History Series / HouseOfCardsUK

--->'''Urquhart:''' Why are you doing this? What can possibly be in it for you?\\

[[quoteright:298:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/francis_urquhart1_5654.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:298:Ian Richardson as Francis Urquhart]]

* OedipusComplex: Mattie has a major Electra complex for Urqhart, explicitly saying that his being old enough to be her father is a big part of why she's attracted to him and wanting to call him "Daddy" as a pet name. At first he [[EveryoneHasStandards is a bit put-off by this]], but it begins to mould into reverse-form for him in later episodes, where he begins to wonder, "Why shouldn't I be everybody's Daddy?"

''House of Cards'' is a British TV show (based on the novel of the same name by Michael Dobbs) about Conservative Party chief whip Francis Urquhart (played by Creator/IanRichardson), a Machiavellian schemer who aims to become prime minister by any means necessary. Based in part on ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' and in part on ''Theatre/RichardIII'', this [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] series became very popular during the first series when, as Urquhart conspired to become prime minister after UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher resigns, [[LifeImitatesArt she actually did]] a mere ten days after the first episode aired.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: In the second series, Urquhart simply cannot understand why the king continues to speak out against the government when none of his policies have affected the king directly. When the king tells him its because he wants to see all of his subjects prosper and be happy, Urquhart laughs off the notion and simply believes the king wants to make a power play.

* AlternateUniverse: After Thatcher's resignation. Urquhart becomes Prime Minister [[spoiler:for a slightly longer term than Thatcher]], while both Thatcher and the Queen are implied to have died decades before their real-life deaths. Both the TV and novel versions of ''The Final Cut'' have a Conservative installed by Urquhart's machine, meaning that Labour would never have won an election between Thatcher's tenure (1979-1990) and Urquhart's ([[spoiler:approximately 2001]].)

* AlternateUniverse: After Thatcher's resignation. Urquhart becomes Prime Minister [[spoiler:for a slightly longer term than Thatcher]], the Queen is implied to have died in TheNineties, Thatcher herself seems to die many years before her RealLife death. Both the TV and novel versions of ''The Final Cut'' have a Conservative installed by Urquhart's machine, meaning that Labour would never have won an election between Thatcher's tenure (1979-1990) and Urquhart's ([[spoiler:approximately 2001]].)

* AsideComment: Urquhart often talks to the audience, both as exposition and telling us his own thoughts. It actually works better than one would expect. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Richardson As a long-term Shakespeare actor]], Richardson was probably quite comfortable with this updated version of the soliloquy.

* ElectraComplex: Mattie has a major one for Urqhart, explicitly saying that his being old enough to be her father is a big part of why she's attracted to him and wanting to call him "Daddy" as a pet name. At first he [[EveryoneHasStandards is a bit put-off by this]], but it begins to mould into reverse-form for him in later episodes, where he begins to wonder, "Why shouldn't I be everybody's Daddy?"

* ObfuscatingStupidity

* [[OedipusComplex Electra Complex]]: Mattie has a major one for Urqhart, explicitly saying that his being old enough to be her father is a big part of why she's attracted to him and wanting to call him "Daddy" as a pet name. At first he [[EveryoneHasStandards is a bit put-off by this]], but it begins to mould into reverse-form for him in later episodes, where he begins to wonder, "Why shouldn't I be everybody's Daddy?"

* FunWithAcronyms: Abrasive Frank Uruqhart's moniker '''FU''' needs no explanation.

''House of Cards'' is a British TV show (based on the novel of the same name by Michael Dodds) about Conservative Party chief whip Francis Urquhart (played by Creator/IanRichardson), a Machiavellian schemer who aims to become prime minister by any means necessary. Based in part on ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' and in part on ''Theatre/RichardIII'', this [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] series became very popular during the first series when, as Urquhart conspired to become prime minister after UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher resigns, [[LifeImitatesArt she actually did]] a mere ten days after the first episode aired.

