'Veep' is Majorly Shaking Things Up

Just two days before the season 4 premiere of HBO's Veep, there's been a major change behind-the-scenes of the acclaimed show. In a statement by the network given to The Hollywood Reporter, it was announced that the series' creator, Armando Iannucci, will leave Veep at the end of its fourth season. Iannucci, who has run the show since its inception, will be replaced by David Mandel following the finale of this coming season.

According to the statement, the reason for Iannucci's sudden departure is not due to conflict, but rather to the desire of the showrunner, who had spoken previously about the possibility of leaving the show, to spend more time with his family at their London home.

"We have had conversations with Armando for some time about the challenges of maintaining his family life in London and producing a show in the states," an HBO rep said in the statement.

The network stressed that while Iannucci is "not replaceable," they are "confident that Veep will continue to be produced at the highest levels with new showrunner David Mandel."

Certainly, the show will be in good hands; Mandel was executive producer, writer and director for Curb Your Enthusiasm, another acclaimed HBO comedy, and he previously wrote for Seinfeld (also starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Saturday Night Live, among other shows. Ianucci's presence will surely be missed, but with a resume like that, the talented Mandel will definitely be an asset to the show going forward.

Image: HBO