Veep

Veep
Intertitle from seasons 1–5
Genre Political satire
Comedy
Created by Armando Iannucci
Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Anna Chlumsky
Tony Hale
Reid Scott
Timothy Simons
Matt Walsh
Sufe Bradshaw
Kevin Dunn
Gary Cole
Sam Richardson
Composer(s) Rupert Gregson-Williams
Christopher Willis
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 6
No. of episodes 58 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Armando Iannucci
Christopher Godsick
Frank Rich
Chris Addison
Simon Blackwell
Tony Roche
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Stephanie Laing
David Mandel
Production location(s) Baltimore, Maryland (seasons 1–4)
Los Angeles, California (season 5–present)
Camera setup Single camera
Running time 26–30 minutes
Production company(s) HBO Entertainment
Dundee Productions (2012–15)
Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution
HBO Enterprises
Release
Original network HBO
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
Original release April 22, 2012 (2012-04-22) – present
Chronology
Related shows The Thick of It
In the Loop
External links
Website

Veep is an American political satire comedy television series, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, that premiered on HBO on April 22, 2012.[1] The series was created by Scottish writer Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his British sitcom The Thick of It. Veep is set in the office of Selina Meyer, a fictional vice president (and, later, president) of the United States. The series follows Meyer and her team as they attempt to make their mark and leave a legacy without getting tripped up in the day-to-day political games that define the American government.[2]

Veep has received critical acclaim, and has won several major awards. It has been nominated six years in a row for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, winning the award for its fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons. Its second and fourth seasons won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Comedy Series, and the third season won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. Louis-Dreyfus' performance as Selina Meyer has won her six consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Critics' Choice Television Awards, a Television Critics Association Award, and five consecutive Golden Globe nominations. For his portrayal of Selina's personal aide, Tony Hale has received five consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, winning in 2013 and 2015. Supporting cast members have also received Emmy nominations, among them Anna Chlumsky (five nominations), Gary Cole (one nomination), Hugh Laurie (one nomination), and Matt Walsh (two nominations).

The series has been renewed for a seventh and final season,[3][4] which is scheduled to premiere in spring 2019 and consist of seven episodes.[5][6]

Synopsis

Julia Louis-Dreyfus portrays the series' main character, Selina Meyer.

The series follows the personal life and political career of Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the Vice President and later President of the United States. Her party affiliation is unknown, though hinted in the fourth season finale to be Democratic. Formerly a United States Senator from Maryland, Meyer campaigns for her party's nomination in the 2012 presidential election and is initially the front-runner, but ultimately loses the nomination to Stuart Hughes. Meyer subsequently joins the Hughes ticket as his running mate and is elected Vice President. Her staff as Vice President, upon whom Meyer is totally reliant, includes chief of staff Amy Brookheimer (Anna Chlumsky); director of communications Mike McClintock (Matt Walsh); deputy director of communications Dan Egan (Reid Scott); and body man Gary Walsh (Tony Hale). Later additions to her team as president include White House Chief of Staff Ben Cafferty (Kevin Dunn) and political strategist Kent Davison (Gary Cole). Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons), initially a White House liaison to the Vice President's office and later a New Hampshire congressman, also features prominently.

At the outset of the series, Meyer frequently finds herself relegated and ignored by Hughes. In the second season, Meyer comes to accrue some power and influence and, by the end of the season, is actively considering challenging Hughes for their party's nomination in the 2016 election. This becomes a moot point when Hughes decides not to seek a second term and Meyer begins her presidential campaign in the third season. Hughes abruptly resigns and Meyer assumes the presidency at the end of the season; the fourth season finds her adjusting to her new role while continuing her presidential campaign, both of which are undermined by a series of scandals. The election results in a tie between Meyer and challenger Bill O'Brien (Brad Leland), leading to a vote in the House of Representatives during the fifth season to decide the next president after a recount in Nevada fails to alter the election's outcome. The House vote ends in a tie, leading to the Senate voting to elect the Vice President. The Senate vote also ends in a tie; Meyer's Vice President Andrew Doyle (Phil Reeves), who did not run for a full term, casts the tiebreaking vote for O'Brien's running mate Laura Montez (Andrea Savage) instead of Meyer's running mate Tom James (Hugh Laurie), leading to Montez becoming president. The sixth season follows Meyer out of office for the first time in the series, as she attempts to ensure her legacy by authoring a memoir, setting up a foundation and attempting to establish a presidential library. At the end of the season, Meyer decides to run for president again.

