In the Loop small roles, Samantha Harrington, Eve Matheson, and Will Smith. The only characters from the show, however, are Malcolm Tucker (Capaldi) and Jamie McDonald (Higgins), with brief appearances by Tucker's secretary Sam Cassidy (Harrington) and journalist Angela Heaney (Lucinda Raikes). The other "Thick of It" actors who appear play new characters, albeit very similar to the ones they portrayed in the series. Likewise, Anna Chlumsky went on to portray a similar but nominally different character in the subsequent American series, "Veep". The writing of "In The Loop" followed the methods developed during "The Thick of It" television series. Co-writer Jesse Armstrong
The Blacklist (TV series) 2015, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on September 22, 2016. A spin-off series, "", premiered on February 23, 2017. On May 11, 2017, the series was renewed for a fifth season, while the spin-off was canceled the following day. The fifth season premiered on September 27, 2017. After showing a screening of the pilot at Comic-Con, producers revealed that their inspiration for "The Blacklist" came from the capture of Whitey Bulger. Recalling the experience in an interview with Collider, executive producer John Eisendrath stated: NBC bought the rights to "The Blacklist" from Sony Pictures Television