Former home secretary Jacqui Smith was among the MPs who turned out for a special screening of political comedy The Thick Of It last night.
A new series of the BAFTA award-winning comedy begins on BBC Two on Saturday.
Creator Armando Iannucci and members of the cast chatted with MPs and journalists before and after the screening, which was well-received.
Smith was joined by former Cabinet colleague Hazel Blears, who told ePolitix.com she has been busy in her Salford constituency since leaving government earlier this year.
Other former ministers who attended included Caroline Flint, David Cairns, Siobhan McDonagh, Meg Munn, Joan Ryan, Parmjit Dhanda and Chris Mullin.
The Conservatives were represented by head of press Henry Macrory and internet honcho Sam Coates, who recently launched online campaigning network myconservatives.com.
Actor James Smith, who plays special adviser Glen, and new cast member Rebecca Front attended the screening.
The second series of The Thick Of It sees Malcolm Tucker, the foul-mouthed and fearsome director of communications, played by Peter Capaldi, fighting fires caused by the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship (DoSAC).
The first episode begins with a reshuffle – the last before a general election.
Naive backbench MP Nicola Murray, played by Rebecca Front, finds herself elevated into the Cabinet as social affairs secretary.
The new minister retains the services of special adviser Ollie, played by Chris Addison, and Glen, played by James Smith.
Joanna Scanlan returns as Terri, the ineffectual departmental press secretary.
Later episodes in the new series will "welcome back Her Majesty's loyal opposition in the form of Peter Mannion, played by Roger Allam, as they try to steal the initiative from the government".
After the screening MPs and former minister testified – off the record – that the show is chillingly accurate in its satire of modern British politics.
Speaking beforehand, Iannucci recalled that Alastair Campbell, former head of communications for Tony Blair, has always rejected comparisons made between himself and Tucker.
While in Washington DC promoting In The Loop, the film spin-off from The Thick Of It, Iannucci said he bumped into John Prescott, former deputy prime minister.
Prescott announced he had seen the movie and commented: "That's Alastair, that is".
The Thick Of It begins on Saturday at 10.10pm on BBC Two.
