'Veep' - 'Fundraiser': Plastics!
What did everybody think of HBO's new political satire?
Anna Chlumsky in "Veep."
I posted my review of HBO's "Veep" on Friday morning. Now it's your turn. What did everybody think of Julia Louis-Dreyfus as V-POTUS? If you're a fan of Armando Iannucci's UK work, did this stack up, or did you miss the presence of Malcolm Tucker? Were any "My Girl" fans scarred by seeing Ann Chlumsky in this kind of role? How do you feel Tony Hale did? And, most importantly, are you going to watch again?
Though I enjoyed this show a lot, I'm not planning to do weekly write-ups of it. Not only are Sundays a complete bear, but the three episodes I've seen are all very much of a piece, and I doubt I'd have interesting/different things to say each week, even if my time was less constrained.
So have at it, and I'll check back in either later in the season if they do an unusual episode, or else at the very end.
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Next 43 CommentsRazorback
April 22, 2012 at 10:35PM EST Reply to CommentLoved it.
April 22, 2012 at 10:47PM EST Reply to CommentHilarious.
Kendra
April 22, 2012 at 10:50PM EST Reply to CommentI really enjoyed it. I think I'm going to need to watch it again.
I also feel like it's going to be a show that will get funnier as it goes on and we get to know the characters better. I do appreciate, though, that they just jumped right into it without the boring exposition-type pilot.
The cast is fantastic but of course I missed Malcolm Tucker. Hell, I missed him before this show too.
Mike
April 22, 2012 at 11:07PM EST Reply to CommentAlan, I normally agree with you about most shows, but after watching this pilot, I'm utterly shocked about your comment on the podcast last week about enjoying Girls more... this was phenomenal, and I actually liked Girls last week, but this is just simply a better show. With that said, of course I missed Malcolm Tucker, how can you not?
Also, on an unrelated note, I really hope the idiots talking about "she's doing Sarah Palin" watch this pilot so they can realize how silly that sentiment comes across. The only thing the two characters have in common are ovaries (I'm not counting their mutual affinity for gaffes, because that's unavoidable for any politician in the 24 hours news/twitter era).
NJMark Having seen "The Undefeated," I find her very much like Sarah Palin, and I mean that in a positive way.
April 23, 2012 at 11:54AM ESTBut I think that's more of an accidental coincidence than anything else.
Greg
April 22, 2012 at 11:15PM EST Reply to CommentMaybe I could use some time to think more about it, but I thought it was the best HBO comedy pilot probably since The Comeback. I laughed out loud a lot of times and the writing completely stands on its own, instead of relying solely on the cast comedic chops. I'm not at all familiarized with Iannucci's work, but I'm definitely interested now.
Otto Man
April 22, 2012 at 11:40PM EST Reply to CommentThought it was great.
gco211
April 22, 2012 at 11:49PM EST Reply to CommentVery funny, satisfying episode. Gag of the night went to the Tom Hanks' death scenario, just very random and funny there. Overall, I really enjoyed it and thought it was a very promising start.
All that said, I can understand people preferring this to Girls, especially when you only have the pilot to go on as opposed to you seeing a few episodes and knowing what changes or grows in both series. Good start to both though, which along with its recent dramatic resurgence has made HBO once again the king of TV.
gladly Ooh, I don't know that I could pick a gag of the night, but I was delighted by the "Book with Shit Covers" joke. I love the level of profanity in this show. I desperately want an occasion to call something I've worked on, "pencil-fucked" (and with very little romance).
April 23, 2012 at 12:51PM ESTI do prefer this to "Girls," because I like a show about older adults better, but I like both. Since they aren't in competition with one another, I don't see the point of choosing between them. It's nice to have such a funny hour post-GoT.
LJA
April 22, 2012 at 11:57PM EST Reply to CommentThis got a B+ and the Girls pilot got an A? I would have switched those grades. This was quite enjoyable, I can't wait to see where it goes.
gco211 Alan's grades are for as much of the season as he received from HBO, not for the pilot episodes, I do believe.
April 23, 2012 at 12:09AM ESTLJA Ahh... in that case, I guess I'll wait and see where both shows take us.
