actor Peter Capaldi on the inspiration for his character | I've never seen Alistair Campbell behave like Malcolm Tucker. Have you? Actor Peter Capaldi on the inspiration for his character |
| In The Loop is enriched with such observations - the most frightening of which is a character who uses a live hand grenade as a paperweight, apparently in reference to Senator John Bolton. | In The Loop is enriched with such observations - the most frightening of which is a character who uses a live hand grenade as a paperweight, apparently in reference to Senator John Bolton. |
| However, the film may not be remembered so much for its politically accurate plot as for its inventively aggressive swearing. | However, the film may not be remembered so much for its politically accurate plot as for its inventively aggressive swearing. |
| The foul language is so ubiquitous that, had the crew decided to have a swear-box on set, the BBC could probably do away with the licence fee and run on its takings instead. | The foul language is so ubiquitous that, had the crew decided to have a swear-box on set, the BBC could probably do away with the licence fee and run on its takings instead. |
| "The swearing is all part of the realism," claims Iannucci - somewhat justified by the recent revelations of Damian McBride's smear e-mails. | "The swearing is all part of the realism," claims Iannucci - somewhat justified by the recent revelations of Damian McBride's smear e-mails. |
| "When you speak to people who work closely in politics, there's a lot of swearing. It's a very macho, testosterone-fuelled environment." | "When you speak to people who work closely in politics, there's a lot of swearing. It's a very macho, testosterone-fuelled environment." |
| Most of In The Loop's invective is delivered with scene-stealing venom by Tucker, a master of the political dark arts. | Most of In The Loop's invective is delivered with scene-stealing venom by Tucker, a master of the political dark arts. |
| He is the only major character to survive the transition from TV - which is both a blessing and a curse, says actor Peter Capaldi. | |
| "If you're Richard Wilson and people see you in the street they shout: 'I don't believe it'. But with me, people ask me to bollock them!" | "If you're Richard Wilson and people see you in the street they shout: 'I don't believe it'. But with me, people ask me to bollock them!" |
| Fans in power | Fans in power |
| Capaldi is widely assumed to have based his performance on Tony Blair's former director of communications, Alistair Campbell, but he dislikes the comparison. | Capaldi is widely assumed to have based his performance on Tony Blair's former director of communications, Alistair Campbell, but he dislikes the comparison. |
| "I don't know how Alistair Campbell speaks, I don't know how he dresses, I don't know how he conducts himself," he stresses. | "I don't know how Alistair Campbell speaks, I don't know how he dresses, I don't know how he conducts himself," he stresses. |
| "If people have decided Malcolm's like Alistair, what evidence do they have? What is it that they are pulling out of the zeitgeist or out of the ether to make that comparison? | "If people have decided Malcolm's like Alistair, what evidence do they have? What is it that they are pulling out of the zeitgeist or out of the ether to make that comparison? |
| Ministers preparing for war still have to meet with their constituents | Ministers preparing for war still have to meet with their constituents |
| "Because I've never seen Alistair Campbell behave like Malcolm Tucker. Have you?" | "Because I've never seen Alistair Campbell behave like Malcolm Tucker. Have you?" |
| And yet, such is Tucker's reputation amongst political circles that when Capaldi filmed a scene in Downing Street, he was asked into Number 10 to pose for photographs with his real-life counterparts - not to mention Alistair Darling and his wife. | And yet, such is Tucker's reputation amongst political circles that when Capaldi filmed a scene in Downing Street, he was asked into Number 10 to pose for photographs with his real-life counterparts - not to mention Alistair Darling and his wife. |
| Perhaps his reluctance to acknowledge Campbell's influence is because the former communications director branded In The Loop "boring" when reviewing it for BBC Two's The Culture Show. | Perhaps his reluctance to acknowledge Campbell's influence is because the former communications director branded In The Loop "boring" when reviewing it for BBC Two's The Culture Show. |
| "I think he's completely wrong, just utterly wrong," says Capaldi. | "I think he's completely wrong, just utterly wrong," says Capaldi. |
| "But then, I don't find his work particularly funny." | "But then, I don't find his work particularly funny." |
| Iannucci, however, has a more philosophical take on Campbell's negativity. | Iannucci, however, has a more philosophical take on Campbell's negativity. |
| "I worry that he found it boring because he'd seen it all before." | "I worry that he found it boring because he'd seen it all before." |
| In The Loop is released in the UK on Friday, 17 April and in July in the US. | In The Loop is released in the UK on Friday, 17 April and in July in the US. |
| Additional reporting by Colin Paterson. | Additional reporting by Colin Paterson. |