A couple of months ago I started watching the show Veep per my dad’s recommendation. I am only on season 4 but the quality of the show has not wavered between seasons. Veep is a satirical comedy show with 7 seasons that first started airing in 2012 on HBO. It follows a woman named Selina Meyer, the fictional vice president of the United States who is played by Julie Louis Dreyfus. It focuses on her daily life and job as vice president as well as her staff. This show is shot using handheld cameras to give it more of a documentary feel, however, it is not a mockumentary.  It is hilariously funny and its comedy is mainly found within its characters. Vice President Meyer has an aide named Gary who is always at her side and does whatever she asks. Gary is played by Tony Hale There are many instances where Selina is at a political event and Gary is at her side whispering to her everyone’s names that she meets and what she should say. They did a really funny bit at the Emmys when Dreyfus won best lead actress in a comedy show where Hale was whispering in her ear who to thank (like he would in the show). 

Pictured: Julie Louis Dreyfus as Selina Meyer (Left) and Tony Hale as Gary (Right)

Something that makes the show especially funny is how surprisingly realistic it can be. Many of the jokes that were made in the show ended up actually happening in U.S. politics. In fact, the creator of the show said at a TV showcase that Whitehouse insiders have told him that the show is one of the most accurate portrayals of D.C. (Ault). It seems to be becoming more and more accurate as people compare things that happen in actual U.S. politics to stuff that has happened in the show. A recent example of this was when Kamala Harris used the slogan “Country over party” and put it on a banner. However, that slogan can be read in many different ways and one may interpret it as that she is having a party celebrating that the country is over. Many people online were commenting that it was like an episode of Veep. The show finds its comedy in many other ways like PR nightmares that a typical politician has to go through, U.S. issues that the vice president has to deal with, and politicians’ personalities. 

I recommend this show to everyone because I think it is really funny, especially in the current political landscape. It has won many Emmys and has a lot of critical acclaim. The episodes are usually about 28 minutes so it is a good show to watch when you don’t have a ton of time or if you want to binge something. 

Variety Article about TV Showcase:

Ault, Susanne. “Variety.” Variety, 27 Mar. 2014, variety.com/2014/scene/news/veep-paleyfest-season-three-1201149556.