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Very Important People (2023 TV series)

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Very Important People
The host, Vic Michaelis, is wearing a brown suit and sitting in a chair, removing their glasses as they stare offscreen wistfully. Insets of various individuals appear in an arch around their head. From left to right are Leighanna-Jean Gruthers, a beauty pageant queen with artificially-tanned skin wearing a flower crown and green dress resembling a plant; Denzel, a purple-skinned alien with large eyes and two small antennae wearing a gold jumpsuit; Princess Emily, a pop star with pink-streaked blonde hair wearing a pink and white jacket, and several bracelets; Vic's Ex-Step-Grandmother, an old woman in a bonnet and floral print dress holding a cigarette and gagging into a martini glass; and Jasper and Casper, a married couple who are nearly identical, including sharing a bowl haircut, a mole on their left cheeks, and matching vests and ties. The "Very Important People" logo is positioned at the bottom of the image.
Season 1 poster, featuring Michaelis surrounded by guests[a]
Genre
Directed byTamar Levine
Presented byVic Michaelis
Theme music composerMartin Landström
Opening theme"The High Point"
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes15
Production
Executive producers
EditorEve Hinz
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time15–30 minutes
Production companyDropout
Original release
NetworkDropout
ReleaseDecember 15, 2023 (2023-12-15) –
present

Very Important People is an American improvisational comedy talk show hosted by Vic Michaelis. The show features comedians being placed in extensive makeup and costumes, then participating in an in-character interview with Michaelis. The series premiered on Dropout in December 2023, and is currently in its second season.[1]

Format

[edit]

The opening sequence of each episode features one or two comedians having extensive makeup and prosthetics applied to them by the makeup team, along with accompanying costume pieces, to alter their appearance; the comedians are not aware in advance what they are being turned into, and are prevented from seeing themselves before the process is complete. Once preparations are finished, the comedians are allowed to see themselves in the mirror for the first time, and they are given a few minutes to improvise a character based on their new look.[2] Similarly, Michaelis is not given any details of these characters beforehand beyond their name and appearance.[3]

When the episode begins, the comedians join Michaelis on the main talk show set, where they introduce themselves in character. The episode then proceeds with Michaelis interviewing the characters, asking them questions about themselves and the reasons they have been brought on the show. Interviews will frequently be broken up by segments in which props are brought onto the set, prompting the characters to explain how the object relates to them; the interview also frequently cuts away to photos or footage of the characters, which are shot on a green screen after the episode and added in post production.[4] A recurring segment features Michaelis asking the characters a series of rapid-fire questions, concluding each time with "What is the meaning of life?"[5]

Production

[edit]

Very Important People is a reboot of the 2010 CollegeHumor series Hello, My Name Is..., which featured Pat Cassels interviewing a different guest each episode, all played by Josh Ruben.[3][5] Michaelis had previously been featured in minor roles on a few prior CollegeHumor productions before appearing as a contestant on Make Some Noise in 2022; their performance on the series led executive producer Sam Reich to cast them as the host for Very Important People.[3][6]

Michaelis emulated public-access television presenters in their performance, attempting to instill in their host persona a feeling of believing they are destined for larger things and that their presence on the show lends it additional importance.[7] Michaelis and director Tamar Levine sought to incorporate a narrative arc into the series, developing the "host Vic" character through their interactions with the guests.[5][7] For the second season, the show's reception of a Webby Award was integrated into the narrative, with Michaelis describing the host character's progression as "just them trying to figure out potentially getting some wins in this career sector, while their personal life is really in the toilet. And trying to make it all work at this place that they don’t really want to be, while also still interviewing these characters."[8] While the guests in the first season consisted entirely of comedians who had previously appeared in other Dropout productions, the second season expanded to include other performers from outside of Dropout.[9]

Episodes are released on a biweekly schedule.[10] After each episode airs, a "Last Looks" behind-the-scenes video is released, featuring Levine and makeup department head Alex Perrone explaining the creative decisions and technical process behind creating each guest's appearance.[4]

