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| Politically challenged? Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in VEEP. Image: HBO. |
One of the writing/producing pioneers of modern British comedy, with such notable BBC examples as ALAN PARTRIDGE and THE THICK OF IT under his recent belt, it was no surprise to me that American film and TV chiefs would snap up the talented Armando Iannucci for projects their side of the pond. With a flair for satire and subtle but often belly-aching observational humour and believable farce, and a finger firmly on the pulse of today’s finicky viewers tastes, HBO are surely hoping that the Brit will bring the same kind of kudos and audience success with his transatlantic debut: VEEP, the ambitious and hopefully promising new series set within the upper echelons of the White House, and a look at the life and career of the first female Vice-President, Selina Meyer, as played by the popular ex-SEINFELD actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, swapping the divorcee/household madness of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE for pearls, power dressing and stilettos whilst treading the powerful and majestic corridors of the American political system, in a showcase that will hopefully be a lot more interesting and for the popular actress/comedienne, playing a role that, in real-life, has so far eluded the likes and grip of the clever and tough Hillary Clinton!
The overall selection of an American Vice-President has often been portrayed in a contentious and ignorant way within TV drama: the key selectee seemingly and unwillingly chosen as part of the overall winning ticket in key electoral territory battles that the President himself can’t emerge victorious from without the additional support. How this modern scenario is factored into the fly on the wall documentary-esque style of VEEP, and what comedy problems will arise when Meyers enters office and liaises with her new staff should prove intriguing and, hopefully, often very amusing. With the exception of some of Aaron Sorkin’s mild comedy mixed into the drama of THE WEST WING, as well as the often real life black comedy that was the George Bush Jr. political reign, there hasn’t been a true US TV comedy series set in the White House that I can recall (I am a Brit, though, and I’m probably wrong!), so this has lots of potential, carrying on the clever and sophisticated, often edgy US comedy seen with the likes of 30 ROCK, SEINFELD and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, as well as British inspirations/re-works like THE OFFICE. Backing Iannucci in his comedy work is a fine pedigree of UK and US talent including FOUR LIONS controversial but always funny writer/director Chris Morris and fellow director Tristram Shapeero (a helmer on COMMUNITY), as well as THE THICK OF IT co-writers Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, Sean Gray, Roger Drew, Ian Martin and Jesse Armstrong.
In a modern America of spin doctors, big business over humanity and a rootin’ tootin’ Sarah Palin who has more than proved that anything can happen at the right time and place, it will be interesting to see how long VEEP survives both the unexpected and surely awkward situations she finds herself in, and the dictates of the viewers cruising the TV airwaves.
VEEP comes to the UK’s SKY ATLANTIC in June.
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