If you had your appetite whetted by In The Loop earlier this year - which is surely in line to make many people's top 10 of 2009 lists, including mine - then be buoyed further, as the show that it spun out of - The Thick Of It - is due back later this month. More foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker ranting? That sounds just perfect to us.

The show's creator, Armando Iannucci, has been revealing a few titbits about it via his Twitter feed. He said that the longer run the show is getting this time round means that there's going to be storylines running right through the series, all building up to a two-part finale which we suspect will be surrounding the general election that the show looks to be building towards.

Iannucci does reveal that the series episodes do involve one taking place at the final party conference prior to an election, and there will be new characters coming in from both the government and opposition benches. Plus, in Iannucci's words, "Rebecca Front is awesome as new Minister. She and Malcolm take series on a bit of a rollercoaster as it heads towards a looming election," and he also notes that "from the start Glen and Ollie fear their days in power are numbered".

The best news he dropped in, though, is that the new series will be starting at the end of this month on BBC Two, with repeats on BBC Four to follow. Marvellous.

Follow Armando Iannucci's Twitter feed here.