The series also explores Meyer's personal life, such as her strained relationships with her daughter Catherine (Sarah Sutherland), ex-husband Andrew (David Pasquesi) and a number of significant others. The lives, careers and relationships of the other characters are also explored, frequently intersecting with the series' principal narrative, satirizing the politicking which defines the inner workings of the contemporary U.S. government.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer (née Eaton):[7] a former Maryland Senator who, in the start of the series, is the titular Vice President, or "Veep", who has a strained relationship with the President. After the President declines to run for a second term, she begins campaigning for the presidency in Season 3. At the end of Season 3, she becomes President when he resigns for personal issues. Due to a complex manipulation of constitutional law, she loses the presidential race in Season 5. She is divorced with one daughter, but remains romantically entangled with her ex-husband during the first two seasons and the sixth. Louis-Dreyfus has received widespread critical acclaim for her performance, winning a record-breaking six Primetime Emmy Awards[8] and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and receiving five consecutive Golden Globe nominations.
  • Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer:[9] the Vice President's Chief of Staff. She credits herself as the Vice President's "trouble-shooter, problem-solver, issue-mediator, doubt-remover, conscience-examiner, thought-thinker and all-round everything-doer". Amy is constantly sacrificing her own reputation to save Selina's political credibility. She is known to be uptight and overly dedicated to her career, unwilling to settle down and have children, much to the dismay of her family. She has romantic history with Dan, and may still have feelings for him. Amy becomes Selina's campaign manager during her presidential run, but resigns as a result of the brief appointment of an equivocating, yet omnipresent, old friend of Selina's to the campaign team. She rejoins the Meyer team when a tie in the general election leads to a statewide recount in Nevada. Chlumsky previously portrayed a similar character, Liza Weld, in Iannucci's 2009 film, In the Loop. She has received five consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her performance.
  • Tony Hale as Gary Walsh:[10] Selina's personal aide and body man. A long-term associate and confidant of Selina, Gary is portrayed as incredibly loyal and devoted. Despite his menial job, Gary is actually a graduate of Cornell University, having majored in hotel management. In the fourth and fifth seasons, Gary is portrayed as having issues adapting to Selina's presidency, since he can no longer be as close to her as previously, due to lack of security clearance. When Selina fails to win reelection, he remains on as her personal aide. Hale describes Gary's loyalty to Selina stemming from the idea that the character "is one of those guys who never really had an identity. He attached himself to people to find who he was."[11] Hale received two Primetime Emmy Awards for his performance on the series, with three further nominations.
  • Reid Scott as Dan Egan:[12] the Deputy Director of Communications in the Vice President's Office, Dan is a highly ambitious up-and-comer in D.C. who takes pride in his contacts and networking skills. He has dated the daughters of influential politicians to get ahead in his career. He often butts heads with Amy, whom he previously dated (and it is suggested he may still have feelings for her). He is fired from the presidential staff after a mental breakdown following several crises. After briefly working unsuccessfully as a lobbyist and as a CNN analyst, he returns to the campaign staff, as a senior campaign official. When Selina fails to win reelection, Dan goes to work at CBS.
