Very Important People (2023 TV series)

Very Important People
Season 1 poster, featuring Michaelis surrounded by guests
Genre	Improvisational comedy Talk show
Directed by	Tamar Levine
Presented by	Vic Michaelis
Theme music composer	Martin Landström
Opening theme	"The High Point"
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	14
Production
Executive producers	Andrew Bridgman David Cyr Kerns Sam Reich
Editor	Eve Hinz
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	15–30 minutes
Production company	Dropout
Original release
Network	Dropout
Release	December 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.

Format

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. Similarly, Michaelis is not given any details of these characters beforehand beyond their name and appearance.

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. A recurring segment features Michaelis asking the characters a series of rapid-fire questions, concluding each time with "What is the meaning of life?"

Production

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. 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.

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. 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. 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."

Episodes are released on a biweekly schedule. 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.

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	13		December 15, 2023 (2023-12-15)	June 7, 2024 (2024-06-07)
2	16		November 7, 2024 (2024-11-07)	June 5, 2025 (2025-06-05)

Season 1 (2023–2024)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Guest(s)	Original air date
1	1	"Princess Emily"	Anna Garcia	December 15, 2023 (2023-12-15)
Vic interviews a European pop star attempting to achieve solo stardom in America after the arrest of her bandmates.
2	2	"Denzel"	Ify Nwadiwe	December 29, 2023 (2023-12-29)
Vic interviews an extraterrestrial who claims he has come to repopulate the planet while secretly living in Vic's guest house.
3	3	"Vic's Ex-Step-Grandmother"	Lisa Gilroy	January 12, 2024 (2024-01-12)
Vic struggles to interview Nana, their grandfather's irritable ex-wife, who is quick to demean them and tell insulting stories about their childhood.
4	4	"Marionette Conqui and Zonton de la Doll"	Kimia Behpoornia and Jacob Wysocki	January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)
Vic interviews two porcelain dolls that have come to life, whose search for their original owner has gone viral on social media.
5	5	"Kepl and Dr. Milk"	Josh Ruben	February 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
Vic interviews an obnoxious ventriloquist who is jealous at the success of his more charismatic puppet.
6	6	"Tommy Shriggly"	Zac Oyama	February 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
Vic interviews a mental health advocate who turned his life around after being dishonorably discharged for murdering his military platoon.
7	7	"Professor Avery Goodman"	Brian David Gilbert	March 8, 2024 (2024-03-08)
Vic interviews a transhumanist scientist who is running for mayor on a platform of eliminating free will through mind control.
8	8	"Jasper and Casper"	Oscar Montoya and Jiavani	March 22, 2024 (2024-03-22)
Vic interviews a pair of married authors who are promoting their book about "Sex, the British Way", which involves no physical contact.
9	9	"Leighanna-Jean Gruthers"	Isabella Roland	April 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
Vic interviews a beauty pageant queen from Florida who has been lying about her age to remain eligible for children's competitions.
10	10	"Pig #2"	Ally Beardsley	April 19, 2024 (2024-04-19)
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.
11	11	"Martha Tops and Lucian Azathoth"	Rashawn Nadine Scott and Ross Bryant	May 3, 2024 (2024-05-03)
Vic interviews a pair of Satanist youth ministers seeking to spread the word of their dark lord to children.
12	12	"Augbert"	Brennan Lee Mulligan	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Vic interviews a strange man claiming to be "from the woods", who has infiltrated their dreams to warn them about the future.
13	13	"Very Important Bonus Content"	Various	June 7, 2024 (2024-06-07)
A compilation of outtakes and scenes that were cut for time from the first season.

Season 2 (2024–2025)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Guest(s)	Original air date
14	1	"Zeke Aaron McKinley"	Anna Garcia	November 7, 2024 (2024-11-07)
Vic interviews a fourth-grader who was transformed by a genie's wish into a creature made of rocks.

Reception

Very Important People was the People's Voice Winner in the video comedy category at the 2024 Webby Awards. 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."

External links

• Very Important People on Dropout
• Very Important People at IMDb
• Very Important People at TheTVDB