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Veep (2012)

2012 · Comedy · political-satire, workplace-prestige

Veep poster

Veep is a blistering American political satire from Armando Iannucci, creator of The Thick of It, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer — a Vice President (later President) whose ambitions vastly outpace her influence. The show is defined by machine-gun dialogue, foul-mouthed wit, and an ensemble of magnificently self-serving staffers navigating the absurdity of modern political life. Crucially, it names no parties and endorses no ideology, landing its satire as a universally applicable indictment of vanity, dysfunction, and the gap between power and governance. It rewards attentive viewers — rewatches reveal background jokes and reactions missed on first pass — and sits comfortably alongside peak prestige HBO comedy.

From the reviewers

machine gun pace dialog and manages to hit all his targets with a resounding bullseye
Not an episode has gone by where I didn't have to rewind because we missed dialogue over the laughter in the room.
This show is bound to get a bad rap because it comes across as vulgar comedy. Audiences are forgiving when it is delivered by men, but when a woman is leading that charge, there seems to be some rule that it must be respectful or clean.
The reflexive self-serving sycophancy, the arbitrary nature of power, the automatic deferral to the hidden powers behind the throne, the elevation of random dross above real issues are skillfully portrayed, showing how the dysfunction of the modern arena prevents the exercise of power for actual governmental function.
None of the characters are perfectly likable, though all are well-played, but somehow the ensemble is endearing.

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