Malcolm Tucker Middle East, which the British Prime Minister and American President want. This he does by fabricating intelligence in what could be a fictionalised version of the so-called Dodgy Dossier issued by Alastair Campbell and used by the British government to justify its involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Campbell, who confessed to enjoying "The Thick of It" and even found it "hilarious", was vocal in expressing his dislike of the film version. Two months after the airing of the final episode of series four, Peter Capaldi appeared on GQ magazine's front cover as Malcolm Tucker and recorded a Christmas
The Thick of It swearing. It didn't get picked up, thank God." Other networks including HBO, Showtime, and NBC expressed interest in the show, and in April 2009, Iannucci re-entered talks with HBO over the possibility of an American adaptation. Although it is not a direct spin-off, "Veep" shares a similar tone and style with "The Thick of It". In November 2010 it was announced that HBO had ordered a pilot for a new series called "Veep", to be written, directed and produced by Iannucci. The pilot stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the leading role as vice president of the U.S. and also includes several