Veep, Season 1

Veep, season 1

Medium: TV
Created by: Armando Iannucci
Network: HBO
Dates Aired: April 22 - June 10, 2012
Consumption completed: June 11, 2012
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 7.5/10

It's difficult not to compare a new TV show from Armando Iannucci to his earlier work as the creator of the Brit satire The Thick of It and directing its spin-off film, In the Loop. The latter is one of the funniest films of the past few years, and the former is almost as good. With Veep, the scathing satire is toned down in favor of character. 

We spend much more time getting to know Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia-Louis Dreyfus) than we ever did anybody in the first two series (I haven't seen the third one yet) of The Thick of It. And the same goes for her whole staff. by its second episode, Veep has created a nice, little ensemble to work with. 

The show is very funny throughout its first season, but completely avoiding any series discussions of policy may have detracted from the season more than added. It's missing the sharp teeth Iannucci's other work has so prominently featured.

The season ended, quite abruptly, with the lowest Selina Meyer has fallen yet. I don't know how she'll bounce back, but I'll definitely be around when Veep returns next year.