It was screened late on Thursday evenings on BBC One and hosted by former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil, with a panel of two commentators, one from the right and the other from the left of the political spectrum.

Mick Hucknall of pop group Simply Red sang "Nobody Does It Better" to Neil and the 'Final Show' was closed by 'Quiet Man' covering "Make Luv" (sic).

The two were ostensibly an "odd couple" coming from different sides of the political spectrum (albeit with a long-standing friendship dating back to when both attended grammar school in Harrow, even having appeared in a production of Macbeth together).

[9] During her unsuccessful campaign in 2010 to lead the Labour Party and her subsequent tenure as Shadow Minister for Public Health, Abbott began making only occasional appearances, her ability to speak without constraint becoming noticeable.

For example, during the 2005 General Election, the show's title sequence spoofed the recently re-released version of "Is This the Way to Amarillo" and its video featuring comedian Peter Kay.

Since 2013, Neil's golden retriever Miss Molly also frequently appeared on the show, often walking in front of the camera during shots or choosing to sleep next to guests.

This Week was often spoofed on the BBC Radio 4 Comedy Show Dead Ringers, where Andrew Neil interviewed Diane Abbott and then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn often popped up.

While giving out the Twitter and Facebook handles for the show (in the process, creatively mangling the names of the social media sites), Neil also insisted that no comments posted by viewers would be read.

Following Diane Abbott's departure from the show, Neil would joke that her leadership bid and later appointment as Shadow Minister for Public Health were part of her "insatiable lust for power".