17 Years Later, This 4-Part Sleeper Hit Set the Tone for HBO's Most Relentless Sitcom

The creative trio of Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, and Jody Hill are currently at the top of their game. In May 2025, the collaborators completed yet another successful HBO project, with the series finale of The Righteous Gemstones. The dark comedy follows the Gemstone family, including John Goodman, Edi Patterson, Adam DeVine, Walton Goggins, as well as McBride, while they try to navigate the celebrity televangelist waters after the passing of their matriarch mother. Throughout its run, the series garnered 10 Emmy nominations, and ultimately won the award for Best Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming.

Not to mention the ensemble cast is one of the most cohesive units on television. Any script, whether it be film, TV, or live theater, is a living and breathing organism. And this cast treated the series as such. From the steady and firm leader Eli Gemstone (Goodman) to the money-hungry, fame-seeking brother-in-law Baby Billy Freeman (Goggins.) The Righteous Gemstones was a success because it found the perfect balance of dark humor and real human tragedy within an otherwise pretty absurd world. However, The Righteous Gemstones wouldn't be where it is today without the shows that came before it, namely, Eastbound & Down.

HBO’s ‘Eastbound & Down’ Took a Leap of Faith

It's hard enough to get television fans to watch a new show. But when the show is baseball-centric, good luck getting non-sports fans to commit. Obviously, HBO took a risk on Eastbound & Bound. However, as the series went on, it was clear that Kenny Powers was more than just a washed-up hillbilly with a foul mouth. Thanks to writer Ben Best and the undeniably talented Danny McBride, Kenny Powers became humanized and relatable. Over the course of four seasons, Powers struggles to regain the fame that he once achieved. He becomes a father, and fights for the woman he loves. He suffers heartbreak and loss just like everyone does. When a character such as Kenny Powers stays grounded, that's where a television show can find the comedy in truth.

Eastbound & Down does such a beautiful job in that aspect. When an audience can relate to a superstar main character on a personal level, then the creators have done their job. HBO's faith in this series truly paid off, as the show set the tone for future projects. The dynamic duo of Jody Hill and Danny McBride would link up once again in 2016 for a show titled, Vice Principals.

‘Justified’ Actor Walton Goggins Fit Perfectly Into McBride’s World

Actor Walton Goggins had been on David Gordon Green's radar for quite some time. According to an interview with GQ, Goggins revealed, "I actually read for Season 4 of Eastbound & Down." That role would ultimately go to Jason Sudeikis. So, when Vice Principals rolled around, David Gordon Green knew he had to get Goggins involved. The rest is history, and the show brilliantly pits McBride against Goggins in a power struggle for the ages.

Based on the three HBO projects that this creative team has presented, it's easy to see that they love broken characters. Both Neal Gamby (McBride) and Lee Russell (Goggins) are vying for the Head Principal position at North Jackson High School. When an outsider is hired to fill the position, Gamby, a divorced father, and Russell, an extravagant sass-mouth, form an unlikely alliance in order to take back what is rightfully theirs. The show was always meant to be a short and sweet limited series. After 18 episodes, the series came to an end, but it was obvious that Danny McBride and Walton Goggins had a spark of chemistry that still needed exploring.

‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Is the Culmination of Hard Work and Perseverance

On August 18, 2019, Episode 1 simply titled "The Righteous Gemstones," premiered on HBO Max. The show follows the same formula that worked with Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals. A dark comedy surrounding a very specific set of characters. Even though audiences might not immediately relate to the world of a celebrity televangelist and his millionaire family, the creators do an incredible job of not turning this into a parody. And that's the key to all of it.

Even with characters as outlandish as Judy (Patterson) or as flamboyant as Kelvin (DeVine), the script is always based in reality and truth. This family of millionaires isn't perfect, and there's nothing more relatable than a dysfunctional family. Combine that with the troubled yet driven eldest son Jesse (McBride.) Throw in the loving flashbacks of Jennifer Nettles as the late Aimee-Leigh Gemstone. That's a recipe for success. It makes for a compelling plot, well-developed characters, and most importantly a funnier product.

Hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, if Kenny Powers ever turned into a throwaway, SNL, parody of a major league pitcher, he would become one-dimensional, and the show would have flopped. That's the cold hard truth. As soon as Kenny Powers becomes a parody of himself, that character turns flat. Thankfully, Danny McBride and company learned early on to never let that happen, and it has paid dividends. Eastbound & Down not only set the tone for The Righteous Gemstones, it created a formula for success.