  • Timothy Simons as Jonah Ryan:[13] the White House liaison to Vice President Meyer's office, he constantly clashes with most members of the Veep's office, particularly Amy. It is shown that he is disliked by everyone he encounters, even foreign politicians. In the third season, he is temporarily fired from the White House for running a blog disclosing insider information, leading him to create his own news website, Ryantology. In season four, he works again as a liaison, this time between President Meyer and Vice President Doyle. He later works for the Meyer general election campaign, until a New Hampshire congressman dies. He is then drafted to run for that seat in order to secure Meyer's vote in the electoral college. He is elected and becomes a congressman, appointing Richard as his Chief of Staff. According to Matt Walsh, Jonah Ryan was originally envisioned by the show's writers as "just a fat, short, heavy smoker", but was changed to his current characterization after Simons rehearsed for the role.[14]
  • Matt Walsh as Mike McLintock:[15] the Vice President's Director of Communications. Mike has served as her Communications Director since her tenure as Senator from Maryland. His career dedication is often questionable, to the extent where he pretends to have a pet dog so he can escape from work commitments. The other characters in the show often mock his lack of ambition, suggesting that he's reached the peak of his career. In the third season, he marries a reporter named Wendy Keegan. In Season 4, Mike becomes the White House Press Secretary. In Season 5, Mike and Wendy attempt to adopt a baby. They ultimately adopt a Chinese toddler, and also have twins via a surrogate. Walsh has received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performance.
  • Sufe Bradshaw as Sue Wilson:[16] the Vice President's personal secretary. A direct and no-nonsense personality, Sue boasts she is the third most important person in the world, as she is the one who arranges for people to see Selina, the second most important person in the world. In a deposition, the judge states that Sue "could organize the D-Day landings and still have time for Iwo Jima". Sue becomes the Chief of Scheduling for the White House in Season 4. She remains on in that capacity when President Montez is inaugurated. Bradshaw based her character on that of a DMV employee, elaborating that, "DMV workers are strait-laced and go by the book, and they don't have much time because there's so much to do in a day."[17] (Seasons 1–5)
  • Kevin Dunn as Ben Cafferty:[18] the White House Chief of Staff, under both the unseen former President and President Meyer. Although he is depressed and hapless, he is often very insightful and is treated with respect and even fear throughout Washington. Ben shows little regard for his co-workers or his job, and appears to love his nine-cup coffee thermos more than anything else. Selina refers to him as a "burned-out loser", but he apparently considers her a close friend and resolves to help her become President. Though he was planning on leaving the White House imminently, he agrees to remain with the administration indefinitely. When Selina fails to win reelection, he joins Congressman Ryan's staff with Kent. (Season 3–present; recurring Season 2)
  • Gary Cole as Kent Davison:[19] the Senior Strategist to the President, under both the unseen former President and President Meyer. He is a number-cruncher, and is often referred to as being cold and robotic. His obsession with polling statistics is shown negatively to influence the President's decision-making during several episodes in the second season. Kent is also focused on the public images of Selina and Catherine. It is implied that he and Sue are in some form of ersatz relationship. Although Selina initially dislikes him, she comes to appreciate his useful polling and statistical data, and he becomes a key part of her Presidential administration. When Selina fails to win reelection, he joins Congressman Ryan's staff with Ben. Cole has received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance. (Season 4–present; recurring Seasons 2–3)
  • Sam Richardson as Richard Splett: an amiable if not always completely competent, campaign aide who fills in for Gary during Selina's book tour, later becoming Amy's assistant on Selina's presidential campaign, then Jonah's personal assistant. In Season 5, Selina promotes Richard after discovering he has a doctorate in electoral law. As part of Richard's promotion, Jonah becomes his assistant. When Jonah is elected to congress, Richard becomes his Chief of Staff. Richard makes many allusions to his blog, splettnet.net. After losing the presidency, Selina hires him to be her Chief of Staff for the Meyer Fund. (Season 4–present; recurring Season 3)[20]