Three series, each one based on a novel by Dodds, were made:

* AlternateUniverse: After Thatcher's resignation. Urquhart becomes prime minister [[spoiler:for a slightly longer term than Thatcher]], the Queen is implied to have died in TheNineties, Thatcher herself seems to die many years before her RealLife death. Both the TV and novel versions of ''The Final Cut'' have a Conservative installed by Urquhart's machine, meaning that Labour would never have won an election between Thatcher's tenure (1979-1990) and Urquhart's ([[spoiler:approximately 2001]].)
* AmbiguouslyGay: Tim Stamper. Though some background dialogue suggests he and his wife are looking for schools for at least one child, so his rather fey manner may not have anything to do with his sexuality. It was not unheard of in British politics for gay politicians of the time to put up a Family Man charade, so it's entirely possible that's what [[TheBeard the wife and child were part of]]. It's made considerably less ambiguous in "To Play the King" where Tim tears up a bit [[spoiler:as he explains to Sarah that he was turning over the incriminating tape after holding on to it for so long]] because he felt he had been used, and unfairly so, by Urquhart.

!!You might think ''House of Cards'' provides examples of the following tropes (We couldn't possibly comment):

* TheBadGuyWins
* BlueBlood: Urquhuat comes from an aristocratic background and shows disdain for other politicians who don't. Even before Henry Collingridge snubbed him for promotion, Urquhart didn't think he was worthy of being prime minister for his undistinguished background.

* CatchPhrase: "You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment." & "Put a bit of stick about"

* CouldSayItBut: His catchphrase, which means "No comment, but yes." (Naturally, he's often using it to imply self-serving narratives without actually lying.)

** Patrick Woolton is described as a racist, but never says anything indicating this. He has an affair with Penny (a black woman) yet oddly it is Roger (her long-term partner) that appears to fetishise her race, not Woolton. The closest he comes to this is his jingoistic speech about doing diplomacy with the Russians with his guns on his person, which would be xenophobia.

** Tom Makepeace can come across as one for Heseltine, who was Defence Secretary in Thatcher's Cabinet before resigning and who then worked to bring her down, finally bringing the leadership challenge against her that caused her to resign. Even his hairstyle looks similar.
** A rather odd example in the Health Secretary in the first series, Peter [=MacKenzie=]. Physically he looks very much like John Major, who at the time the series was being filmed was Chancellor of the Exchequer (though by the time it finished airing was PM). However, apart from being a Conservative Cabinet member, he doesn't seem to have much in common with him, being racist and considered an idiot by Urquhart.

** Geoffrey Booza-Pitt, who has a reputation as a harmless, somewhat buffoonish character, but is suggested to be much more clever than he looks. In the TV series he is undone by Urquhart's manipulations, but in the books his reputation lets him hang on in the succeeding government.

* PlayingBothSides: Clare Carlsen in ''The Final Cut'', knowing that the leadership issue will come to a head, becomes Urquhart's private secretary, but maintains her close contact with Tom Makepeace, divulging information about one to the other with abandon. Her plan, [[spoiler:which Booza-Pitt implies involves her becoming the succeeding PM of either, fails after the Cyprus massacre gives Makepeace a clear route to victory and forces him to disown her]].
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Urquhart himself, at least in the novel, is portrayed as casually dismissive of foreigners (for example, he almost immediately identifies an Indian-born constituent as trouble; he is also mentioned as having campaigned against foreign students taking away British university spots in the past) as well as Jews (once mocking the Jewish MP Samuels as a a "latter-day [[UsefulNotes/BenjaminDisraeli Disraeli]]").

** In The Final Cut, Francis himself begins facing near-unanimous calls for him to resign as Prime Minister after an incident in Cyprus ends with his orders to the army directly resulting in the deaths of several children. Plus, his own dirty dealings throughout the show are due to be revealed to the public. However, he never gets that far: [[spoiler: his wife has him assassinated in order to save his reputation and her retirement fund.]]

* UnholyMatrimony: Mr and Mrs Urquhart

* VictoryIsBoring: Urquhart spends the second and third seasons constantly feeling the need to stir up trouble just so he can have something to do.

''House of Cards'' is a British TV show and book about Conservative Party chief whip Francis Urquhart (played by Creator/IanRichardson), a Machiavellian schemer who aims to become prime minister by any means necessary. Based in part on ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' and in part on ''Theatre/RichardIII'', this [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] series became very popular during the first series when, as Urquhart conspired to become prime minister after UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher resigns, [[LifeImitatesArt she actually did]] a mere ten days after the first episode aired.

Three series were made:

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Urquhart himself, at least in the novel, is portrayed as casually dismissive of foreigners (almost immediately identifying an Indian-born constituent as trouble, and having campaigned against foreign students taking away British university spots in the past) and Jews (once describing the Jewish MP Samuels as a a "latter-day [[UsefulNotes/BenjaminDisraeli Disraeli]]").