Seinfeld still Resonates with Showrunners of Veep and Silicon Valley
The showrunners of Veep and Silicon Valley talk about comedy and Seinfeld
It would be perfectly in line to say that Seinfeld sits at the top of comedy mountain, or whatever that really means. Seinfeld is one of the finest examples of comedy television that has ever existed. Its legacy continues on, and it informs some of HBO’s top comedy shows, like Veep and Silicon Valley. As it should.
Variety sat down with David Mandel and Adam Berg, the showrunners behind Silicon Valley and Veep, respectively. The interview is impressively far-reaching, including touching upon the always contentious Emmy race. The two shows compete against each other, so naturally there is some friendly rivalry.
Mandel and Berg (specifically Mandel, who actually worked on Seinfeld) were asked about the evolution of comedy. Unsurprisingly, it all goes back to Seinfeld, at least according to Berg:
"“I think a lot of it goes back to “Seinfeld,” because it was episodic, but that’s where I think a lot of serialization started. Even though it was very episodic, as the seasons went on, it did start to have mini-arcs."
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Seinfeld is the most famous episodic sitcom of all time, so that all makes sense. It’s tough to specifically point out the influence in either Veep or Silicon Valley, though it’s probably a bit easier to spot in Silicon Valley, which generally has a looser feel to it. Berg goes on to really hammer the point home:
"” I would also argue, as crazy as it sounds though, I would say the notion of comedically doing exactly what you want and trying to make the funniest show possible goes back to Larry and Jerry on “Seinfeld” and it accidentally became a giant network hit, but really it shouldn’t have.”"
Seinfeld famous struggled for its first couple of seasons, only finding a strong audience after it had been given some time to grow. That leeway isn’t thrown around so often anymore, and many shows end up cancelled before they’re really been given a chance. Television is a business, and networks generally want projects that will attract audiences as soon as possible. It’s sometimes a shame, but that’s just the way it is.
Next: Vice Principals Recap: Circles.
Besides the Seinfeld shoutout, the two also discuss being on HBO and how that compares to being on regular network television. Unsurprisingly, both aren’t too pleased with how network TV is run, even going so far as to call it a “broken system.” Which, to be fair, it totally is. HBO has famously given their showrunners more freedom than network TV, and that’s a big reason why some of the best shows are no longer on network TV.