Entertainment
Forget ‘The Office,’ HBO’s Ambitious 53-Episode Comedy Did Workplace Chaos Better
NBC‘s The Office showed us that every workplace, no matter how mundane, is zany and full of heart on the inside. That concept clearly resonated with audiences, and it has been expanded on in other TV workplace comedies over the last two decades. Looking back now, it’s clear that HBO‘s Veep took this idea to its greatest extreme, with high stakes for the United States and for the world in its most absurd storylines. Veep aired seven seasons with 65 episodes from 2012 to 2019, and nothing has lived up to it since. The series earned several prestigious awards and critical acclaim, and it’s time for it to get the same praise as The Office.
Of course, The Office had a few advantages if we’re pitting these two shows against each other. The Office aired on network TV, and access to HBO was not as ubiquitous throughout the 2010s as it is now. If both shows aired today, the tables might be turned — the widespread adoption of streaming has made it easier to access the HBO catalog, while the standard network sitcom format has been struggling. Instead, the timing was just right for The Office to go from being one of NBC’s heavy-hitter to the most beloved streaming binge-watch of the 2020s. For those that claim The Office as their comfort show, Veep might be the perfect thing to add to the rotation.
‘Veep’ Built on the Workplace Comedy Format
Veep stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, who is Vice President of the United States when the series begins. It’s a workplace comedy about her personal staff, including her Chief of Staff Amy Brookheimer (Anna Chlumsky), her personal aide Gary Walsh (Tony Hale), her deputy director of communications Dan Egan (Reid Scott), her White House liaison Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons), her director of communications Mike McLintock (Matt Walsh), and her secretary Sue Wilson (Sufe Bradshaw). The show blends political intrigue seamlessly into the workplace comedy format, which was having a heyday at the time the show was picked up.
The Office is the prime example of workplace comedy in this century, but it spawned a lot of copycats. Many of the writers and producers behind The Office had a hand in other NBC hits like Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and later Superstore, among others. Veep was one of the most successful shows to build on this format on a different network, making it feel more distinct with its own message to convey. HBO’s premium production value certainly helped as well, even if the shorter season format was a bit of a hindrance.
Just as Steve Carrell‘s performance as Michael Scott defined The Office, Louis-Dreyfus’ portrayal of Selina Meyer was the lynchpin of Veep. Being an elected political figure is very different from an office manager, but she still managed to bring some of the same chaotic energy to the role. At the same time, she humanized Selina and made her easy to root for. Perhaps most importantly, she created a clear, visible example of a woman succeeding in modern politics. It may be fictional, but that kind of representation can help bring stories to life years later. When a woman does make it to the White House in real life, she will undoubtedly owe some thanks to Louis-Dreyfus, Selina Meyer, and Veep.
‘Veep’ Has all the Praise Without the Binge-Watch Label
There’s no arguing that Veep was a success in its time. The series won 17 Emmy Awards, with Louis-Dreyfus winning a record-breaking six Emmys for herself. The show was a critical darling and has remained so since it ended, landing on many prominent lists of the greatest sitcoms — or even simply greatest TV shows — of all time. Veep maintained relatively strong ratings by today’s standards as well, with its viewership dipping the most around Season 6. However, it was successful enough for home media releases of all seven seasons, and it still has a modest fandom active online today.
Veep is certainly not hurting for attention, but it should be discussed on the same level as The Office and others like it. The rapid advancement of streaming has leveled the playing field quite a bit when it comes to Veep‘s shorter seasons and accessibility. In fact, compared to many great shows of the 2020s, Veep has a huge catalog at 65 episodes. It may never be the “comfort show” that people binge and re-watch in the same way they do The Office, but it deserves to be. Hopefully in the years to come, more people will make Veep a part of their regular TV diet, and Selina Meyer will be immortalized alongside Michael Scott, Leslie Knope, and Liz Lemon. Veep is streaming now on HBO Max, and is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
- Release Date
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2012 – 2019-00-00
- Network
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HBO Max
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