In the UK we had a series called GBH that blew me away as a young person. I keep meaning to rewatch it to see if it's as good as I remember.
I've watched GBH a few times since it aired and I think it still holds up. Certainly give it a go if you get the chance. The original UK TV version of 'Edge of Darkness' is also still very, very watchable. Some remarkable scenes and performances.
I've watched it recently, and it's super-fun, but not thoughtful or deep. It's just a LibDem/Tory slander against Militant starring a cartoon character sexually impotent lefty pol who pours campaign fund champagne over hookers while plotting petty revenge against his childhood enemies, slapping children and wetting the bed.
Nelson is Bleasdale's hero: long standing Labour member. Wants to teach kids, but would never cross a picket line. Doesn't use the personal stuff the establishment have dug up to discredit Murray. &c
Incidentally, I lived near Hatton back in the day. He had done extremely well financially out of his time at the council.
You can't reasonably accuse Alan Bleasdale of being anything close to a LibDem/Tory propagandist. Not without shifting the Overton window to a preposterous degree. There's a lot of space to place one's self in between Blair and Militant without because accused of betraying Labour's principles.