In season one of HBO's VEEP, Selina Meyers (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is confronted with a bevy of problems that threaten her credibility as a legit Vice President. A pregnancy scare. A disastrous visit to a frozen yogurt shop. Unkind nicknames from the blogosphere. Social media blunders. And, of course, learning to deal with the president's utter lack of respect for both her and her pet policies, causing Meyer to blurt out at one point, "Fuck that POTUS." (Running joke: At least once per episode, Meyer asks a member of her staff if the president –who we never see—has called her. The answer, invariably, is no.)
VEEP was created by Armando Iannucci, the writer behind the award-winning British TV comedy The Thick of It, a satire of the inner workings of the British government, which led to the terrific feature film spin-off In the Loop. VEEP is Iannucci's first U.S. series, and HBO quickly picked it up for a second season, at a slightly longer 10 episodes. The show is on the more challenging end of the sitcom spectrum, in a very rewarding way: Watching it requires some knowledge of the political process, but also a willingness to pay close attention; the dialogue is fast-paced and the jokes are layered and subtle—just like the process in Washington, where every little comment and perception has political ramifications.
The show features a brilliant ensemble cast, led by Louis-Dreyfus, who proves, yet again, that she is among the deftest comedian working today. The comedy comes from the interactions with her staff, who are equally shrewd and petty, often juggling their own selfish aspirations with what's best for the office.
GQ asked Iannucci to dissect season one, episode by episode.