Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Famous celebrity sex tape sparks shallow bio-series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Pam & Tommy
What's the Story?
PAM & TOMMY's title characters were D-list celebrities before a private sex tape they made was stolen and leaked online in the early days of the internet. The series fleshes out the story around that tape, from the contractor who leaked it as revenge for an unpaid bill to the massive effect it had on pop culture, not to mention the couple's lives, careers, and relationship.
Is It Any Good?
A decent rule of thumb for biographical series is: Are they more fun than simply pulling up the subject's Wikipedia page and reading it? Pam & Tommy takes a story that fascinated people for years and adds almost nothing to it other than runtime. That's not to say it's not fun. There are plenty of solid performances, from a nearly unrecognizable Seth Rogen to Lily James' impersonation of Pamela Anderson. Sebastian Stan's depiction of Tommy Lee might be more compelling if he had more to do than just be obnoxious, but that's essentially the deal with the whole series, which paints its subject matter in broad strokes and ends up somehow making the characters even less likable than they were in real life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the scandal at the center of the show. How would you react to your private media being spread online against your will? What steps can you take to keep your private media private?
What's interesting about the Pam & Tommy story? Why is it worth making a TV series out of this story? How is it relevant to contemporary culture?
How does the show present its characters? Does it seem to like or dislike them? How does it seem to want the audience to feel about Pamela and Tommy?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 2, 2022
- Cast : Lily James , Sebastian Stan , Seth Rogen
- Network : Hulu
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : March 8, 2022
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