Recurring

Personal characters

  • Sarah Sutherland as Catherine Meyer: Selina's reserved, put-upon daughter. Catherine is often caught in the middle of Selina's issues, especially with her father. She tends to have highly liberal views concerning social justice. Although she tries to highlight the differences between herself and her mother, it is consistently shown that Catherine suppresses her own streak of foul-mouthed ambition. She attends film school, and attracts attention for dating a Middle Eastern man. Later, she causes issues for the Meyer campaign when she becomes engaged to a lobbyist. She ultimately breaks off her engagement to protect her mother's administration. She is seen in the fifth season to be filming a White House-based documentary, and becomes romantically involved with her mother's bodyguard and lookalike, Marjorie, alarming her mother. The two subsequently marry. She is currently pregnant with Richard's child through artificial insemination. (Season 1–present)
  • Andy Buckley as Ted Cullen: Selina's former lover. (Season 1)
  • Zach Woods as Ed Webster: Amy's boyfriend who is often neglected in favor of her job. Woods also appeared in In the Loop as a State Department aide who was a rival to Chlumsky's character. (Seasons 2–3)
  • Jessica St. Clair as Dana: Gary's over-possessive girlfriend. She wants to move abroad and begin a cheese business with Gary, who declines at Selina's request. She has not been seen or mentioned since season 3. (Seasons 2–3)
  • David Pasquesi as Andrew Meyer: Selina's ex-husband and occasional lover. He is disliked by Selina's staff, primarily for being one of her weaknesses. He is shown to have frequently cheated on Selina over the course of their on-off relationship. (Seasons 2–3, 5–present)
  • Kathy Najimy as Wendy Keegan: a reporter and Mike's wife. In the fifth season, she attempts to adopt a baby with Mike. (Season 3–present)
  • John Slattery as Charlie Baird Jr.: A Wall Street executive with whom Selina becomes romantically entangled. After Leon West breaks the story that they have slept together, the two engage in a somewhat-forced courtship. He develops a close bond with Gary. He is described as being extremely affluent, and is a major benefactor to many museums. After he had slept with Selina but prior to their dating, her general election opponent Senator O'Brien had offered him the position of Secretary of the Treasury should he win. He later accepts the same position from President Montez upon her surprise win. (Season 5)
  • Clea DuVall as Marjorie Palmiotti: Selina's bodyguard and lookalike. She later resigns when she begins a relationship with Catherine. In the Season 6 premiere, it is revealed that she has married Catherine in the year since the House vote. She now serves as Director of the Meyer Fund. (Season 5–present)

