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Hulu, BBC to co-produce ‘The Thick Of It’ political comedy
MUMBAI: Over-the-top (OTT) subscription service Hulu has announced its first international co-production with the BBC for the fourth season of Armando Iannucci’s political UK comedy ‘The Thick of It‘, through a partnership secured by BBC Worldwide Americas.
From 29 July, Hulu and Hulu Plus will be the exclusive US destination for fans to watch every episode from the first three seasons of the show as well as the two specials released between seasons in the UK.
‘The Thick of It‘ was initially broadcasted on BBC Four in the UK and BBC America in the U.S. Hulu will also exclusively premiere the fourth season in the US, which will air first on Hulu and Hulu Plus day-and-date with the UK broadcast before returning to BBC America early next year.
Created and written by Armando Iannucci, writer of HBO’s ‘Veep‘ and Oscar-nominated film ‘In the Loop‘, ‘The Thick of It‘ takes a satirical look at the inner workings of British government. Shot in a vérité style with handheld cameras, Iannucci’s distinctive brand of comedy thrusts viewers into a world of political embarrassment, backroom deals, policy U-turns, spin-doctoring, political backstabbing and wild media speculation.
Iannucci said, “This series takes ‘The Thick of It’ into exciting and uncharted territory: a new Coalition Government, and Malcolm and Nicola fretting in the wings. For the first time too a storyline takes us all the way through the series right to the bitter, bitter end, with Government and Opposition convulsed in an incident that questions every political convention imaginable, but in a funny way.”
Hulu senior VP of content Andy Forssell said, “I very quickly became obsessed with this show, and it is exactly the kind of show Hulu viewers will love. We’re really excited to give U.S. audiences a chance to catch up with all previous episodes, and as series co-producers for season four, we are proud to make full seasons of this distinctive and smart show available exclusively to Hulu viewers.”
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