Episodes

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113December 15, 2023 (2023-12-15)June 7, 2024 (2024-06-07)
216[10]November 7, 2024 (2024-11-07)June 5, 2025 (2025-06-05)

Season 1 (2023–2024)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleGuest(s)Original air date
11"Princess Emily"Anna GarciaDecember 15, 2023 (2023-12-15)[‡ 1]
Vic interviews a European pop star attempting to achieve solo stardom in America after the arrest of her bandmates.
22"Denzel"Ify NwadiweDecember 29, 2023 (2023-12-29)[‡ 2]
Vic interviews an extraterrestrial who claims he has come to repopulate the planet while secretly living in Vic's guest house.
33"Vic's Ex-Step-Grandmother"Lisa GilroyJanuary 12, 2024 (2024-01-12)[‡ 3]
Vic struggles to interview Nana, their grandfather's irritable ex-wife, who is quick to demean them and tell insulting stories about their childhood.
44"Marionette Conqui and Zonton de la Doll"Kimia Behpoornia and Jacob WysockiJanuary 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)[‡ 4]
Vic interviews two French porcelain dolls that have come to life, whose search for their original owner has gone viral on social media.
55"Kepl and Dr. Milk"Josh RubenFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)[‡ 5]
Vic interviews an obnoxious ventriloquist who is jealous at the success of his more charismatic puppet.
66"Tommy Shriggly"Zac OyamaFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)[‡ 6]
Vic interviews a mental health advocate who turned his life around after being dishonorably discharged for murdering his military platoon.
77"Professor Avery Goodman"Brian David GilbertMarch 8, 2024 (2024-03-08)[‡ 7]
Vic interviews a transhumanist scientist who is running for mayor on a platform of eliminating free will through mind control.
88"Jasper and Casper"Oscar Montoya and JiavaniMarch 22, 2024 (2024-03-22)[‡ 8]
Vic interviews a pair of married authors who are promoting their book about "Sex, the British Way", which involves no physical contact.
99"Leighanna-Jean Gruthers"Isabella RolandApril 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)[‡ 9]
Vic interviews a beauty pageant queen from Florida who has been lying about her age to remain eligible for children's competitions.
1010"Pig #2"Ally BeardsleyApril 19, 2024 (2024-04-19)[‡ 10]
Vic interviews one of the Three Little Pigs, whose mother's death from being trampled by the Big Bad Wolf has driven them to vigilantism.
1111"Martha Tops and Lucian Azathoth"Rashawn Nadine Scott and Ross BryantMay 3, 2024 (2024-05-03)[‡ 11]
Vic interviews a pair of Satanist youth ministers seeking to spread the word of their dark lord to children.
1212"Augbert"Brennan Lee MulliganMay 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)[‡ 12]
Vic interviews a strange man claiming to be "from the woods", who has infiltrated their dreams to warn them about the future.
1313"Very Important Bonus Content"VariousJune 7, 2024 (2024-06-07)[‡ 13]
A compilation of outtakes and scenes that were cut for time from the first season.

Season 2 (2024–2025)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleGuest(s)Original air date
141"Zeke Aaron McKinley"Anna GarciaNovember 7, 2024 (2024-11-07)[‡ 14]
Vic interviews a fourth-grader who was transformed by a genie's wish into a creature made of rocks.
152"Hayes Steele"Jacob WysockiNovember 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)[‡ 15]
Vic interviews Dropout's new owner, a former reality show winner who reinvented himself and became a nouveau riche "almost" billionaire.
163"Jukebox"Chris ReddDecember 5, 2024 (2024-12-05)[‡ 16]
Vic interviews an intergalactic warrior, who has traveled back in time 2000 years to warn humanity of a coming millenia-long war.