Politicians

House of Representatives
  • Dan Bakkedahl as Congressman Roger Furlong: an ambitious Ohio Congressman and ranking member of a congressional oversight committee. Ill-mannered and foul-mouthed, he constantly hounds the Vice President's office and threatens investigations, even after he loses his campaign to be Governor of Ohio. Despite this, however, Furlong supports Selina's presidential campaign by helping her prepare for a primary debate and doing post-debate "spin" on her behalf. In Season 6, he becomes the House Minority Leader. (Season 1–present)
  • Nelson Franklin as Will: Congressman Furlong's aide. He is often subjected to vulgar verbal abuse from Furlong. The Congressman often makes him say demeaning things for his own amusement. In Season 5, it is revealed that he is married, and that Furlong brings the couple to dinner for their anniversary. (Season 1–present)
  • David Rasche as Speaker Jim Marwood: Marwood serves as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who ends up in league with Laura Montez and delivers her the presidency by refusing to hold another house vote. (Seasons 2; 4–5). Rasche also appeared in In the Loop as an American official.
  • Paul Fitzgerald as Congressman Owen Pierce: a socially awkward congressman and previously one of Selina's rivals for the presidential nomination. He is described as completely incompetent. He holds great respect for President Meyer, and helps her swing a vote against his own wishes to protect her. (Season 3–present)
Senate
  • Phil Reeves as Senator Andrew Doyle: Vice President under President Meyer, originally a senator and chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. While serving as her Vice President, he finds himself sidelined in a similar way as she had been by the former President, and Selina continually dismisses using him as an asset during her tenure in office. As Vice President, he enlists Jonah as a liaison to the office of the president, asking him to be his "eyes and ears" in the West Wing. When Selina becomes her party's nominee, he declines to be Selina's running mate due to how he'd been treated as Vice President, and steps off the ticket, but is forced to cite his reason as "prostate issues". In Season 5, Selina requires favors of Doyle when she is unavailable to appear in front of the press due to an eye-lift, and he strikes a deal to receive the office of the Secretary of State when she is elected, but Selina later promises Michigan Congressman Paul Graves the same position. Doyle hears about this and gets his revenge when he casts a deciding vote in the Senate hearing to determine the presidency. This gifts the Oval Office to Laura Montez instead of Tom James, which would've reinstated Selina as Vice President, and in return President Montez appoints Doyle as Secretary of State. (Season 1–present)
  • Patton Oswalt as Teddy Sykes: the Chief of Staff to Vice President Doyle. (Season 4–present)
  • Brad Leland as Senator Bill O'Brien: an Arizona senator who is Selina's opponent in her presidential bid. (Seasons 1–2, 4–present)
  • Hugh Laurie as Senator Tom James: a charming senator and Selina's new running mate after Doyle leaves the ticket. He is extremely popular with his colleagues and with voters. Selina was reluctant to pick him as a running mate out of fear that he would remember a time they nearly slept together. He frustrates Meyer at his desire to be involved with the economy, going so far as to request to serve simultaneously as Vice President and Secretary of the Treasury. In the general election, loophole rules in the Constitution dictate that in certain circumstances, James could become the Acting President (and subsequently President), further angering Selina. He offers that, should this occur, he would like her to be his Vice President. She later appoints him as her economy czar. Before the fourth season, Armando Iannucci met with Laurie in the UK after learning that he was a fan of Veep. The two began developing the character Tom James alongside the show's writers (also based in the UK). Iannucci describes Tom James as a "normal, but ambitious operator ... this is someone who seems to outdo [Selina Meyer] in his ability."[21][22] (Seasons 4–6)
  • Andrea Savage as President Laura Montez: Originally a senator from New Mexico, she becomes Senator Bill O'Brien's running mate in the Presidential election. When there is a tie in the electoral college, a deadlock in the House of Representatives, and another tie in the Senate, Doyle ultimately votes for her, and she becomes President. President Montez is inaugurated in the season 5 finale, "Inauguration". (Season 5–present)
Other politicians
  • Randall Park as Minnesota Governor Danny Chung: a young veteran who is not shy about exploiting his military record for political gain. A member of the President's party, he covets the presidency himself and is seen as Selina's chief rival for the nomination after the President leaves office. A running gag is that Chung never appears on television without mentioning his military record. Selina offers him the position of running mate, but he declines. He is subsequently revealed to participate regularly in a Gilbert and Sullivan group along with Richard. (Season 1–present)
  • Isiah Whitlock, Jr. as General George Maddox: the former Secretary of Defense and one of Selina's rivals for the presidential nomination. He appears to bear an unusually high degree of personal animosity towards Selina. He is forced to suspend his campaign after being unable to compete on the debate stage. When she secures her party nomination, she offers him the position of running mate, but rescinds the offer. (Season 2–present)
  • Diedrich Bader as Bill Ericsson: a high-profile campaign official, formerly the campaign manager for Joe Thornhill. He later abandons Thornhill, and Selina appoints him her new Director of Communications. When a scandal breaks that the Meyer campaign used stolen confidential medical data to send flyers appealing to bereaved parents of deceased children, the core characters band together to scapegoat him in their place, resulting in his imprisonment. His sentence is later overturned on appeal and he turns against Selina, claiming he is "consumed" by desire to destroy her. (Season 3–present)
  • Glenn Wrage as Joe Thornhill: a former Major League Baseball coach and one of Selina's rivals for the presidential nomination. He constantly uses sports analogies to describe politics, something which greatly annoys Selina and her staff. Despite a good early start in the primaries, he later loses momentum in the race. (Season 3)
  • Martin Mull as Bob Bradley: Selina's folksy out-of-touch political advisor with a long history in politics. Ben Cafferty describes Bradley as his mentor. Selina recruits him to help the recount in Nevada after the electoral college tie, but it is revealed that Bradley is on heavy medication and is very much insane. His nickname is "The Eagle". (Season 5)
  • Peter MacNicol as Jeff Kane: An influential political power broker in New Hampshire, and Jonah Ryan's uncle. (Season 5–6)

