The idea of a miniseries about the life of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, isn’t something I would have expected to see made, ever.
Pam & Tommy revolves around the infamous sex tape that was released on the internet, how this video was leaked but also how Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee treated everyone around them, including the builders and carpenters. Not exactly thrilling, but an interesting dramatic interpretation.
Pamela Anderson (Lily James) meets Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) in a club, he follows her to Mexico for a film shoot to romance her and long story short, they marry and return to Hollywood. A very brief romance and they decide where to live in a car ride home from the airport.
The salacious tape, one of the first of its kind to be released on the internet, ended up making the legend of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee larger than life. Talk shows and numerous interviews followed and decades later, long after their separation and divorce, this infamous video now has a series created around it.
Created by Amanda Chicago Lewis and Robert Siegal. Pam & Tommy explores the life of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, their meeting, their lives before and after and how and why the tape came into existence and fell into the wrong hands.
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But interestingly enough what you don’t really consider is how the release of the tape affected the life of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, mind you the world of celebrity and the toxicity around it is highlighted in this series.
Exploitation, the world of porn and the degradation of innocent individuals are themes that feature heavily in this series. The way the story slowly presents itself you can’t help but think about it, even if this series is a huge over the top campy romp. There is a serious underlying story about exploitation and it would be curious to know what both Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee think of this miniseries.
Lily James as Pamela Anderson is almost unrecognizable. It is like a replica of Pamela Anderson is playing herself on the screen. The performance is astounding and it is worthwhile just to watch Lily James play something that is very much in stark contrast to anything she has played previously.
Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee is also noteworthy, as he channels the mannerisms and voice that are distinctly reminiscent of the famed Motley Crue drummer. He has created the perfect characterization, as lets be honest everything about Tommy Lee is in excess and over the top.
Pam & Tommy isn’t going to be a miniseries that shakes you to the core, it is a series about two individuals who were famous in the 90s and through the mistreatment of staff, a very personal video got stolen and released and made the couple infamous.
As a warning Pam & Tommy, given the nature of the topic, nudity and sexual themes do feature extensively with each episode. To be honest this story wraps the world of celebrity into the world of porn, so it is to be expected.
Pam & Tommy is currently available on Hulu with new episodes released weekly.
