Vice Principals is an American dark comedy series created by Danny McBride and Jody Hill. It premiered on HBO on July 17, 2016, and concluded on November 12, 2017, comprising 18 episodes over two seasons. It stars McBride, Walton Goggins, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Dale Dickey, Georgia King, Sheaun McKinney, Busy Philipps, and Shea Whigham.
The series was produced by HBO Entertainment while McBride, Hill, and David Gordon Green served as executive producers through their production company Rough House Pictures.
Contents
Synopsis
At North Jackson High School, foul-mouthed vice principal Neal Gamby has ambitions of becoming the principal. However, when the current principal steps down, he reveals that he trusts neither Neal nor his Machiavellian co-vice principal, Lee Russell, and instead hires outsider Dr. Belinda Brown. Neal attempts to get the school faculty to veto the appointment, but Belinda makes a positive impression on the staff with her goal-oriented agenda and popularity with students. The effort backfires, so he conspires with Lee to ruin Belinda's reputation and install one of them as principal. As their scheme unfolds, Neal and Lee gradually self-destruct, as their own biases and loathsomeness alienate Belinda and the rest of their co-workers.
Cast
Main
Danny McBride as Neal Gamby, the divorced, self-important, authoritarian vice principal in charge of discipline at North Jackson High.
Walton Goggins as Lee Russell, vice principal of curriculum at North Jackson High, a conniving office-politician with sociopathic tendencies who enters into an unholy alliance with Neal.
Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Dr. Belinda Brown, North Jackson High's confident and powerful new school principal.
Georgia King as Amanda Snodgrass, the idealistic new English teacher at North Jackson High.
Sheaun McKinney as Dayshawn, a cafeteria worker Neal frequently confides in.
Busy Philipps as Gale Liptrapp, Neal's ex-wife and Ray Liptrapp's new bride.
Shea Whigham as Ray Liptrapp, the new husband of Neal's ex, and frequent target of his hostility despite being a genuine and supportive guy
Dale Dickey as Nash (season 2), the new vice principal.
Recurring
Maya G. Love as Janelle Gamby, Neal and Gale's daughter, of whom Gale has primary custody.
Edi Patterson as Jen Abbott, a Civics teacher at North Jackson High with a one-sided crush on Neal.
Ashley Spillers as Janice Swift, the new secretary for North Jackson High.
Susan Park as Christine Russell, Lee's wife.
June Kyoto Lu as Mi Cha, Lee's mother-in-law.
Mike O'Gorman as Bill Hayden, a history teacher at North Jackson High.
Madelyn Cline as Taylor Watts (season 1), Spirit Captain at North Jackson High.
James M. Connor as Martin Seychelles, a drama teacher at North Jackson High
Robin Bartlett as Octavia LeBlanc, an English teacher at North Jackson High
Brian Howe as Jeremy Haas, superintendent of the school district.
RJ Cyler as Luke Brown, Brown's older son.
Jennifer Gatti as Mrs. Deets
Brian Tyree Henry as Dascious Brown (season 1), Belinda Brown's estranged husband.
Marcius Harris as Officer Terrence Willows (season 2), the school security guard.
Alexandra McVicker as Robin Shandrell (season 2), a delinquent student who Neal expelled from North Jackson prior to the beginning of the series.
Episodes
Production
The series was ordered by HBO with an 18-episode pickup in May 2014, and the series was split into two seasons for a designed finite run. Filming happened during June 2015 in Park Circle, a neighborhood of North Charleston, South Carolina. Will Ferrell and Bill Murray were reported to be making cameo appearances in the series. Scenes that take place in the school were shot on the campus of R. B. Stall High School and also filmed on campus of West Ashley High School.
The series premiered on July 17, 2016. The second and final season premiered on September 17, 2017, and concluded on November 12, 2017.
Music
The score was composed by Joseph Stephens. The soundtrack was released by Waxwork Records in 2019 on a double LP pressed to 180-gram vinyl. The release included liner notes by McBride and Stephens.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 has a rating of 66%, based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Vice Principals is sporadically amusing and benefits from its talented stars, but its mean-spirited humor sometimes misses the mark." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 56 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Season 2 has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 7/10 based on 11 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Danny McBride and Walton Goggins return to settle unfinished business in a Vice Principals season two that is both obscenely funny and more satisfying than its predecessor."
Home media
The complete first season of Vice Principals was released on DVD and Blu-ray by HBO Home Entertainment (which is distributed through Warner Home Video) on February 7, 2017. The complete series was released on DVD by HBO Home Entertainment on April 10, 2018.