Other characters

  • Peter Grosz as Sidney Purcell: an oil lobbyist. Purcell attempts to gain power through the Meyer Vice Presidency via her environmental regulation committee. When Dan is fired, he works as a lobbyist for Purcell, who in turn ends up firing him as well. (Seasons 1–2; 4–present)
  • Brian Huskey as Leon West: a veteran political reporter who frequently antagonizes Mike at briefings. He is later taken hostage in Iran, and Selina must retrieve him on a goodwill mission. (Season 1–present)
  • Sally Phillips as Minna Häkkinen: the former Prime Minister of Finland. She first meets Selina on a state visit in the wake of an anti-Europe gaffe on Selina's part. She later holds a position with the International Monetary Fund, where she impresses enough world leaders that she now seems to work as a back-channel diplomat. She is known for being blunt about personal issues and clueless about the vitriol of American politics. (Season 2–present)
  • William L. Thomas as Martin Collins: a Secret Service agent reassigned for laughing in Selina's presence. (Seasons 1–3)
  • Jessie Ennis as Lea Patterson: a competent and straightforward staffer for Selina, whose name is constantly misremembered by her and the rest of the White House staff. After she is scapegoated for the security breach that revealed the personal information of a child diagnosed with HIV, Lea reveals the Meyer campaign used stolen confidential medical data to appeal to bereaved parents, and testifies against the Meyer administration. (Season 4)
  • Lennon Parham as Karen Collins: an old university friend of Selina, whom she hired as a consultant and afterwards as a lawyer. She stands out by failing to make definite statements, repeating what others say and receiving credit from Selina, and consequently doesn't seem to be able to give good advice, annoying all other staff members. (Seasons 4–5)
  • Margaret Colin as Jane McCabe: anchor of CBS This Morning. (Season 6)

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
18April 22, 2012 (2012-04-22)June 10, 2012 (2012-06-10)
210April 14, 2013 (2013-04-14)June 23, 2013 (2013-06-23)
310April 6, 2014 (2014-04-06)June 8, 2014 (2014-06-08)
410April 12, 2015 (2015-04-12)June 14, 2015 (2015-06-14)
510April 24, 2016 (2016-04-24)June 26, 2016 (2016-06-26)
610April 16, 2017 (2017-04-16)June 25, 2017 (2017-06-25)
77[6]2019 (2019)2019 (2019)

Development

Louis-Dreyfus with Vice President Joe Biden at the White House

The Thick of It

BBC series

Before creating Veep, British satirist Armando Iannucci created a BBC sitcom, The Thick of It, set in a fictional department of the British government. The Thick of It was first broadcast in 2005 and won a number of awards. Iannucci directed a spin-off film, In the Loop, which was released in 2009 and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

ABC pilot

A pilot for an American version of The Thick of It was produced as a candidate for the 2007–08 season on ABC. The ABC pilot, also titled The Thick of It, was developed for American audiences by writers Mitch Hurwitz and Richard Day and followed a low-level member of the United States Congress and his staff. Iannucci had a production credit on the show, but he was not otherwise involved. The pilot was produced by Sony Pictures Television and BBC Worldwide and directed by Christopher Guest.[23]

In the pilot, John Michael Higgins played Albert Alger, a newly elected Congressman, and Oliver Platt played committee chairman Malcolm Tucker.[24] Rhea Seehorn portrayed Ollie Tadzio, a young and ambitious speech writer, and Michael McKean played Glen Glahm, "a former campaign operative who's now the Chief of Staff" for the congressman.[25]

ABC did not pick up the show for its fall 2007 schedule.[26] Iannucci distanced himself from the pilot, stating, "It was terrible...they took the idea and chucked out all the style. It was all conventionally shot and there was no improvisation or swearing. It didn't get picked up, thank God."[27]

HBO development of Veep

After The Thick of It was dropped by ABC, several networks including HBO, Showtime and NBC expressed interest in adapting the show.[28] Iannucci re-entered talks with HBO (his initial preference) about adapting the series, with the result that a new pilot episode for a series situated in the office of the Vice President of the United States called Veep (a nickname derived from the position's initials "VP") was commissioned in late 2009.[27] Iannucci was given much more creative control over the production,[29] and co-wrote the pilot with British comedy writer Simon Blackwell, who also contributed to the British series The Thick of It.[30]

In April 2011, HBO announced that it had ordered Veep as a series,[30] and later announced in January 2012 that the series would premiere on April 22, 2012.[1]

Louis-Dreyfus described Veep's intent not to have the President on-screen, or to reveal the political party of the characters.[31] Meyer's party affiliation is somewhat implied in "Election Night" to be Democratic, since CNN represents states that she wins as blue.[32]

Production

Directors for Season 1 included Armando Iannucci, Tristram Shapeero and Chris Morris. Veep is executive produced by Iannucci, Christopher Godsick and Frank Rich. Co-executive producers are Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Stephanie Laing as producers. The series' first four seasons featured an entirely British writing staff, consisting of Iannucci, Blackwell, Roche, Sean Gray, Will Smith, Roger Drew, Ian Martin, and Jesse Armstrong, among others,[33][34] all of whom had previously worked with Iannucci on The Thick of It.

