'Director Tamar Levine and Host Vic Michaelis Tease Season 2 of 'Very Important People': Expect the Unexpected!'

The first season of Very Important People Featured have been some incredibly zany improvisational characters hosted by Vic Michaelis, making it unsurprising that the second season hasn’t just kept up this level of excitement but has actually surpassed all anticipations. Continuing to uphold an "improv-first" approach without requiring pre-existing familiarity with the guests, Michaelis embarked on Season 2 equipped with additional background details about his hosting persona and was open to integrating these new elements into each episode’s storyline through collaboration with the participants, thus enriching the overall plot development.

Following complete makeovers—encompassing makeup, prosthetics, and costumes—comics devise characters to engage in an entirely improvised interview session. In Season 2, the series underwent minor alterations, such as extended episode lengths, which had a significant impact. Very Important People ineligible for the Short Form Emmy category. Although director Tamar Levine calls this "a good problem to have," it's difficult not to agree, since the show is now entered into the Variety Talk Series category. This new classification enables individuals such as makeup department head Alex Perrone and editor Eve Hinz to receive submissions for nominations as well.

Following the success of Season 1, were there any aspects you wished to modify or enhance in Season 2?

VIC MICHAELIS I’m really intrigued from your viewpoint, Tamar, as my aim was simply to maintain the momentum generated by the success of the show’s initial run. The fact that viewers were tuning in and showing interest during the premiere season made us excited, so our main focus was ensuring we kept delivering those spontaneous interview segments in an engaging manner. We also explored additional technical aspects and backstage components that brought creative enjoyment both to us and the audience; everything remained impromptu throughout. In one instance involving actor Zac Oyama, we received letters from participants, leading the entire team to suggest tossing these notes onto him spontaneously. This resulted in a highly entertaining scene filled with unscripted moments. Another memorable segment occurred when working with Corin Wells’ character, Steffi Pops—suddenly, we opted to incorporate numerous horror-themed elements into our performance. Editor Eve jumped right into editing this new material alongside you, Tamar. For me personally, this represented stepping up to another level within our improv framework compared to Season One—a progression I found particularly thrilling.

TAMAR LEVINE : To piggyback off what Vic's saying about just elevating everything, for me its just giving the improvisers the tools to be able to play around even more so for this season. Last season we had a table of props. This season we had five shelves full of props and…

MICHAELIS If I understand correctly, it used to be two tables placed on top of each other, which created those five shelves. That setup was truly amazing.

LEVINE We essentially maintained an extensive property library since you could not predict where the participants might steer their characters visually, thus significantly enhancing the work of our art team. Additionally, I believe I can represent both of our views when I say that the storytelling aspect of the program holds great significance for us. The host version of Vic differs from his regular persona, so observing the transformation of Host Vic from season one to season two was crucial. Understanding these changes and figuring out ways to support the ongoing narrative progression of the series were also key priorities.

Can you share some insight into the transition involving Host Vic across different seasons? Was this decision made collaboratively, or did it depend more on spontaneous actions during filming?

LEVINE It’s quite a mix, actually. Both Vic and I constantly discuss where their character might be heading, so we had some ideas about how Host Vic’s story could evolve from Season 1 to Season 2 and where we envisioned their background unfolding in the second season. Definitely, we felt it was important to consider these aspects since you probably saw that the entire set underwent minor changes. Our conversations delved even deeper into details such as how with more funds, Vic invested in a gold statue rather than a plaster one—a minute detail only noticeable to us two, yet it significantly aids my understanding of our character’s direction. Improvisation always takes precedence right from the start.

MICHAELIS From my perspective, particularly considering the improv aspect, I view them primarily as temporary and thematic components rather than fixed entities—almost akin to stages in an emotional voyage. Since our episodes aren’t aired consecutively, we shoot scenes first and then Tamar and Eve arrange them accordingly. Witnessing it all take shape has been truly fascinating. Our narrative structure consists of loosely connected plot points; whether these occur depends largely on chance, but improv remains central to guiding us along. Typically, additional specifics emerge spontaneously when someone contributes something unexpected. This past season was incredibly rewarding because many of the improvisational actors were enthusiastic about enriching the background story of this particular host figure. Many delightful nuances arose directly due to performers bringing such depth to their roles voluntarily. As an improvisor, receiving such contributions feels like hitting the jackpot since it means others deeply engage with your character.

Was there anything this year that caught your attention or was notably different from what you expected?

LEVINE It’s quite tough to pick just one thing. I find that every element of this show feels unpredictable yet incredibly enjoyable.

MICHAELIS Sure, here’s your passage rephrased: Initially, one thought came to me—that I am truly thankful for being part of the second season with a channel like Dropout. Working with them allows our quirky series—where 'quirky' is high praise—to evolve freely without constraints. The show can thrive organically, and not be forced into preconceived structures. This creative freedom brings immense satisfaction and fulfillment. Moreover, we have the privilege of showcasing the talents of some of the funniest comics globally, molding the program according to their comedic input rather than fitting everything into a rigid framework.

LEVINE : And this season, I forgot who it was, but someone warned us, ‘If you guys go longer than X Minutes, you're not going to be able to be submitted for the [Short Form Emmy category].' And what's so great about Dropout is everyone was kind of unanimously, ‘We don't care.' The episodes come first and the awards are kind of just cool.

: That's a big change in the Emmy category submission this year, going from Short Form to the Variety Talk category. What's it like submitting in that different space?

MICHAELIS : Well, when I think of my contemporaries, it's the Jimmys, all the people that I think classically when people think Very Important People Sure, they’re part of that late-night schedule... But yes, it’s incredibly enjoyable and impressive. Essentially, we get to create this program featuring some of the most skilled improvisational performers and comedians from the Los Angeles comedy scene and well beyond. The idea that anyone would consider us for an accolade at all is truly astounding. Therefore, whenever folks discuss potential categories for awards involving our work—whether referring to individual contributors or the show as a whole—and express interest, my response is always positive. Everything related feels absolutely wonderful.

Someone mentioned to me some time back that you’re essentially overlooking chances today which five years ago weren’t even visions of possibility. Do you get what I’m saying? Right now, I genuinely resonate with this sentiment universally. It’s incredibly exciting to discuss modifying submission processes for Emmy categories. Had someone informed me about this scenario half a decade earlier, my mind probably would’ve been blown. The thought of handling such tasks for an improvisational performance wasn’t within my realm of understanding then. This shift truly is remarkable.

LEVINE I believe from last year as well, clearly both makeup and editing play huge roles in the production. In the Short Form section, we couldn’t acknowledge Alex [Perrone, makeup department head] and Eve adequately for their essential contributions. While Alex’s team will be nominated under makeup, Eve has been put forward for editing. The best part is that they’ll receive recognition for what they’ve done, particularly through votes cast by peers within the industry—a feat considering how challenging it is to edit this type of show. Our content isn’t pre-scripted; instead, we take approximately two hours of raw footage and condense it down to just 20-30 minutes with careful rearrangement. This process requires an entire community working together seamlessly, and having such crucial members like Alex and Eve acknowledged adds significantly to the honor. Moreover, there seems to be quite a humorous twist when competing against those big-name talk shows led by Jimmy Fallon and others. They may benefit from using prepared scripts whereas ours remains largely unscripted, making me somewhat biased yet genuinely impressed with Vic who stands out as incredibly talented. I hope he gets...

MICHAELIS Stop, I've revised my response based on what Tamar said, so disregard everything else; that's my new answer now.

Certainly, my appreciation for this category stems from the fact that it allows both Alex and Eve to receive recognition, aligning with what I initially intended.

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