By Melanie Mayberry, programming editor
HBO and HBO Max tonight at 9 p.m. ET will debut a five-episode satirical drama, White House Plumbers, which tells the sordid tale of the Nixon Administration’s Watergate scandal through the eyes of the men who carried out the break-in at Democratic Party headquarters. Justin Theroux (The Leftovers) and Woody Harrelson (True Detective) play G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt respectively, the two former intelligence officers who planned the covert operation, along with other illegal activities on behalf of the president’s re-election committee.
Both Harrelson and Theroux have been most successful for HBO with True Detective and The Leftovers respectively. But is the White House Plumbers, any good?
Rottentomatoes.com, which tracks critical reviews, gives White House Plumbers a score of 58 out of a possible 100, based on 12 reviews. Below is a sample of the top reviews, and a show trailer. Enjoy.
“Plenty of good work here. But one is left with the feeling there’s a terrific two-hour movie buried beneath this uneven five-part series.” — Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times.
“A comedic, satirical take on the political crime that rocked the seventies, a new look at the Watergate break-in. Mutt and Jeff, Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy required several attempts to actually get in the door due to stupidity. Silly fun!” — Anne Brodie, What She Said.
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“Don’t come for a fresh perspective or revisionist history or faithful recounting. Do come for the laughs. “Plumbers” probably gets that part right anyway.” — Verne Gay, Newsday.
“As it looks back with embarrassment, “White House Plumbers” may include both ridiculous and true events, but we don’t get enough to laugh about.” — RogerEbert.com.
“The series takes itself a touch too seriously to succeed as a farce but draws its characters too broadly to achieve any real pathos.” — Ross McIndoe, Slant Magazine.
“It’s Harrelson and Theroux’s show, and both skillfully perform the tightrope act needed to keep the series funny without ignoring the gravity of the events it depicts.” — Keith Phipps, TV Guide.
“The combination of shocking real-life events and stellar performances should spark a strong reaction but will likely evoke nothing more than a shrug at best and slight annoyance at worst.” — Taylor Gates, Collider.
To read more reviews of White House Plumbers at Rottentomatoes.com, click here.
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