By Emily-Rose Toohey
While scandal’s in Hollywood are commonplace, only a few are remembered in tinsel town’s history as the years go on.
In 1996, Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and her rockstar husband had an intimate video stolen and leaked without their knowledge.
This scandal has been dissected numerous times, most notably in an LA Times article, which detailed the whole exploitative story.
A television miniseries aptly titled Pam and Tommy was released on Disney+ Star this month, and its based on this LA Times article and depicts the so-called events leading up to and the aftermath of the sex tape leak.
It stars Lily James as Pam who is totally transformed to look scarily like the Baywatch star during the 90s.
This incredible makeover combined with James’ stellar performance is the best, most interesting part of the series.
On the other hand, Marvel mainstay Sebastian Stan plays Tommy.
He is also very well cast and delivers an intense performance – so far the star is having quite the year with another great performance in the horror-thriller Fresh.
Seth Rogan plays the jaded carpenter who steals and leaks the couple’s tape, and although Rogan does a fine acting job, it is the over-focus on his plot line where the series becomes less interesting.
It focuses too much on the theft and the consequences this theft had on Rogan’s character, and much too little time is spent with James’ Pam.
In a twisted irony, the series attempt to comment on how women (particularly women in the entertainment industry) have been exploited and over-sexualised, but the real Pamela Anderson reportedly never approved of the series being made.
At the end of the day, the show is exploiting Pam and her story in real time while simultaneously exploring how women have been exploited.
It’s a tricky juxtaposition and very hard to ignore.
Aside from this outside drama, Pam and Tommy is a rather middling, albeit entertaining series.
The plot is far too drawn out over eight episodes and could have been more effective as a two hour movie.
It’s hard to understand what the show’s true purpose is apart from being another Hollywood attempt at blandly re-telling a story of once very famous people.
All in all: stay for the lead’s performances.
Pam and Tommy is available for streaming on Disney+ Star.
