Pop your dinner on a tray. Put your feet up. Forget your overcrowded inbox. It’s time to unwind. You work hard, and bureaucracies can be weird. Enjoy the catharsis of seeing your daily trials and triumphs played out on screen. It’s like work, without the stress.
We asked our community: What TV shows & films have made you happier, prouder or — alternatively — slightly embarrassed to be a public servant? Here’s what they recommended.
Utopia/Dreamland
An Australian satirical series following government employees tasked with implementing grand infrastructure projects, as they navigate bureaucracy, politics, and their own egos.
“It's best described in [its Wikipedia entry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(Australian_TV_series): the series follows the working lives of a team in the fictional Nation Building Authority, a newly created government organisation. The authority is responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects, from announcement to unveiling. The series explores the collision between bureaucracy and grand ambitions.”
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"The comedy that ensues is amazing and rings true in many jurisdictions, and even for some outside the public service - I found it hilarious while working in the private sector. Friends from the public sector confirmed how true it felt. The episode about responding to an FOI request is a must watch.” -Andrew Krupowicz, CPA, CA, CISA, CIA, Ontario Public Service, Canada.
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“Anyone who has worked in the public service in Australia will relate to this TV show. It is a funny take on what happens behind closed doors in government.”
Ikiru (1952) and its remake, Living (2022)
A powerful and heart-wrenching Japanese film that tells the story of a dying bureaucrat's search for meaning in his life. It was so good that it inspired last year’s British remake, Living.
“Basically about civil service, boredom, bureaucracy and the meaning of life.”
W1A
A tongue-in-cheek mockumentary looking at the inner-working of the BBC, the UK’s public-service broadcaster.
“While The Thick of It is the obvious (and excellent) choice for politicos, this modern interpretation of working within a large, complex and hierarchical organisation speaks to my experiences in government more.”
The Thick of It
A chaotic satire series that depicts the inner workings of a fictional government department in the UK.
“A brutal and hilarious (and sometimes scarily accurate!) view of working in government. It will have you laughing and maybe even nodding along uttering phrases like "we're just like that".
We couldn't find a creative commons image for these shows, so we asked an AI to draw "the West Wing meets The Thick of It in a parliamentary committee hearing".
The West Wing
A fast-paced, witty, and insightful political drama that offers a look at the inner workings of the White House and the lives of the President's staff.
“Although it's a US-based show, it showed a behind-the-scenes view of the excitement around working on contentious issues management.”
The Death of Stalin
A darkly hilarious and politically astute satire that brings to life the chaotic power struggle following the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
“A different cultural canvas for the incisive satirical minds behind The Thick of It and In the Loop. An incredibly grim and funny look at the extreme case of an autocratic cult of personality and how brittle the systems we take for granted — even the ones that help us survive — can be in the face of an atmosphere of terror.” - Ilan Muskat, Digital Communications Team Lead, Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Government of Ontario, Canada.
House of Cards (UK version) (US version)
Gripping and Machiavellian political dramas that follow the ruthless and manipulative schemes of a power-hungry political couple climbing their way to the top.
“The private lives of the public servants on the show were disturbing. The lengths they would go to for their political agenda was also very disturbing. But it makes for good TV.”
Yes, Minister
A hapless Cabinet Minister and his wily Permanent Secretary try to outmanoeuvre each other in a game of bureaucratic chess.
“It manages to shift seamlessly between absurdity and almost chilling accuracy. I live in Canada, 40 years later, and I can still watch episodes and think to myself "I remember that meeting..."
The Hollowmen
A sharp and hilarious political satire that follows the lives and antics of a fictional team of government advisors as they navigate their way through the maze of Australian bureaucracy.
“Most Australian public servants have seen, or at least seen references to, Utopia. The Hollowmen is by the same people. They are both hilarious, and scarily accurate. Any public servant will recognise themselves, their team or their leaders in Utopia. If you are closer to 'the top' of the organisation, The Hollowmen will hit close to home — whilst giving a hit of laughter.”
Parks & Recreation
A mockumentary-style comedy series that follows the antics of the Parks Department in the fictional US town of Pawnee, Indiana.
“The characters span the range of different attitudes that government workers have: the dedicated & workaholic optimist, the cynic, the intern, the 9-to-5er, the old timer who is somehow STILL here. The show does a great job of balancing the needlessly bureaucratic and political side of government with the true dedication of public servants who want to do good in their community. And it's really funny!”
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“It shows public servants that love their job and are completely devoted, as well as those that are not. It shows that being a public servant can be both rewarding and frustrating. It’s an opportunity to laugh at ourselves. (I recommend skipping the first 1 or 2 seasons.)” - Laura, Recruitment Coordinator, Canada.
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“This is a sitcom mockumentary of a local government branch of Parks and Recreation in the fictitious town of Pawnee, Indiana. Taking its style from the preceding hit sitcom mockumentary, ''The Office'', it is similar in comedic tropes with more of a public servant twist which will leave you laughing and cringing through all 7 seasons.”
Want more recommendations? Check out our list of the top podcasts for public servants, as well as the community’s most impactful reads and listens of 2022.
(Image Credit: Alex Litvin, Unsplash)
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