Months after on-set paparazzi photos made the internet rounds, we finally have our first extensive look at Pam & Tommy, as the new trailer has landed.
The hotly anticipated miniseries, due out 2 February, follows Pamela Anderson (played by Lily James) and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) at the peak of their mid-1990s fame.
The couple’s already tumultuous marriage fractures after their honeymoon sex tape is leaked by a disgruntled electrician, Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen), and his pal, Uncle Miltie (Nick Offerman), after a dispute.
According to screenwriter DV DeVincentis, the eight-episode series aims to show how Pammy, who catapulted to fame as the star of Baywatch, was “misrepresented, misunderstood and underestimated” at the time of the 1995 scandal.
Three episodes were directed by Craig Gillespie, who offered a similarly redemptive take on former Olympic skater Tonya Harding in 2017’s I, Tonya.
Watch the trailer for Pam & Tommy below...
Pamela and Tommy met on New Year’s Eve in 1994 and married just four days later. The couple went on to welcome sons Brandon, now 24, and Dylan, 23, before divorcing in 1998.
In an interview with People published this week, DeVincentis drew parallels between Pamela and Marcia Clark, who also endured sexist media scrutiny as the lead prosecutor in O.J. Simpson’s 1995 murder trial.
“Both Pam and Marcia were targeted unfairly, harassed as they defended themselves, then left adversely redefined when the news cycle moves on,” he said.
The release of Pam & Tommy is not without controversy, however, as the series reportedly hasn’t received a stamp of approval from its real-life subjects.
Courtney Love, a longtime friend of Pamela’s, blasted the series as “vile” and “outrageous” on Facebook last spring.
“My heart goes out to Pammy further causing her complex trauma,” the Hole singer wrote in the since-deleted post, according to People. “And shame on Lily James whoever the fuck she is.”
Later, Courtney recalled having been in the recording studio around the time that Pam and Tommy’s sex tape was leaked, and noted that she “banned anyone discussing it.”
“It destroyed my friend Pamela’s life,” she said.
