Absolute Power

See Absolute Power (book) for the 1996 book by David Baldacci and the Clint Eastwood film.

TV series

The television series was written by Guy Andrews, Mark Lawson and Andy Rattenbury, and had the tag "spin is dead, long live PR". Unlike most radio to tv sitcom transfers, none of the tv episodes were based on radio episodes. There are many differences to the radio version. Prentiss McCabe is a much more powerful and respected organisation than in the radio series. Martin McCabe is no longer at all naive and is much more worldly wise. The secret meetings with government representatives are gone and replaced with more cups of coffee with newspaper editors and private secretaries.

Related Topics:
Guy Andrews - Mark Lawson - Andy Rattenbury - Spin - PR

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While the radio series has one trainee, the tv version has several young professionals working at the agency. Most notable are Jamie Front (James Lance) and Alison Jackman (Zoe Telford). While Jamie is a brilliant liar and naturally devious, Alison is very intelligent but too honest and somewhat literal-minded. Charles Prentiss said of her, "Most of the young people here at Prentiss McCabe don't know their arse from their elbow, but with Alison you know she'll join the Royal Arse Society and get a book about elbows from the library." Also in the firm are Cat Durnford (Sally Bretton), the young party girl, and Nick Mayer (Nick Burns), Charles' PA.

Related Topics:
James Lance - Zoe Telford - Sally Bretton - Nick Burns

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Instead of political schemes, the agency concentrates on working with celebrities; something that is rare in the radio version. In the radio episode where McCabe works with a Big Brother contestant, this is shown as an exceptional event, but would be normal behavior in tv series. Contrariwise, in the TV episode "The House of Lords", Charles is mildly suprised to be contacted by a Government spin doctor.

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Notable cameo roles in the television series have included:

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• Fern Britton
• Angus Deayton
• Huw Edwards
• Gareth Hunt
• Mark Lawson
• Dermot Murnaghan
• Anneka Rice
• Phillip Schofield
• Ray Stubbs
• Anthea Turner
• Kirsty Wark

The London bombings

Owing to the terrorist attacks on London on the 7th and 21st of July 2005, the first episode of the second series (in which a member of the Bin Laden family attempted to buy British Airways) was shelved, and replaced with an episode from later in the series.

Related Topics:
Bin Laden - British Airways

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