Veep should star Meryl Streep. And a sheep. In a deep sleep. (Doesn't)

Bring back swearing, I say. It's been too long since Malcolm Tucker last verbally abused a colleague in a way that would see him sacked for harassment within about eight seconds in the real world.

TV Vice-Presidents of the United States: hapless douchebags to a man. Exhibit A: John Hoynes in The West Wing. Kept on heading down to New Hampshire to raise his profile on the sly till Leo put him back in his box as only Leo could. Played Van Wilder (Party Liaison)'s dad. 'Bingo' Bob Russell: wore cowboy boots, and made Will Bailey go and work for him when he should've been with Toby, being awesome. Charles Logan in 24: weak and incapable of decision-making.

Add to that list VP Selina Meyer in Veep, Armando Iannucci's long-awaited effort at translating the style of The Thick of It into American for HBO. An attempt at a straight-up US remake starring Oliver Platt wasn't picked up by ABC, and good thing too, because it sounded rubbish. "They took the idea and chucked out all the style," said Iannucci. "It was all conventionally shot and there was no improvisation or swearing."

Swearing being one of the key tenets of The Thick of It, HBO should be a natural home for Veep on the strength of this trailer. What you're looking at here is the collective comic might of Iannucci, Chris Morris (directed some episodes), Simon Blackwell, Jesse Armstrong, Tony Roche and even a bit of Will Smith (posh English Will Smith, not Will Smith Will Smith). At the risk of making myself look a dick I will stake my reputation, my prized collection of old wireless routers and a crisp new tenner on it being great.

Veep premieres on 22nd April on HBO and presumably on Sky Atlantic pretty soon after that because it's all over their website. I'd imagine they'll announce the air date about three minutes in advance like they usually do.