Remembering John Bird - star of this satirical take on the media world

Absolute Power

Prentiss McCabe client Nigel Harting is a television presenter who specialises in revealing sensational facts. But newspaper editor Marcus Payne has discovered that Nigel plays fast and loose with his sources.

History Man

Absolute Power - Series 1 - Episode 1

1. History Man

absolute-power

EPISODE

How does one re-launch the career of a junior frontline politician marginalised in the Tory party? The politician in question is 'spokes-bore' Joanne Standing, and Charles reluctantly takes on her campaign.

Tory Woman

Absolute Power - Series 1 - Episode 3

3. Tory Woman

When Health Secretary Simon Wellington is involved in an incident on Hampstead Heath, Charles agrees to help him, and faces a spin doctor even more Machiavellian than he is.

Mr Fox

Absolute Power - Series 1 - Episode 4

4. Mr Fox

Successful novelist, Roddy Growse, orchestrates the appointment of Prentiss McCabe to represent The Real Country Union, a pressure group that has decided to launch itself as a political party.

Country Life

Absolute Power - Series 1 - Episode 5

5. Country Life

A hugely lucrative golden handcuff deal is jeopardised when one of Charles' clients, comedian Alan Boardman, is caught on CCTV camera beating up his girlfriend in the IKEA car park. The strategy Charles proposes is as unethical as it is shocking.

Crash and Burn

Absolute Power - Series 1 - Episode 6

6. Crash and Burn

Series 1

The House of Lords is in need of reform, or at least a more contemporary image.

Identity Crisis

Absolute Power - Series 2 - Episode 1

1. Identity Crisis

Charles Prentiss becomes the subject of spin after he invents an under-age sex scandal to promote a client's books and is put on trial for perjury. The trial becomes a cause célèbre of Jeffrey Archer-like proportions.

The Trial

Absolute Power - Series 2 - Episode 2

2. The Trial

With Charles in prison, Martin is left in charge. His latest client is an artist who has the potential to win the Turner Prize, but claims he wants no part of the art world media circus.

Blood Bank

Absolute Power - Series 2 - Episode 3

3. Blood Bank

When a Saudi Arabian businessman offers public relations maestros Prentiss and McCabe vast amounts of money to help him buy British Airways, it seems an irresistible proposition - until they discover his name is Bin Laden.

The Nation's Favourite

Absolute Power - Series 2 - Episode 4

4. The Nation's Favourite

When hamburger sales start plummeting, together with other American imports, it appears there is a substantial post-Iraq backlash. Prentiss McCabe is called in to spin the unspinnable - to make the people of Britain fall in love with America again.

Spinning America

Absolute Power - Series 2 - Episode 5

5. Spinning America

The Government needs to be seen to be doing something radical about reforming the House of Lords so Charles's arch rival, Press secretary Colin Priestly, asks him to come up with a headline-grabbing strategy.