Sky Atlantic HD debuts Armando Iannucci’s hugely anticipated new comedy VEEP this June
London (25 April, 2012): Following the show’s US launch this week, Sky Atlantic HD today announce that Armando Iannucci’s VEEP will premiere exclusively to Sky customers on the channel and on the move via Sky Go this June.
Multi-award winning British comedy writer and director Armando Iannucci (The Thick Of It, In The Loop, I’m Alan Partridge) turns his attention to the inner workings of American politics as his latest sitcom steps inside the government offices of Washington DC.
Emmy®, Golden Globe® and Screen Actors Guild Award®-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine) is Selina Meyer, the US Vice President, or ‘Veep’ as the position is colloquially known. Having recently taken up the prestigious post, she soon realises the job entails a lot more than she bargained for.
The ensemble cast includes a who’s who from the world of comedy. Sufe Bradshaw (Overnight) is Sue, Meyer’s assistant; Anna Chlumsky (In The Loop) is Amy, her chief of staff; Tony Hale (Arrested Development) is Gary, her right-hand man; Reid Scott (My Boys) is Dan, an ambitious director of communications; Tim Simons (Days Together) is Jonah, a young and somewhat clueless White House liaison; and Matt Walsh (Outsourced) is Mike, Meyer's weathered spokesperson.
Receiving widespread critical acclaim in the US, Entertainment Weekly declared that “VEEP’s mix of energy, obscenity, and enmity is a bleak vision of American political folly. It would actually be pretty depressing if it weren’t so amusing;” while The New York Post described the series as “hilarious” and having “rescued the sitcom;” and New York Magazine hailed “each episode funnier than the last.”
Directors for season one include home-grown comedy icons Chris Morris (Four Lions) and Tritram Shapeero (Community); while writers include Iannucci’s fellow The Thick Of It writers Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, Sean Gray, Roger Drew, Ian Martin and Jesse Armstrong.
Armando Iannucci executive produces VEEP along with Frank Rich of New York Magazine and Christopher Godsick (Take The Lead). Simon Blackwell co-executive produces along with Tony Roche; Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Stephanie Laing produce; consulting producers include Sean Gray, William Smith, Roger Drew and Ian Martin.
VEEP forms part of Sky Atlantic HD’s broader comedy strategy to bring the smartest, most engaging content of this genre from both sides of the Atlantic exclusively to Sky customers. The channel’s stellar comedy line-up also includes Brand X With Russell Brand and dark comedy House of Lies together with original commissions including Julia Davis’ Hunderby, Kathy Burke’s Walking & Talking and Adam Buxton’s Bug.
VEEP will air exclusively this June on Sky Atlantic HD as part of the channel’s summer schedule. Following the addition of Sky Atlantic HD to Sky Go, customers will be able to watch VEEP on the move on iPad, selected smartphones and laptops at no extra cost.
ENDS
For further information please contact
Megan MacLeod - Publicist, Sky Movies HD, Sky Atlantic HD
T:
E: megan.macleod@bskyb.com
Notes to editor
For more information please contact:
Megan MacLeod
Publicist, Sky Movies and Sky Atlantic
T: +44 (0)20 7032 4252
M: +44 (0)7584 580 014
megan.macleod@bskyb.com
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Notes to Editors:
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