| Vice Principals | |
|---|---|
 Season 1 promotional poster | |
| Genre | Dark comedy |
| Created by | |
| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer | Joseph Stephens |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 31–35 minutes |
| Production companies | Rough House Pictures HBO Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | July 17, 2016 (2016-07-17) – November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12) |
Vice Principals is an Americandark comedy series created byDanny McBride andJody Hill. It premiered onHBO 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, andShea Whigham.
The series was produced byHBO Entertainment while McBride, Hill, andDavid Gordon Green served as executive producers through their production companyRough House Pictures.
At North Jackson High School, ill-tempered and dogmatic 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 scheming and seemingly sociopathic co-vice principal Lee Russell and instead hires outsider Dr. Belinda Brown. Neal attempts to get the school faculty to veto the appointment after Belinda makes a positive impression on the staff with her goal-oriented agenda and amicability with students, but it backfires and he thus conspires with Lee to find a way to ruin Belinda's reputation and install himself as principal. Neal and Lee gradually self-destruct as their own biases and unlikable personalities increasingly alienate Belinda and the rest of their co-workers.
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 9 | July 17, 2016 (2016-07-17) | September 18, 2016 (2016-09-18) | |
| 2 | 9 | September 17, 2017 (2017-09-17) | November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12) | |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | US viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Principal" | Jody Hill | Danny R. McBride & Jody Hill | July 17, 2016 (2016-07-17) | 1.15[4] | |
After their principal resigns, Vice Principals Neal Gamby and Lee Russell face off for the newly opened position. Both, however, are distraught when they meet the new principal, Dr. Belinda Brown, and agree to team up to take her down. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "A Trusty Steed" | Jody Hill | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri | July 24, 2016 (2016-07-24) | 0.794[5] | |
Dr. Brown begins to get under Gamby's skin as she hires someone to evaluate both him and Russell. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "The Field Trip" | Danny McBride | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Adam Countee | July 31, 2016 (2016-07-31) | 0.889[6] | |
In an attempt to get closer to teacher Amanda Snodgrass, Gamby agrees to go on an out of town field trip. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Run for the Money" | Jody Hill | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Jeff Fradley | August 7, 2016 (2016-08-07) | 0.708[7] | |
As their homecoming football game approaches, Russell uses it as an opportunity to take down Dr. Brown, though Gamby is worried it will have negative consequences for the school. | |||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Circles" | Jody Hill | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri &Hayes Davenport | August 14, 2016 (2016-08-14) | 0.819[8] | |
After Gamby sabotages their latest venture, he and Russell cut ties. Dr. Brown works with Gamby to tone down his disciplinary methods. Russell faces some problems at home. | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Foundation of Learning" | Jody Hill | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Ben Dougan | August 21, 2016 (2016-08-21) | 0.854[9] | |
Gamby and Russell create an elaborate scheme to turn the school against Dr. Brown. Gamby, eager to get closer to his daughter, learns motocross, with the help of Snodgrass. | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | "The Good Book" | Jody Hill | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Hayes Davenport | August 28, 2016 (2016-08-28) | 0.620[10] | |
At teacher workday, Dr. Brown has Russell watch her mischievous sons. Gamby and Snodgrass get closer. Dr. Brown's ex-husband returns. | |||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Gin" | Jody Hill | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri &Tim Saccardo | September 11, 2016 (2016-09-11) | 0.630[11] | |
Gamby must decide who he is loyal to as Dr. Brown offers him a new, more respectable role and reveals she plans on firing Russell. His relationship with Snodgrass is complicated as he learns that she used to sleep with a different teacher at the school. | |||||||
| 9 | 9 | "End of the Line" | Jody Hill | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri | September 18, 2016 (2016-09-18) | 0.555[12] | |
Gamby and Russell blackmail Dr. Brown, resulting in a shake up on the school staff. Gamby and Snodgrass are still not talking. | |||||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | US viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | "Tiger Town" | David Gordon Green | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Tim Saccardo | September 17, 2017 (2017-09-17) | 0.711[13] | |
Recovering from his wounds, Gamby returns to a very different North Jackson High School. | |||||||
| 11 | 2 | "Slaughter" | David Gordon Green | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Ben Dougan | September 24, 2017 (2017-09-24) | 0.670[14] | |
Gamby fingers a suspect, with Dayshawn's help. Russell tests out a kindness strategy at school. | |||||||
| 12 | 3 | "The King" | David Gordon Green | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Adam Countee | October 1, 2017 (2017-10-01) | 0.892[15] | |
Gamby confronts Snodgrass' new boyfriend. Russell tries to find out who drew a cruel picture of him. | |||||||
| 13 | 4 | "Think Change" | David Gordon Green | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Jeff Fradley | October 8, 2017 (2017-10-08) | 0.654[16] | |
Gamby is principal for the day while Russell attends his father's funeral. The teachers complain about the new fitness instructors. | |||||||
| 14 | 5 | "A Compassionate Man" | David Gordon Green | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Jeff Fradley | October 15, 2017 (2017-10-15) | 0.700[17] | |
Russell's birthday party ends in disaster when Christine invites an old friend; Gamby tries to show his charitable side. | |||||||
| 15 | 6 | "The Most Popular Boy" | David Gordon Green | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri &Hayes Davenport | October 22, 2017 (2017-10-22) | 0.647[18] | |
Gamby discovers the other teachers except for Snodgrass are planning to get Russell fired. | |||||||
| 16 | 7 | "Spring Break" | David Gordon Green | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Jeff Fradley | October 29, 2017 (2017-10-29) | 0.604[19] | |
Gamby and Russell accompany Janelle and her friends on spring break. | |||||||
| 17 | 8 | "Venetian Nights" | Danny McBride | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Jeff Fradley | November 5, 2017 (2017-11-05) | 0.610[20] | |
Tensions come to a head for Gamby and Russell as prom approaches. | |||||||
| 18 | 9 | "The Union of the Wizard & The Warrior" | David Gordon Green | Danny R. McBride & John Carcieri & Jeff Fradley | November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12) | 0.792[21] | |
The school year comes to a roaring end; Gamby's shooter is revealed. | |||||||
The series was ordered byHBO with an 18-episode pickup in May 2014,[22] and the series was split into two seasons for a designed finite run.[23] Filming happened during June 2015 in Park Circle, a neighborhood ofNorth Charleston, South Carolina.[24]Will Ferrell andBill Murray were reported to be making cameo appearances in the series.[25] Scenes that take place in the school were shot on the campus ofR. B. Stall High School[26] and also filmed on campus ofWest Ashley High School.
The series premiered on July 17, 2016.[27] The second and final season premiered on September 17, 2017,[28] and concluded on November 12, 2017.
The score was composed byJoseph Stephens. The soundtrack was released byWaxwork Records in 2019 on a double LP pressed to 180 gram vinyl. The release included liner notes by McBride and Stephens.[29]
OnRotten 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."[30] OnMetacritic, the season has a score of 56 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[31] 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 aVice Principals season two that is both obscenely funny and more satisfying than its predecessor."[32]
| Year | Award | Category | Episode | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Walton Goggins | Won | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation | "The Union of the Wizard & the Warrior" | George Haddad, Dale Chaloukian, Karyn Foster, Chad J. Hughes, Marc Meyer, Jim Gallivan, Michael Brake, Louie Schultz, Gregg Barbanell, Nancy Parker | Nominated | [33] |
The complete first season ofVice Principals was released on DVD and Blu-ray byHBO Home Entertainment (which is distributed throughWarner Home Video) on February 7, 2017.[34] The complete series was released on DVD by HBO Home Entertainment on April 10, 2018.[35]