Series creator Armando Iannucci departed as showrunner following the fourth season's end of production. Iannucci stated that his continuing busy schedule, as well as the challenge of maintaining his family life while switching between Baltimore and London, would not allow him to "[dedicate] one hundred percent" as head of the show, and he had chosen to "fire" himself as a result. David Mandel took over as showrunner for future episodes, becoming Veep's first American writer. Mandel retained a small number of Ianucci's writing staff, as well as Chris Addison as director and supervising producer, whilst also bringing in his own staff, and American writers.[35][36][37]

Filming

Charles Village, Baltimore, one of the areas where Veep filmed for its first season production[38]

The pilot episode was filmed in February 2011 in Maryland,[39] and filming for the series began in October 2011 in Baltimore,[40] after several months of rehearsal designed to get the actors comfortable improvising with one another.[41] For its first season, Veep reportedly hired 978 local Maryland residents and generated $40 million for the state, according to the Maryland Film Office.[42][43] Season 2 production began shooting in November 2012, continuing to film in Baltimore and other areas of Maryland. Veep primarily filmed on a sound stage constructed from a Columbia, Maryland industrial warehouse, where replicas of places such as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and West Wing are also built.[44][45][46] The show continued filming in Maryland for its third and fourth seasons, as a bill was approved by state lawmakers in April 2013 that increased tax credits for film and TV productions in the state.[43][47][48] Later filming locations included Annapolis and the Physical Sciences Complex in the University of Maryland, College Park campus.[49][50][51]

Principal photography moved from Baltimore to Los Angeles in the show's fifth season after being one of a few series to be awarded tax incentives from the California Film Commission, as part of an expanded $330 million California Film Tax Credit program signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2014.[52][53][54] Filming took place for part of the show's fifth season in Washington, D.C., from February 25, 2016, to March 3, 2016. As a result of HBO's Community Impact program, a select number of local D.C. residents also worked on the production during the eight-day film shoot in the area.[55][56] Areas in D.C. where production was reportedly found filming include the Superior Court, the Spring Valley neighborhood (where Julia Louis-Dreyfus once lived), and Dupont Circle's Kramerbooks independent bookstore.[57][58]

Reception

Metacritic ratings per season
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6
Rating 72[59] 75[60] 86[61] 90[62] 88[63] 88[64]

Season 1

The first season received generally positive reviews from television critics. Review aggregator site Metacritic gave the season a score of 72 out of 100 based on reviews from 30 critics.[59] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 71% approval rating with an average rating of 6.94 out of 10 based on 31 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "The jokes are funny and Julia Louis-Dreyfus is great in the lead, but Veep is still working to find its voice."[65] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post praised the series, writing, "Thanks to Louis-Dreyfus, and the show's remarkable knack for dialogue and timing, Veep is instantly engaging and outrageously fun."[66] Rob Brunner of Entertainment Weekly gave the season a positive review: "Charmingly goofy as ever, Louis-Dreyfus isn't quite believable as a Vice President – even a sitcom VP whose lack of gravitas is the show's central joke. But she's still a joy to watch, especially when she shows off that famous gift for physical comedy."[67] Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post gave the show a lukewarm review, writing, "Despite the clear talents of the assembled cast, Veep merely reinforces what most people already think and revisits territory many other politically-oriented movies and TV shows have thoroughly covered."[68] Brian Lowry of Variety gave the show a negative review and said a "show about an always-second office becomes second-tier TV."[69]

