The Thick of It characters

Downing Street Director of Communication (series 1-3); Director of Communications for the Opposition (series 4)

Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Citizenship (series 3); Leader of the Opposition (series 4)

Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Social Affairs (series 1-3); Special Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition (series 4)

Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Social Affairs (series 1-3); Adviser to the Government on the Fourth Sector Initiative (series 4)

Senior Civil Service Press Officer to the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship (series 1-4)

Shadow Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Citizenship (series 3); Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Citizenship (series 4)

Secretary of State for Social Affairs (series 1-2)

Opposition Director of Communications (series 3); Government Director of Communications (series 4)

Special Adviser to the Shadow Secretary of State for Social Affairs (series 3); Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Social Affairs (series 4)

Special Adviser to the Shadow Secretary of State for Social Affairs (series 3); Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Social Affairs (series 4)

Minister of State for Social Affairs and Citizenship (series 4)

Night editor at the Daily Mail (series 2); Special Adviser to the Minister of State for Social Affairs and Citizenship (series 4)

Junior Minister (series 2); Deputy Opposition Leader, later Leader of the Opposition (series 4)

Junior Civil Service Press Officer to the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship (series 2-4)

Government Adviser on Efficiency (series 2); Member of the House of Lords (series 3-4)

Daily Mail journalist (series 1-2)

Minister in the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship (series 2); Minister in the Department of Education (series 3); Shadow Secretary of State (series 4)

Lord appointed to chair the inquiry into leaking (series 4)

Homeless psychiatric nurse whose death sparks the above inquiry (series 4)