Explaining Veep’s Return to HBO Max

With the potential of Vice President Kamala Harris ascending to the Presidency of the United States, it’s perhaps unsurprising that people have begun to binge-watch a well-reviewed comedy about America’s first female-identified president. “Veep,” HBO’s comedy featuring the foulmouthed and outspoken Selina Meyer, portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has seen a viewership surge of 350% as of July 22, 2024, according to Luminate data.

The show, akin to an American version of HBO’s previous political comedy, “The Thick of It,” accumulated 486,000 hours on Max in its latest week. This indicates that audiences are keenly binge-watching the political satire. It seems that the upcoming election is on Americans’ minds even as they try to relax. Luminate also reports that “Hillbilly Elegy,” Ron Howard’s movie adaptation of JD Vance’s memoir, saw a notable rise in viewership on Netflix.

On “Veep,” Selina constantly encounters publicity disasters, initially as a largely ignored Vice President and later as an embattled President plunged into a reelection campaign. She frequently finds herself in and out of power, testing and often straining those closest to her. Selina’s relentless drive and willingness to do anything to succeed frequently push the boundaries of her relationships and her career.

However, viewers should remember, as series creator Armando Iannucci stresses, that the series remains a work of fiction.

Armando Iannucci has responded with amusement to “Veep’s” pre-election popularity surge. On his account on X (formerly known as Twitter), he replied to a tweet suggesting that “Veep” set the stage for Kamala Harris’ rise by depicting a future where President Biden leaves office, Harris becomes president, and she is in a tie with Former President Donald Trump. Iannucci wittily commented, “Don’t forget we made all that up, though.”

Iannucci later engaged with a fan clip of the show where Selina and her staff celebrate that a never-seen character, Stuart Hughes, won’t run for a second term, humorously adding, “still working on the ending.” He also posted a snapshot of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and President Biden walking down a White House hallway.

Of course, Vice President Harris has not inherited the White House from President Biden, making the scenario in the tweet mere fantasy. It’s highly improbable that any real politician would make the many blunders that plague Selina’s presidency, leading to her ultimate public disgrace, where people leave her funeral to honor Tom Hanks instead.

Ready to explore more “Veep?”