TV ON DVD

Season 1 of HBO’s Veep like West Wing and Office

Veep, Season 1
Veep, Season 1

What is it? Veep, Season 1, eight half-hour episodes on two discs from HBO Home Entertainment.

When? Tuesday (Season 2 starts April 14) How much? $39.98 for DVD, $49.99 for Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo pack

What does “veep” mean? It’s slang for vice president. In this case, the vice president of the United States is Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a former senator who ran for president but, after her campaign tanked, ended up snagging the VP slot on the ballot. Selina is ambitious, self-centered and constantly(and fruitlessly) seeking the approval of the president while also dreaming that she’ll get to take his place.

As she waits for that day to come, she shepherds pet projects like the Clean Jobs Commission, makes public appearances and supports the president’s image. Or, rather, she tries to do those things. Nothing ever seems to go smoothly when Selina and her staff are involved.

Her chief of staff, Amy Brookheimer (Anna Chlumsky), is smart, confident, loyal and occasionally finds herself having to take a (figurative) bullet for her boss.

The newest member of the team, Dan Egan (Reid Scott), will do anything to further his career.

Selina’s closest right-hand man is Gary Walsh (Tony Hale), who caters to Selina’s every whim and, to help her schmooze effectively, feeds her personal information about the people she meets. He calls it “garyoke.”

They all certainly care more than communications director Mike McLintock (Matt Walsh), whose dedication is waning to the point that he invented a pet dog as an excuse to avoid working long hours.

The office gate keeper is Sue Wilson (Sufe Bradshaw), Selina’s no-nonsense executive assistant.

The bane of their mutual existence is Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons), the obnoxious White House liaison who loves nothing more than to remind everyone that he works for the actual White House.

Of course, Selina has no real power and her attempts to get power are constantly thwarted. Whether she’s making a public social gaffe, coming down with a stomach ailment at a very bad time, or feuding with the first lady, Selina is constantly in hot water. And while her staff put out quite a few fires, they’re just as often the cause.

What’s it like? In short? It’s a bit like The West Wing meets The Office, with a fantastic cast and great writing.

The combination of dry wit, sharp satire and general wackiness makes for some laugh out-loud moments as the show skewers Washington. This is a town where a list of hurricane names can be disastrous and where the eating utensils are “politicized.”

The series mines all the humor it can out of the faux pleasantries that barely cover the disdain these people have for each other and the lengths to which they’ll go to stab each other in the back. In many ways, it’s like watching a bunch of middle-aged high schoolers jockeying for a spot at the cool kids’ table.In a good way.

Also, funny? The way actual issues frequently get lost in minutiae like whether or not Selina should wear her glasses at a meeting with lawmakers. She ultimately decides no. They make her look weak and are “like a wheelchair for the eye.”

It’s hilarious and absurd but, when you realize that it might not be too far removed from the real Washington, a little depressing.

Are there extras? There are. Each episode has a commentary track and there are deleted scenes. You also get a 13-minute making-of featurette and a couple of faux PSAs (with faux outtakes).

New this week: The Borgias, Season 2; The Carol Burnett Show, Collector’s Edition; Kingdom, Complete Series; MADtv, Season 2; Men at Work, Season 1.

Next week: Dead Man’s Gun, Seasons 1-2; Flipper, Seasons 2-4; Route 66, Season 4.

Style, Pages 46 on 03/24/2013

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