# Vice Principals

Vice Principals is an American black comedy television series starring Danny McBride, Walton Goggins, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Dale Dickey, Georgia King, Sheaun McKinney, Busy Philipps and Shea Whigham. The co-creators were Danny McBride and Jody Hill. The series was ordered by HBO in May 2014 with an 18-episode pickup, and the series was split into two seasons for a designed finite run. The series began to shoot in 2015 and wrapped in mid-2016, and premiered on July 17, 2016. The second and final season premiered on September 17, 2017, and concluded on November 12, 2017.

## Synopsis

Vice Principals focuses on ill-tempered, dogmatic, and disliked vice principal of North Jackson High School, Neal Gamby (Danny McBride), and his ambitions of being promoted to the principal's chair when the principal is due to step down. However, when the current principal (Bill Murray) retires, he reveals that he trusts neither Gamby nor his scheming and seemingly sociopathic co-vice principal Lee Russell (Walton Goggins), and so has recommended neither of them as his successor; instead, outsider Dr. Belinda Brown (Kimberly Hébert Gregory) is hired. When Gamby's attempt to get the school faculty to veto the appointment backfires (as Brown quickly makes a positive impression on the staff with her goal-oriented agenda and amicability with students), he conspires with Russell to find some way of ruining Brown's reputation and installing himself as principal. The show chronicles the schemers' gradual self-destruction as their own biases and unlikable personalities increasingly alienate Brown 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 politician who enters into an unholy alliance with Gamby.
* Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Dr. Belinda Brown, North Jackson High's "confident and powerful" school principal.
* Georgia King as Amanda Snodgrass, the idealistic new English teacher at North Jackson High.
* Sheaun McKinney as Dayshawn, a cafeteria worker who Gamby 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 Gamby'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 then Principal of NJHS.

### 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 Gamby.
* 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 (season 1), 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 Gamby expelled from North Jackson prior to the beginning of the series.
* Fisher Stevens as Brian Biehn (season 2), Amanda's new boyfriend, a successful novelist and lecturer.
* Christopher Thornton as Mr. Milner (season 2), a science teacher and amateur cartoonist at North Jackson.

## Episodes

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | July 17, 2016 (2016-07-17) | September 18, 2016 (2016-09-18) |
| 2 | 9 | 9 | September 17, 2017 (2017-09-17) | November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12) |

### Season 1 (2016)

| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Gamby and Russell blackmail Dr. Brown, resulting in a shake up on the school staff. Gamby and Snodgrass are still not talking. |||||||

### Season 2 (2017)

| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| The school year comes to a roaring end; Gamby's shooter is revealed. |||||||

## Production

On June 15, 2015, the Charleston City Paper reported Vice Principals filming in the North Charleston, South Carolina neighborhood of Park Circle. The newspaper added that comic actors Will Ferrell and Bill Murray would make 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.

### 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

Vice Principals received positive reviews from critics in season 1 and reviews for season 2 in general highly praised the show. 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."

### Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Episode | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| 2018 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | | Walton Goggins | Won | |
| 2018 | 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 | |

## 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.