This spring, winter won’t be the only thing coming to HBO. In addition to season 2 of Game of Thrones, the network will debut the vice presidential comedy Veep, from the creator of In the Loop, as well as a new take on the single-girl-in-the-city story with Girls, which is being described as the anti-Sex and the City.

In the trailer entitled ‘A Different Spin’ we are introduced to the second most powerful person in the world – and apparently it’s not exactly a thrill-a-minute position. Veep comes from Armando Iannucci, the creator of the hit BBC comedy The Thick of It and its pseudo follow-up, the 2009 theatrical release In the Loop.

While one might be hard pressed to find a significant amount of American viewers that have watched (or even heard of) The Thick of It, the same cannot be said for In the Loop, which made the rounds over here, garnering not only critical praise, but also an Academy Award nomination for its adapted screenplay.

Although an Oscar nod doesn’t necessarily translate into a guaranteed success, Veep does have a lot going for it. For one, HBO will undoubtedly be the best place for Iannucci’s style of humor, while having Julia Louis-Dreyfus star, as former Senator Selina Meyer, who, heedless of various warnings, suddenly finds herself a stone’s throw from the presidency, will certainly help to attract viewers.

Check out the brief teaser for Veep below:

Possibly even more enticing is the comedy Girls from Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture, Mildred Pierce) and reigning king of comedy Judd Apatow. As mentioned earlier, Girls is being hailed as the anti-Sex and the City, which appears to take a more down-to-earth tone with the idea of a young, single girl finding her way through life in New York City.

Dunham, who created, writes and stars in Girls, is joined by Zosia Mamet (Parenthood, Mad Men), Jemima Kirke and Allison Williams.

For Apatow, this will be a chance to return to his roots in television before the success that came from directing The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, as well as producing this year’s surprise hit Bridesmaids. Previously, Apatow had brought about the critically acclaimed, but short-lived television series Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared, which served as a springboard to fame for Seth Rogen, Jason Segel (The Muppets) and James Franco. Given the look of Girls, Dunham and the rest of the cast might be in for a similar shot at stardom.

Take a look a the trailer for Girls:

While dramas like Boardwalk Empire, The Wire and The Sopranos seemingly get all the glory, HBO boasts a bevy of comedies like Bored to Death, Curb Your Enthusiasm and the upcoming Life’s Too Short from Ricky Gervais. Perhaps with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Judd Apatow attached to Veep and Girls, the pay-cable network’s comedies may finally steal away some of the drama’s thunder.

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Veep and Girls are set to premiere in April 2012.

Source: Zap2It