If a Veep revival is on the horizon, fans can expect the show to be crazier than what they would expect.
Veep was a satirical dark comedy series that followed Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Selina Meyer, also known as the Vice President of the United States (and later the President herself). The show was filled with power-hungry, terrible people within the political sphere—which might sound pretty familiar.
The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 65 episodes, and eventually ended its run in 2019.
Given the current political environment, such as the United States being led by an actual convicted felon, it wouldn't be surprising if some felt like they were living in a season of the highly popular HBO series.
What Would Veep Need if It Were to Ever Return?
"'Veep' Made Sense In a World Where Politicians Were At Least Supposed to Behave..."
While promoting his newest show, Common Side Effects, Veep co-executive producer Steve Hely sat down with The Direct's Russ Milheim to reveal what the fan-favorite HBO comedy would need if it ever returned.
- The Direct: "You mentioned Veep, which, you know, you co-executive produced the last two seasons of. I wanted to ask, given today's political climate, how badly are you itching to start up a revival of that series one day?
Steve Hely: It's funny. I was thinking about a political show the other day, and I was talking to somebody about it, and they were like, 'Nobody wants to think about this right now.' A lot of this stuff, I don't know if you remember, but in the late seasons of 'Veep,' Jonah Ryan caused a pandemic, and he tried to change daylight savings time. And then like things that have become—so it might be a little too [reality] at the moment... '
'Veep' made sense in a world where politicians were at least supposed to behave, and if they were being outrageous, they would get in trouble. And seems like we moved way past that, so the iteration of 'Veep' will have to be way more outlandish and wild.
The entire interview, which focuses mainly on Adult Swim's Common Side Effects, can be viewed below:
What Could a New Season of Veep Look Like?
Veep's direction and overall feel would need to change drastically based on today's political circumstances.
For one, a leading cast of terrible people might not be the best play. Perhaps a revival could flip everything on its head.
Instead of having the main character be an increasingly awful person, the narrative could reverse that and follow a lousy person slowly falling back into being somewhat ethical—while still, of course, surrounded by people that would embody the classic Veep vile and dark humor.
Another angle would be to follow someone overly positive and ethically sound—think Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation. Seeing them navigate the toxic political landscape in a Veep fashion could make for an interesting and different revival.
Any iteration of Veep should try to keep Julia Louis-Dreyfus' (of recent Marvel Cinematic Universe fame) Selina Meyer in the picture. Positioning her as the overarching antagonist of a potential revival series sounds like the perfect move—whether she remains president.
Veep is streaming on Max.
