Nofilmschool iconNofilmschoolJul 1, 2026 ~1 min source read

The Secret to Veep's Razor-Sharp Political Comedy Isn't What You Think

Every once in a while, my husband and I are stricken by an urgent need to revisit the world of Armando Iannucci. (Maybe because so much of our everyday lives feels like a political farce, amirite?

The Secret to Veep's Razor-Sharp Political Comedy Isn't What You Think

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Every once in a while, my husband and I are stricken by an urgent need to revisit the world of Armando Iannucci.

(Maybe because so much of our everyday lives feels like a political farce, amirite?

Happy birthday, America.) Last night was one such instance, leading us to pull out In the Loop, a film that still feels timely and surprising despite being over 15 years old.

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The useful part

Every once in a while, my husband and I are stricken by an urgent need to revisit the world of Armando Iannucci. (Maybe because so much of our everyday lives feels like a political farce, amirite? Happy birthday, America.) Last night was one such instance, leading us to pull out In the Loop, a film that still feels timely and surprising despite being over 15 years old.

How it works

  • In the Loop made our list of the smartest satire films ever made, and the Veep pilot landed on our ranking of the best comedy TV pilots for how fast it locks in tone.
  • I wanted to dive into what makes Iannucci's writing so incredible and found some resources for us.
  • YouTube youtu.be Plot First, Jokes Later The liveliness of the characters and the randomness of their language mean many of th...

Details worth keeping

Iannucci has spent three decades making political dysfunction funny. He also gave us The Thick of It, Veep, and The Death of Stalin. Writing political comedy isn't so difficult, difficult, lemon difficult..

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