The best 11 political comedies and dramas you should watch right now, from The Thick of It to Yes Minister

It’s election day tomorrow, and after a draining few months of campaigning why not remember how it can be fun to watch politicians go head to head – fictional ones at least. With Rishi and Keir’s battle for Number 10 thankfully almost over, why not switch over to the shows that make politics watchable…

1. The Thick of It

From the brilliant Armando Iannucci, The Thick of It follows the bumbling ministers of the fictitious department of Social Affairs and Citizenship and their not-entirely-reliable team of (un)civil servants. With bitingly acerbic dialogue laced throughout each episode, it’s Peter Capaldi’s foul-mouthed policy enforcer Malcolm Tucker that steals every single scene, and makes The Thick of It some of the 21st century’s best political satire – though often it strays too uncomfortably close to the truth for comfort.

2. Veep

The American answer to The Thick of It (again written by Armando Iannucci), Veep follows eager Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as she attempts to leave her mark and legacy in high office – only to become distracted by political cat-and-mouse games. With its focus on American politics, Veep won’t be quite as relatable or as laugh-out-loud funny to British audiences as The Thick of It, but it’s still a hugely enjoyable satire on the American high office – particularly with an upcoming presidential election hurtling towards us.

3. Yes Minister

Considered one of the best sitcoms of all time, Yes Minister served as the inspiration for The Thick Of It as well as several other satirical TV shows. When useless and somewhat bumbling MP James Hacker takes control first of the department of Administrative Affairs and then of the government as prime minister, he finds himself up against the civil service – with Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby turning out to be one of Hacker’s biggest opponents.

4. Brexit: The Uncivil War

This 2019 two-parter about Dominic Cummings’s part in the 2016 Brexit referendum stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the man David Cameron described as “a career psychopath”. During a fictional inquiry, Cummings explains how he managed to galvanise the Vote Leave campaign and alter the direction of politics in the UK forever. Written by James Graham, it’s brutal and brilliant as it shows how Cummings tapped into the diamond-eyed idealism of a bygone era – that perhaps never really existed.

5. Parks and Recreation

The absurd antics of ditzy, if well-meaning, mid-level bureaucrat Leslie Knope as she tries and open a community park in her area have seen Parks and Rec become a bit of a cult classic. Amy Poehler is fantastic as the air-headed, eternally optimistic Knope, and Nick Offerman’s performance as grumpy Ron Swanson provides necessary, hilarious balance. Parks and Rec’s success has seen several real politicians appear on the programme, including former First Lady Michelle Obama and President Biden.

6. The Politician

The Politician Season 2: In Pictures

From the creators of Glee, this zany Netflix comedy drama follows Payton Hobart (Ben Platt) as he wrestles his way to the top of the greasy political pole. Each season sees him tackle a new race among the political landscape, with series one following his run for student body president, while the new season looks at Ben run for a seat in the New York State Senate. It’s not the biting political satire you may be looking for, but there’s enough soapy, silly fun to keep viewers entertained.

7. West Wing

Aaron Sorkin’s Nineties political drama is the best of best – ignore the detractors who say it’s too sentimental, didactic and idealistic. Democratic president Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his utterly brilliant staffers fizz with ambition and cracking one-liners as they face one cataclysmic event after another. The consensus says it lost some power after the third series – we disagree.

8. The Good Wife

This highly-acclaimed drama follows Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) as she returns to her law career after her husband, a former state attorney, is embroiled in a sex and corruption scandal. One of the show’s most compelling components is Alicia’s evolution over the show’s seven seasons, as she transforms from prey to predator.

9. Bodyguard

BBC's The Bodyguard - In pictures

If you missed out on Jed Mercurio’s political thriller, now is the time to catch up. Helmand veteran David Budd is assigned to be the Principal Protection Officer to up-and-coming (and highly divisive) Home Secretary Julia Montague. As tensions simmer between the two, a terrorist attack sees them torn apart – turning the thriller into a whodunnit.

10. House of Cards

A political thriller based on the 1989 novel by Michael Dobbs, the original House of Cards follows the terrifyingly manipulative antihero Francis Urquhart, the Chief Whip of the Conservative Party, as he navigates life in parliament after Margaret Thatcher's tenure has ended. Less flashy, more cerebral that the acclaimed Netflix version released over two decades later, it still remains a phenomenal piece of TV drama.

11. A Very English Scandal

Created and written by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, this excellent three-parter dramatises the Jeremy Thorpe scandal which rocked British politics in the late Seventies. Hugh Grant plays politician Thorpe whose long-term affair with disgruntled stable hand Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw) comes to destroy his career. While working as a fine comedy-drama, the series also provides a window into British politics at the time.