On Sunday, HBO brings back Game of Thrones and Veep and unveils its newest series, Silicon Valley. In addition to the same night of TV, they have something else in common: blind ambition…

Game of Thrones, returning Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, is on Season 4. Veep, returning at 10:30, is starting Season 3, and both these established shows are beginning what look to be their strongest years yet. Game of Thrones, in the first three episodes alone, builds to another arrestingly dramatic royal wedding – and Veep, now that Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina is embarking on a quest to go from Vice President to President, gives its heroine, and its scriptwriters, something really interesting to do.

And nestled between those shows, premiering Sunday night at 10, is Silicon Valley, the new comedy co-created by Mike Judge, whose credits include Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill and Office Space. It’s an eight-episode sitcom that unfurls its story slowly – but by the midpoint, it gets into a high enough gear to justify its inclusion on the hot HBO schedule.

Silicon Valley is about a computer programmer, played by Thomas Middleditch, who develops a music file compression site that turns out to have potentially massive Internet implications. Almost instantly, he and his merry band of computer-geek buddies are in demand. They’re also, very soon, in way over their heads, which is where Silicon Valley draws much of its humor. The venture capitalists and CEOs vying for their attention dangle dazzling financial figures and percentage deals their way – but, at the same time, treat them like ill-prepared contestants on Shark Tank.

Almost everyone on Silicon Valley has greed as a fatal flaw – just like almost everyone on Game of Thrones and Veep. On Sunday night, on HBO, they’re made for each other.

--

To hear my review of these three shows on NPR, broadcast Thursday, April 3, go to the Fresh Air with Terry Gross website.