Pam & Tommy is a 2022 biographical drama miniseries based on Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and actress Pamela Anderson’s whirlwind romance that started with them marrying after only knowing each other for 96 hours in 1995. The story centers around a sex tape from the couples honeymoon that is stolen and leaked to the public.
Directed by Craig Gillespie with Robert D. Siegel serving as showrunner, the series is based on the Rolling Stone article Pam and Tommy: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Infamous Sex Tape, from L.A. based journalist Amanda Chicago Lewis, who also serves as a writer for the series.
The cast includes Lily James (Cinderella, Baby Driver) and Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The 355) as Anderson and Lee, and also stars Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec), Seth Rogen, Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black), and Andrew Dice Clay.
Pam & Tommy made its streaming debut on Hulu February 3rd.
THE GOOD
So far Hulu has only released the first three episodes of the new series Pam & Tommy, but I felt inclined to binge them and report back on my thoughts. I mean, in many ways this is my childhood in a nutshell. I can’t even think about Playboy without picturing the great Pamela Anderson. Is she the source of my problematic obsession with blondes? Perhaps, just don’t tell my wife who is a brunette. Okay so what am I liking about this series so far? Keep reading to find out!
Where do I start?! Based on the Rolling Stones article I mentioned above, the screenplay for Pam & Tommy is simply superb. It sets the stage in such a way that viewers are immediately immersed in the story whether you lived it or not. The characters are introduced perfectly and all given an equal amount of depth to give the story enough weight to feel relatable, even though it takes place over 25-years ago (wow, time flies!). If you grew up in the 90’s you were obsessed with either Pamela Anderson or David Hasselhoff, or maybe even both, thanks to the immensely popular drama series, Baywatch.
I can’t get enough of the 90’s era, and just the fact that during this time most people didn’t even know what the internet was! Boy does that sound like a good time. I very vividly remember my own unhealthy obsession with American Online (AOL) during the latter years of my elementary school journey. Kids these days will never appreciate the dial up sounds that opened us up to a world of opportunity. My dad still has an AOL e-mail address, “You’ve got mail!”.
The story of Pam & Tommy is wild in every way, no question about it. During the entire three episodes I bought into every single emotion from the characters, from the despair to the elation, it all felt so real. I loved how certain shots were held a little longer or slowly panned back to carry more weight, specifically right as an episode was ending. I mean everything depicted in this series was monumental as far as how much of a significant impact it had on pop culture back in the 90’s.
As I was watching the show I couldn’t help but think how much the chance encounter of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee literally changed the trajectory of pop culture in so many ways, especially as it relates to the porn industries foray into the World Wide Web. This story has everything you could ever want; endless sex appeal, fame and fortune, drama, crime, and endless intrigue. And as one of my former co-workers during my high school days would always say, sex sells, and boy was he right.
The performances are nothing short of exceptional. Lily James and Sebastian Stan aka The Winter Soldier are unreal in their portrayals of Anderson and Lee. Personally it didn’t take long before I forgot who they were and started to not see beyond the roles they were playing. From their facial expressions to their mannerisms, right down to the way they talked, you could tell they were 110% immersed in these characters. Can you even come close to comprehending a bigger transformation than James going from Cinderella to Pamela Anderson?!
The energy Stan brings to the off-the-rails Tommy Lee is out of this world. I bet he had to take a nap after each one of his scenes, I definitely would have. Seth Rogen takes on another pivotal role in the series as he portrays the character of Rand, a man we are all forever indebted to as he is the reason the infamous sex tape was released.
Rogen has built himself quite a career starring in some of my favorites comedies, as well as one of my all-time favorite comedy drama’s in 50/50, yet he is so good in this I can’t even see beyond his character either. Everything he does feels so authentic, and his character is very relatable as he falls victim to someone who treats him like a lesser because he has fame and fortune. But as the story goes, he gets his revenge. I also have to talk about one of my favorite actors, the underrated and honestly underappreciated Nick Offerman. I mean sure, Parks and Rec fans know him as Ron Swanson and love him for that character, but he has been in a ton of other great films, as well as the Fargo series. Few actors take hold of great dialogue quite like Mr. Offerman, and I will watch anything he is in.
The technical element of Pam & Tommy is surprisingly impressive. They could have easily gotten away with just flaunting a half naked Pam Anderson 90% of the time, or even Tommy Lee running around in his trademark thong, if you’re into that sort of thing, but they did not stop there. First and foremost, the soundtrack is pure 90’s fire. From the 69 Boyz hit Tootsie Roll, to the upbeat Steal My Sunshine from Len, the soundtrack helps to keep the energy for the film fast & furious.
From the start the soundtrack crammed me into a time machine and set the date to the mid-90’s, and I was not mad about it. I was also very pleased with the cinematography, as it blended extremely well with some creative camera work. The scene towards the end of the third episode with a straight 90’s Nick Offerman, fanny pack and all, walking through the airport like a straight boss is part of the reason why I love television and movies. So good!
THE BAD
To be honest I have very few issues with this series, mainly because they did such a great job taking me back in time while providing details that 11-year-old me overlooked thanks to, well, Pam Anderson in Playboy. Now if I had to point out a gripe that I had during the first 3-episodes, it would probably be that the timeline can be confusing at times. I mean we are given the year and all that during some of the more pivotal moments, but certain sequences seem to jump back and forth a bit too “willy nilly” if you catch my drift. A good example would be when we are shown how the relationship between Seth Rogan and Taylor Schilling’s characters developed. I actually had to rewind (nice VHS reference there) to make sure I didn’t miss anything, but maybe its just me.
THE VERDICT
Whether it is the 90’s setting or the burst of nostalgia taking me back to my advantageous journey into puberty compliments of the tantalizing Pamela Anderson, Pam & Tommy is an immersive and thoroughly entertaining series showcasing a defining moment in pop culture. Serving as another opportunity for the great Nick Offerman to put his acting talents on full display, the series is really an acting clinic for the entire main cast. You simply cannot cast a series based on true events better than this, it’s just not possible. Ten minutes into the premiere I knew I wasn’t leaving the couch until I finished all three debut episodes, and it was time very well spent. This series brings to the forefront one of the most defining moments of the 90’s, and if you don’t take the time to experience it for yourself, you’re simply doing life wrong.
TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10
Pam & Tommy is now streaming on Hulu. Check out the latest trailer below.