Reception

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Very Important People was the People's Voice Winner in the video comedy category at the 2024 Webby Awards.[7] Natalie Allton of The Observer praised the show, claiming "You'd be hard-pressed to find a show so delightful throughout, from concept to cast to creation to product."[4] Benjamin Lassy of The Daily Campus gave the second season premiere a 4.1/5 rating, commenting that it "keeps the magic alive from the first season."[11] Polygon ranked Very Important People 45th on their list of the 50 best shows of 2024.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Clockwise from left:Leighanna-Jean Gruthers; Denzel; Princess Emily; Vic's Ex-Step-Grandmother; Jasper and Casper
  1. ^ Maas, Jennifer (2024-08-14). "Dropout's 'Very Important People' Sets Season 2 Premiere Date; Five New Guest Stars Join, Including Chris Redd and Paul F. Tompkins (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  2. ^ Davis, Clayton (May 8, 2024). "Dropout Jumps Into Emmys With 'Game Changer' and 'Very Important People,' 'Dimension 20' Not Eligible for Submission". Variety. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Fleming, Ryan (June 13, 2024). "'Very Important People's Vic Michaelis On Their Host Persona & Some Truly Wild Characters: "Tommy Shriggly Really Came In And Hit Me Like A Wrecking Ball"". Deadline. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Allton, Natalie (January 24, 2024). "'Very Important People' is very nearly perfect". The Observer. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Zachary, Brandon (November 8, 2024). "Very Important People's Vic Michaelis Reflects On The Origins & Future Of The Dropout Series". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  6. ^ Weaver, Jackson (June 28, 2024). "Very Important People host Vic Michaelis is very famous and has places to be". CBC. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Polo, Susana (November 7, 2024). "Dropout's Vic Michaelis on Very Important People season 2 and the meaning of life". Polygon. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Maas, Jennifer (November 8, 2024). "'Very Important People' Host Vic Michaelis Reveals Dream Guests Include Quinta Brunson, Patti LuPone and Elaine Carroll as Season 2 Hits Dropout". Variety. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Tyrrell, Caitlin (November 10, 2024). "Vic Michaelis Talks 'Very Important People' Season 2". Temple of Geek. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Volk, Pete (October 17, 2024). "Dropout's Very Important People season 2 trailer promises even more hilarious interviews with bizarre characters". Polygon. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  11. ^ Lassy, Benjamin (November 14, 2024). "'I wished to become rocks': "Very Important People" season 2 debut". The Daily Campus. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Volk, Pete (February 28, 2024). "The 50 best TV shows of 2024". Polygon. Retrieved December 9, 2024.

Primary sources

[edit]
  1. ^ "Princess Emily". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 1. December 15, 2023. Dropout.
  2. ^ "Denzel". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 2. December 29, 2023. Dropout.
  3. ^ "Vic's Ex Step-Grandmother". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 3. January 12, 2024. Dropout.
  4. ^ "Marionette Conqui and Zonton de la Doll". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 4. January 26, 2024. Dropout.
  5. ^ "Kepl and Dr. Milk". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 5. February 9, 2024. Dropout.
  6. ^ "Tommy Shriggly". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 6. February 23, 2024. Dropout.
  7. ^ "Professor Avery Goodman". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 7. March 8, 2024. Dropout.
  8. ^ "Jasper and Casper". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 8. March 22, 2024. Dropout.
  9. ^ "Leighanna-Jean Gruthers". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 9. April 5, 2024. Dropout.
  10. ^ "Pig #2". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 10. April 19, 2024. Dropout.
  11. ^ "Martha Tops and Lucian Azathoth". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 11. May 3, 2024. Dropout.
  12. ^ "Augbert". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 12. May 17, 2024. Dropout.
  13. ^ "Very Important Bonus Content". Very Important People. Season 1. Episode 13. May 17, 2024. Dropout.
  14. ^ "Zeke Aaron McKinley". Very Important People. Season 2. Episode 1. November 7, 2024. Dropout.
  15. ^ "Hayes Steele". Very Important People. Season 2. Episode 2. November 21, 2024. Dropout.
  16. ^ "Jukebox". Very Important People. Season 2. Episode 3. December 5, 2024. Dropout.
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