After the end of Eastbound & Down, many were surprised to see Danny McBride jumping back into HBO comedy so swiftly with Vice Principals. Like Eastbound, however, the commitment may not be so rigid, as McBride says Vice Principals is firmly set to end at the close of its two-season order.

Variety confirmed as much with McBride at the HBO comedy’s premiere, as the erstwhile Kenny Powers claimed that 18 episodes would mark the full breadth of the series:

The whole series is only 18 episodes and that’s it. We just wanted to make a really long movie. It’s one school year and a complete story. This was an old screenplay that Jody [Hill] and I wrote back in 2006. But we needed it to be longer so we added and reworked it and broke it up into 18 segments.

Naturally, the plan is for HBO to release its first nine episodes weekly after a July 17 debut, with the final nine likely scheduled for 2017. Asked about additional episodes beyond, Jody Hill reiterated “No … We already shot the 18 episodes and that’s it.”

Premiering July 17 after the second season premiere of HBO’s Ballers, McBride’s Vice Principals follows a high school and the people who “almost” run it, with McBride starring as Neal Gamby, the divorced vice principal in charge of discipline at the school. Goggins, meanwhile will play Lee Russell, vice principal of curriculum at Lincoln High, as both enter an epic power struggle vying for the top spot: to be school principal.

Boardwalk Empire and True Detective alum Shea Whigham will take the supporting role of Ray Liptrapp, the new husband of Gamby’s ex-wife Gale (Busy Philipps). Vice Principals will also feature McBride executive producing alongside Jody Hill, co-creator David Gordon Green and Stephanie Laing, all Eastbound & Down alum.

You can watch the first trailers below, and stay tuned for the July 17 premiere.

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