Over the years, practically every aspect of the Watergate Scandal has been dramatized in one way or another, whether it’s the aftermath in movies like All the President’s Men, or as a quick gag in a random scene in Forrest Gump. You would think that the well would run dry at some point, but 50 years after the fact, one of the most infamous political scandals in American history continues to inspire movies and TV shows.
That trend will continue on the 2023 TV schedule with the debut of HBO’s White House Plumbers, a five-episode limited series that will turn its attention to the men who helped put the plan into motion to spy on Democratic Party officials that would ultimately lead to United States President Richard Nixon’s resignation two years later. If this is the first you’re hearing about the upcoming show, don’t worry, because we’re about to break down everything we know so far, including its release window, cast, and the major players behind the scenes.
White House Plumbers Is Set To Premiere In March 2023
Although an official release date has yet to be announced, HBO revealed in December 2022 that White House Plumbers would start its five-episode run at some point in March 2023. And, as is the case with HBO shows, anyone with an HBO Max subscription will be able to watch White House Plumbers streaming the same day of its broadcast debut.
This is just one of the many upcoming HBO and HBO Max original series debuting throughout 2023, as the long-awaited adaptation of The Last Of Us, The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp’s The Idol, and Elizabeth Olsen’s true crime series Love & Death are all slated to premiere at some point. This is on top of other returning shows like Succession, Barry, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Woody Harrelson And Justin Theroux Lead The White House Plumbers Cast
In the past, movies and shows covering the Watergate Scandal have featured casts headlined by the likes of Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, and even Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams, and the White House Plumbers cast will be no different. HBO has announced that the upcoming series will be headlined by Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux, who will be portraying Watergate masterminds E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, respectively. This isn’t the first time the actors have led an HBO series, as Harrelson was featured on the first season of True Detective and Theroux was the main character on The Leftovers.
Joining Harrelson and Theroux in the White House Plumbers cast will be Lena Headey, Judy Greer, Domhnall Gleeson, Toby Huss, Ike Barinholtz, Kathleen Turner, John Carroll Lynch, and The White Lotus Season 2 standout, F. Murray Abraham, to name only a few.
The Series Tells The Story Behind The Watergate Scandal And The Men Who Accidentally Toppled The Nixon Presidency
While movies like All the President’s Men focused more on the aftermath of the Watergate Scandal, White House Plumbers will also turn its attention to the planning and orchestration of the June 17, 1972 break-in reported on by the likes of the New York Times, that would go on to bring an end to Nixon’s second term and change American politics forever. HBO has revealed that the series will tell the story of the political saboteurs (Harrelson and Theroux’s characters) who carried out the most notorious example of political espionage, as well as the immediate fallout of their actions.
White House Plumbers Was Created By Alex Gregory And Peter Huyck, And Directed By Veep’s David Mandel
White House Plumbers is being promoted as a political drama, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be in the same vein as The West Wing, House of Cards, or The Americans, especially when you consider the brain trust behind the upcoming HBO limited series. The show was created, written, and produced by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, both of whom have previously worked on another HBO political series: Veep. Gregory and Huyck both wrote multiple episodes and produced even more throughout the show’s seven-season run. The pair also previously worked on shows like The Larry Sanders Show, King of the Hill, and Frasier.
But Gregory and Huyck aren’t the only Veep writers and producers working on White House Plumbers, as David Mandel, the writer, director, and showrunner of the long-running satirical political comedy series, directed all five episodes of the upcoming show. In addition to working on Veep, Mandel also worked as a writer on shows like Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Simpsons throughout his career.
The Series Is Based On Public Records And The 2007 Book Integrity: Good People, Bad Choices And Life Lessons From The White House
Although White House Plumbers was created and written by the writing team of Alex Gregroy and Peter Huyck, the series is actually an adaptation of Egil “Bud” Krogh and Matthew Krogh’s book Integrity: Good People, Bad Choices, and Life Lessons from the White House. Released in 2007, the book recounts Bud Krogh’s involvement in Richard Nixon’s Special Investigations Unit, a group that would later earn the nickname “The Plumbers” due to its goal of getting to the bottom of leaks like the Pentagon Papers, a scandal that was at the center of Steven Spielberg’s 2017 newspaper movie The Post.
HBO has also revealed that White House Plumbers’ story draws from public records surrounding the Watergate scandal and those responsible for putting the plant into motion.
White House Plumbers Trailer Is Full Of Political Espionage, ‘70s Fashion, And A Who’s Who Of Talented Actors
In December 2022, HBO gave the world its first look at White House Plumbers when it released a brief teaser trailer introducing Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux’s characters, the Watergate break-in they are to put together, and supporting characters played by the likes of Domhnall Gleeson (back with another great performance and American accent), Lena Headey, and Judy Greer, as well as some truly amazing ‘70s fashion:
The brief trailer also helps you get a better feel for the show’s tone, which seems to blend drama and satirical comedy, especially the scene near the end featuring Theroux’s character asking about who really killed John F. Kennedy.
There are still a few things we don’t yet know about White House Plumbers, with the biggest unknown being its precise premiere date. But, while we wait for more information, take a look at some of the other great HBO Max originals currently streaming.