April 23, 2012 at 1:09AM ESTyahoodi
April 23, 2012 at 12:16AM EST Reply to CommentThe best thing about this show is that it has a God Awful show like "Girls" to follow it and make it look much funnier and much better.
My only problem with this show is Julia Louis Dreyfus. She's so one note. Overtalking her way in and out of trouble... I know I was suppose to laugh at what she was saying as the door closed ( a device they tried two maybe three times......ot a fan of that.) but I was just relieved she was off screen.
Everyone else was quite good. I have no back Anna Chlumsky baggage so my erspective was wide open. And I got humor, frustration, and strength from her.
I'll probably give this show one or two more stabs. And if it starts to wain, I can just watch five miutes of the God awful "Girls" and I'll feel good about Veep again.
In conclusion.....Girls is terrible.
Brandon
April 23, 2012 at 12:25AM EST Reply to CommentI wanted to like it, but I think I laughed maybe twice during the whole premiere. It just wasn't funny. And I'm not one to complain about gratuitous profanity, but there was just no need for as many F-bombs as they threw in there.
I'll give it one more shot next week, but I was very disappointed
fraying
April 23, 2012 at 2:45AM EST Reply to CommentNot funny, not one character to relate to, nothing important on the line, and worst of all, not funny. Pass.
KobraCola
April 23, 2012 at 3:22AM EST Reply to CommentIt was alright, I laughed a few times. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't blown away by it or anything. It seemed likable. The writing was smart, but not hilarious to me. Then again, while I haven't seen The Thick of It, I have seen In the Loop and thought it was only alright. Everyone raved so much about In the Loop that I thought it was going to be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I don't have anything against Iannucci's stuff, it just doesn't strike me as especially funny.
belinda
April 23, 2012 at 5:06AM EST Reply to Commentliked it, and i liked all the actors in it a whole lot. seems promising.
Joel
April 23, 2012 at 5:24AM EST Reply to CommentFantastic.
Dr. Dunkenstein
April 23, 2012 at 5:43AM EST Reply to CommentUnfortunately I sort of felt the same way about this that I do most of Iannucci's stuff. He's a master of writing the back and forth insults but everything is so formless. Every week will have clever insults and actors being mad but it'll be because of some generic political issue that barely impacts the story at all.
In a way it's sort of like the exact opposite of Studio 60. That was a show about comedy where nobody was funny and everyone is political, this seems like a show about politics where everyone is funny and politics just serves as a joke delivery system.
Seriously, if this wasn't about the VP but about the Vice President of some generic corporation would the show be any different?
Morahan Isn't that kind of the point. The fact that these people and Washington at lar?e are obsessing over non-issues that should really have no place in national politics?
April 23, 2012 at 10:10AM ESTCharles Well, there's one obvious difference - this ineffectual nonentity and her incompetent staff wouldn't be shuttled around Washington in a huge motorcade with wailing sirens.... I suspect Armando's going to making a lot of use of those cut-scenes during the series, and it does represent quite a change from 'Thick of It', where the minister was lucky if he got someone to drive him at all.
April 24, 2012 at 9:40PM ESTBalaji K
April 23, 2012 at 6:15AM EST Reply to CommentAfter the disappointing Girls premiere, Veep was super funny. I want more!
kronicfatigue I want to jump on this. Had high expectations for Girls and low expectations for Veep. I was actually confused by the commercials leading up to Veep: I thought maybe she was slotted in as VPOTUS by accident or something. Anyway, I hate Girls and probably won't be going back to it, but Veep blew me away. I've never seen a comedy that fast paced. There was just no pause to catch your breath. I'm not saying everything worked, but I stood in awe at the attempt.
April 23, 2012 at 11:13AM ESTSome of Tony Hale's reactions in the background were fantastic. Like when he nailed the name/interests of people that were coming up to to talk to Julia.
Viginti
April 23, 2012 at 9:13AM EST Reply to CommentWhile Veep may well be a show all about being second best it won the week for me in terms of comedy; if indeed it does simply spin it's wheel in place forever that may change in a while, but for now I am digging it.
Full review here: Deerinthexenonarclights.com/veep-pilot
JedyKnight
April 23, 2012 at 9:42AM EST Reply to CommentFor me it started slow, but when it was in full motion, it was really good.. I very much like the premise and the cast, so im really looking forward to the season.
bobC
April 23, 2012 at 10:21AM EST Reply to CommentI thought VEEP was OK. Funny in parts not so funny in others. However, I'm a bit concerned that this show may be more reality, as in this is how our government really runs, than just plain comedy.
