From the platinum wig to the huge fake boobs and animatronic talking penis (yes, really), Pam & Tommy is about as modest as a racy Baywatch swimsuit.
The slightly barmy Disney+ series tells the real-life story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s honeymoon sex tape, which went viral after being stolen in 1995.
It’s a retelling of a headline shocker moment dragged out over eight 45-minute episodes, packed with sex, porn and the occasional pretence of depth – of which there is none.
Lily James, best known for sweet roles like Cinderella, plays the Baywatch star, clearly determined to cast aside cutesy typecasting as dramatically as possible.
It reminded me of when Daniel Radcliffe burst forth from Harry Potter into full-frontal theatre.
She succeeds. Her transformation into Pam is possibly the most compelling part of the show. Fake DD chest piece, fake hair, fake eyelashes, coy and seductive – she has Pammy down to a tee.
We first glimpse her crawling on the kitchen floor picking up ice in nothing but a thong and skimpy T-shirt.
Sebastian Stan, previously best known as Marvel’s Bucky Barnes, plays Motley Crue drummer Tommy.
Whirlwind
He is clearly having a blast as the tattooed, nipple-pierced, drinking, drug-taking bully, who also spends most of the time in a thong, brandishing a gun.
He’s obnoxious, screaming at his builder Rand Gaulthier, played by Seth Rogan, that he wants a futuristic “love pad 2000”, with stripper pole, Chinese swing, open shower, retractable mirrors and a waterbed.
He has a vision. But Rand’s vision is to get revenge.
Rogan, with an excellent 80s porn star hairdo, gives a sympathetic performance as the wronged, downtrodden builder, who goes on to steal the couple’s safe.
The plot flashes back and forth between Pam and Tommy’s first meeting, through to their whirlwind wedding after four days, the sex-tape release and aftermath.
From the pillow fights and sex in the bath, through to cartoony stereotypes and levered-in “deep” moments, it’s a lot of fun, but with not a lot to say.
One scene, where Tommy has a heart-to-heart with his penis – which actually turns around and talks back – is so ridiculous that we can’t possibly be expected to appreciate this moment of sincerity.
The charismatic cast, including Nick Offerman as a porn producer and Taylor Schilling as Rand’s ex-wife, saves this show, which is best when it’s being funny.
For attempted insight into issues like privacy and celebrity, it falls short – but be sure to tune in for a hedonistic thrill ride like no other.
