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HBO's Veep - Season one - created by Armando Iannuci, starring Julia Louis Dreyfus

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S

Socreges

Banned
Some really funny bits scattered throughout (retard font size!), but plenty of trying-hard-to-be-funny bits that fell flat and just annoyed me. You can't make a handful of the characters clever and then give them really weak one-liners. My frame of comparison here is a movie (In the Loop), so maybe this isn't fair, but in 'Loop' some were trying to be clever but obviously weren't (which was funny), some were realistic foils that didn't have to be funny, some were just assholes with the kind of wit that punches you in the face (funny), and just a few had that smug sense of humour that is really difficult to pull off convincingly. In Veep they're all that last person. Except for Gary, who I'm glad for.*

JLD was awesome, though. She's the reason why I'll keep watching and hope that it's just a case of the actors/writers trying to find their groove.

And she's been hot since the 80s. How the fuck is that possible? She's the Gordie Howe of hot sitcom actresses.

BenjaminBirdie said:
Matt Walsh killed.
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He had a few good lines, but too often was just that lame guy that can't say anything without trying to be funny.


* Could Gary's map line be a reference to this? (also from a pilot episode)

Probably not, but it's the first thing I thought of.
 
J

JGS

Banned
ZoddGutts said:
Veep premiere: 1.379 with a 18-49 0.6

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...lamar-the-client-list-more-2/130469/#comments




Which is doing better than Girl's Ep 1: 0.872 and a 18-49 Rating 0.4

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...-men-khloe-lamar-the-client-list-more/129431/


Girls Ep 2: drew drew 858,000 viewers in its first airing at 10:30.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...lamar-the-client-list-more-2/130469/#comments
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Not surprising. It's far more network quality than Girls. However, Girls is doing better than Eastbound & Down I think.
 
A

aznpxdd

Member
Watched the pilot today, and I enjoyed it. Though I have to say it resembles more of a cable network sitcom than a HBO show. I suppose some of the political issues/satire (in upcoming eps) might be too much for other networks.
 
D

Dabanton

Member
This was pretty good. As with most shows of this ilk once we begin to get to know the characters a bit better that will add even more humour.

Great pilot to build on.

And we have a chris morris directed episode coming up soon don't we?
 
B

butter_stick

Banned
Dabanton said:
This was pretty good. As with most shows of this ilk once we begin to get to know the characters a bit better that will add even more humour.

Great pilot to build on.

And we have a chris morris directed episode coming up soon don't we?
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Yeah. I have unreasonably high expectations.
 
D

Dachande

Member
-Pyromaniac- said:
I watched it again last night, funnier than the first time for some reason.
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I think that might be common with this type of show by Iannucci. It was exactly the same with The Thick Of It - it's always funny first time round, but when I rewatched it on Netflix the other month I creased up far more than before.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Dachande said:
I think that might be common with this type of show by Iannucci. It was exactly the same with The Thick Of It - it's always funny first time round, but when I rewatched it on Netflix the other month I creased up far more than before.
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THICK OF IT IS ON NETFLIX?!?!?!??!??!?!?!?!?!?
 
T

The Librarian

Banned
I watched the pilot. The VP wasn't as annoying as the trailers led me to believe, but she was not annoying (she's pretty incompetent).

Overall a pretty good pilot. Would watch the second episode.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
The first episode was fairly middling... I chuckled a few times, and rolled my eyes a few other times. I'll stick with it for maybe 3 or 4 episodes to see where it goes, not completely sold yet. Julia Louis Dreyfus was an ace pick for the Veep though, some reason she just carries it
 
C

Ceebs

Member
So much better than the pilot, and I liked that episode. Everyone should give it a second shot.

Mike and the sprinkles in the background killed me.
 
V

Vyer

Member
I liked the pilot, but this was even better. The whole president thing and the ending were wonderfully awkward. Looks like I have another Sunday night show to watch.
 
P

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
A few gaffaws like 'taking the bullet', but overall weak, all over the place (trying to cram in too many 'things happening' per episode is not helping the focus) and still way too many over-acted characters vying for the same position. Will give it one more ep next week then I'm out if only to not keep thinking ill of Armando.

I think its even worse when you can see the clear episode templates and situations given "that American spin" from the original Thick of It seasons and even In The Loop -- both of which everyone in this thread should consider ESSENTIAL viewing.
 
L

luxarific

Nork unification denier
godelsmetric said:
Is it as cynical as The Thick of It?
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Eh, Veep is trying, but no, it's not as cynical as TToI. Which is actually correct, imo. I have some friends who are staffers on the Hill and some in the executive branch, and while they're definitely cynical about the political process they still actually believe in what they're doing. Americans are still, deep down inside, idealistic about politics. To be accurate, Veep needs to capture this. (Not sure how much Iannucci cares about accuracy, though.)

Dax01 said:
lol. I wonder if this article would've been written if the VP in VEEP was a man.
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No, but unfortunately a woman, even if she's a powerful politician in her own right, like Speaker Pelosi, will always, always be judged in part by what she's wearing.

That said, I really love JLD's outfits in this show.
 
P

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Its still cynical in that everyone is sweary and there are twats everywhere, but rather than the (horriblly accurate) realism of Thicko, this is a whole lot more 'wackier' and hammed up. I think at its core, thats whats aggravating me. You could slap Benny Hill music to many sequences from the show and the pacing/meaning behind the scenes wouldnt be any different than before. Dreyfus was great in the first ep, but several of her lines this episode felt like she was looking at the audience and waiting for a laughter track to come and go, which is what I throw at a lot of the other characters in this show.
 
T

twobear

sputum-flecked apoplexy
I'm not surprised that it's not as cynical as The Thick of It.

Although I think what makes TTOI such perfect satire is the cynicism.
 
S

Shake Appeal

Member
Not as good as The Thick of It, but maybe it'll grow into it. One of the best UK->US conversions of a show I've seen, though. Thanks, Armando.
 
F

Foliorum Viridum

Banned
Another awful episode. I don't understand how this can be so bad :'(

It has one more episode until I'm done with it. Please do something good! I love The Thick of It so much...
 
E

Ecotic

Member
The shaky cam bothers me and they badly need to zoom out in most scenes and quit getting so close. This show is visually uncomfortable to watch.

I'll give it one more episode, but I think it's pretty terrible so far. It's both unfunny and hard to believe that the Vice Presidential office is inhabited by juveniles who argue yogurt flavors and how to fetch a paper. Anyone who works in Washington, D.C. probably works 16 hours a day and is tired, graying, humorless, and self-loathing. This is just the wrong setting for an office personality show.
 
W

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
I like the show, but god, it's sooooo dry. so goddamn dry.

Good stuff though.
 
G

GQman2121

Banned
They're back filming around the block from my office today.

46afac7bc136aa943b4c421b322c417eb9049615_wmeg.jpg
 
M

MisterNugNug

Member
RatskyWatsky said:
The ending was the best part of the episode. JLD shitting herself outside the yoghurt shop was amazing. Especially when she got into the limo. lol

"N-no one come in here."



*Nods* Chlumsky <3
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"Just dump her in there"

"Um Ma'am, uh I gotta go with ya, I"m sorry"

Awesome ending. When I watched the first episode, I recognized Chlumsky and I thought that she was playing the same character from In The Loop.
 
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