in the loop

The Thick of It is not only one of the funniest shows in the history of British TV, it's the smartest most insightful political comedy in the history of the medium anywhere on the planet.

The news earlier this year that it's coming back for a second season on BBC2 after its original six episode run (and a Christmas special) trumps any announcement American TV comedies can muster.

In this new video -- shot while promoting In the Loop (a movie based on The Thick of It) -- series creator Armando Iannucci discussed the series' return to production.

I watched the feature film In the Loop the other day, a documentary-style comedy that looks behind the scenes of the British and U.S. governments. James Gandolfini plays Lt. Gen. George Miller, and all I could think was, "Hey, there's Tony Soprano in a U.S. military uniform." I think his character may have even said something along the lines of, "I'll break your kneecaps if..."

I know James Gandolfini has done a lot of projects since The Sopranos, but Tony Soprano is so cemented in my mind, I wonder if I'll ever see him as anything else. I have the same reaction when I see Steve Schirripa playing Leo on The Secret Life of the American Teenager. "Hey, that's Bobby Baccalieri!"