Season 2

The second season received acclaim from critics. It averaged a Metacritic score of 75 out of 100 based on reviews from 10 critics.[60] On Rotten Tomatoes, it received an 89% approval rating with an average score of 8.70 out of 10 based on 18 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "In Veep's second season, the satire is sharper, the insights are deeper, the tone is more consistent, and the result is a comedy of unexpected heft."[70] David Hiltbrand of The Philadelphia Inquirer praised the series saying, "HBO's Veep is the sharpest Beltway satire the medium has ever seen, mostly because it focuses not on the power wielded by politicians, but on their desperate venality".[71] Bruce Miller of Sioux City Journal also praised the show, writing: "The show is smart—smarter than most on network television—and it has life."[72]

Season 3

The third season received acclaim from critics. It received a Metacritic score of 86 out of 100 based on 10 reviews.[61] It scored a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.86 out of 10 based on 21 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Veep continues its winning streak with a mix of smart comedy, bright performances and a refreshing approach to D.C. politics."[73] Matt Roush of TV Guide praised the show, and in a joint review of Veep and Silicon Valley wrote: "[Silicon Valley is] paired with the third season of the savagely hilarious Veep; this combo promises to be HBO's most robust and certainly most entertaining comedy hour in years."[74] Brandon Nowalk of The A.V. Club wrote the show "has become the clearest heir to 30 Rock and Arrested Development, and specific bits throughout the season recall both series."[75] Tim Molloy of TheWrap praised the cast saying, "The show works because all of its actors seem so human, so likable, despite the words coming from their mouths."[76]

Season 4

The fourth season received acclaim from critics. It received a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100 based on 11 reviews.[62] As with the previous season, Veep scored a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 8.94 out of 10. The site's consensus reads, "Veep shows no signs of slowing down in its fourth season, thanks to sharp, funny, rapid-fire dialogue between POTUS and her hilariously incompetent staff."[77] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Veep enters its fourth season, firmly established as one of television's best comedies, and then immediately does what seems impossible—it delivers its most thoroughly assured, hilarious and brilliantly written and acted episodes."[78] Ben Travers of Indiewire wrote, "Veep is incomparable in comedy" and that "the HBO comedy has crafted a style so unique the series itself is entirely its own beast."[79]

Season 5

The fifth season received acclaim from critics. It received a Metacritic score of 88 out of 100 based on 18 reviews.[63] The season scored a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 33 reviews, with an average rating of 8.70 out of 10. The site's consensus reads, "Thanks to the spot-on comedic prowess of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and company Veep is back with as many laughs and expletive-filled absurdities as ever."[80] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Veep doesn't just feel like it's firing on all cylinders, it feels invigorated and out to prove something",[81] while Kevin Sullivan of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "in the switch to new showrunner David Mandel, the state of Veep is strong".[82]

Season 6

The sixth season has received critical acclaim. On Metacritic, it has a score of 88 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[64] It has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 33 reviews with an average score of 8.35 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A move from the White House hasn't dulled Veep's razor-sharp satirical edge, thanks to Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her castmates' deft comic chemistry."[83]

Awards and honors

Through its first six seasons, Veep has received critical acclaim and won several major awards, including twelve Primetime Emmy Awards, two Critics' Choice Television Awards, a Peabody Award, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Television Critics Association Awards and two Writers Guild of America Awards.

Home media

Season Release dates Bonus features
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4 Region A Region B
1 March 26, 2013 June 3, 2013 April 3, 2013 March 26, 2013 June 3, 2013 "The Making of Veep", "Veep: Misspoke", "Veep: Obesity", deleted scenes and outtakes, 12 audio commentaries with cast and crew[84]
2 March 25, 2014 June 2, 2014 May 28, 2014 March 25, 2014 June 2, 2014 Deleted scenes, 4 audio commentaries with cast and crew[85]
3 March 31, 2015 March 30, 2015 April 1, 2015 March 31, 2015 March 30, 2015 Deleted scenes, 4 audio commentaries with cast and crew, "Governor's Visit"[86]
4 April 19, 2016 April 18, 2016 April 20, 2016 April 19, 2016 April 18, 2016 Deleted scenes[87]
5 April 11, 2017 April 10, 2017 April 12, 2017 April 11, 2017 April 10, 2017 Deleted scenes; audio commentaries[88]
6 September 12, 2017 September 11, 2017 September 13, 2017 September 12, 2017 September 11, 2017 7 audio commentaries[89]

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