Brubarian
April 23, 2012 at 11:20AM EST Reply to CommentIt had enough good moments to keep me interested and want to come back. Certainly wasn't the funniest thing I've ever seen, but it was also just a pilot episode.
laurence haughton
April 23, 2012 at 3:27PM EST Reply to CommentGood show... Julia triggered a couple of fond flashbacks of Basil Fawlty.
lhaughton
April 23, 2012 at 3:31PM EST Reply to CommentEnjoyed it! Julia triggered a couple of fond flashbacks to Basil Fawlty at his best.
Dwayne Mendoza
April 23, 2012 at 3:39PM EST Reply to CommentWhat a steaming mound of excrement. THE D.C. ADVENTURES OF OLD ELAINE is functionally identical to LAST MAN STANDING. Let's put a successful character into a new situation, and hope enough of the audience still wants more.
Adding profanity to Elaine/Christine (because it's cable) won't draw anyone new. Anyone with any ties to politics will find this unwatchable-- it's about as realistic as a comedy about a 350-pound, one-eyed, peg-legged fireman.
Plus, sitcoms with government backdrops only draw viewers when the economy is in good shape.
The sad thing is that Washington politics are filled with rules and rituals; zealousness and infighting. Real-life situations are rife with opportunities for satire, gallows humor and black comedy. It's why so many successful plays and movies have been done in or around Washington and why columnists and comedians have been using people and events as foils going back to Mr. Dooley.
One needn't do THE WEST WING (although that show had quite a lot of comedy, which was of its attractions). This wasn't even as clever as Kaufman and Hart's OF THEE I SING or I'D RATHER BE RIGHT, both of which are over 70 years old.
Charles I remember Alastair 'Tucker' Campbell swearing that 'The Thick of It' was totally unrealistic as well - no-one believed him either.
April 24, 2012 at 9:44PM ESTDwayne Mendoza This show is as similar to THE THICK OF IT as DRAGNET 67 is to THE WIRE.
April 26, 2012 at 9:32AM ESTCharles Quite the opposite. Apart from the lack of a sweary Malcom Tucker the characters are almost identical. In fact, if there's one problem with the show, it's that it feels a bit like a simple rewrite of Thick Of It with American accents.
April 27, 2012 at 9:03AM ESTaamadis
April 23, 2012 at 6:41PM EST Reply to CommentIt was ok. I didn't think it was bad, but I didn't laugh once, so I won't be coming back to this. File this in the growing list of comedies (Parks and Rec, The Office, Louie, etc.) that don't make me laugh at all. Guess my sense of humor is out of sync with the zeitgeist.
ncroeder
April 23, 2012 at 7:03PM EST Reply to CommentLoved this pilot. Looks like a solid show, it helps that the always hilarious Matt Walsh was on solid form in the pilot. This should be Julia Louis Dreyfus' best role since Elaine on Seinfeld.
ed w
April 23, 2012 at 8:10PM EST Reply to CommentChlumsky was excellent and I have little to no previous experience of watching her in things even as a child star so that's coming in cold and not knowing what to expect of her. She could be carrying a show like this as the star (with the Veep as a supporting character)
Overall I think the show is interesting and has some good lines but is paced wrong, too hyper and quick to be realistic. As if the creators talking super fast is a shortcut to coming across smart.
tossit
April 23, 2012 at 11:53PM EST Reply to CommentThat was funny...and as much as I hate this word..sharp. I will keep watching
Col Bat Guano
April 24, 2012 at 1:24AM EST Reply to CommentSince I loved In the Loop, this was fantastic. I did miss Malcolm Tucker, but then every show could use him. Even Downton Abbey.
alfaromeo
April 24, 2012 at 1:28AM EST Reply to CommentVery funny, how bad can anything be with Ms. Dreyfus. I will watch it and know this show delivers without mindless material like the other new show from HBO called Girls that is terrible
Love VEEP
April 24, 2012 at 10:03AM EST Reply to Comment'weapons grade retard' is my favorite line .. ever!
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