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Pam & Tommy reviews: What the critics are saying about the Disney+ drama

The show has got plenty of tongues wagging

Reviews for the new Disney Plus show, Pam & Tommy, are in after the new drama series started airing yesterday (Wednesday, February 2).

Pam & Tommy depicts the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s marriage in the 90s, and how the sex tape they made on their honeymoon was stolen and leaked.

The series has an all-star cast. Mamma Mia’s Lily James plays Pamela Anderson, while Avenger’s star Sebastian Stan plays Mötley Crüe drummer, Tommy Lee.

So what have the critics said about it? Is it worth watching? Or should you steer clear?

What did critics say about Disney Plus’ Pam & Tommy?

lily james pam and tommy disney plus
Lily James is Pamela Anderson (Credit: Disney+)

Things have started out well for Disney Plus’ new show, Pam & Tommy, with The Guardian giving the show four stars.

Lucy Managan says that the first episode “is a fun opener – as it were – but doesn’t showcase what will become a warm, funny, intelligent and rather moving drama, with astonishing performances from Lily James as Anderson and Sebastian Stan as Lee.”

Read more: The Teacher reviews: What the critics are saying about the Sheridan Smith drama

Mangan went on to give James and Stan further praise for their performances.

She wrote: “They each achieve the feat of uncannily resembling – aesthetically, vocally, and in every mannerism – the real-life people, without descending into mimicry.”

What else did critics say about Pam & Tommy on Disney Plus?

sebastian stan pam and tommy disney plus
Sebastian Stan portrays Tommy Lee (Credit: Disney+)

The Independent, on the other hand, was slightly less enthused, giving it three stars.

Ed Cummings was a little confused as to why there was so little of Lily James’ Pamela Anderson in the first episode. He also was somewhat critical of the tone of the show too, considering the serious subject matter.

However, there was praise for Stan’s performance in the opener.

“Stan and James are not an unglamorous pairing,” he wrote.

“Stan, clad in nothing but tattoo ink and a succession of posing pouches, hams it up to 11, as fits the role, with the odd flash of real darkness.”

“Tacky and unsubstantial”

pam and tommy disney plus
James and Stan’s performances are praised in many reviews (Credit: Disney+)

Like the Independent, Ed Power of The Telegraph also gave Pam & Tommy three stars.

“Though the performances are full of sparkle – Anderson and Lee are brought rollickingly to life by Lily James and Sebastian Stan – they also lean into caricature,” he wrote.

“Anderson is portrayed as a real-life Jessica Rabbit, Lee as a crazy-eyed rocker. After a while, their company becomes exhausting.”

The decision to have a scene where Tommy Lee has a conversation with his animated penis (yes, you read that right) was also mentioned in Power’s review.

“What the scene ultimately confirms is that Pam & Tommy is more interested in laughs than in drawing serious conclusions from the scandal and its role in catalysing modern celebrity culture. This true-life sex caper is fabulously frisky. But also as tacky and insubstantial as one of Lee’s tattoos.”

What did other reviews say?

pam and tommy disney plus
Pam & Tommy has divided critics (Credit: Disney+)

The Daily Mail gave the show three stars, with Jan Moir praising Lily James in particular.

“A lesser actress might have buckled under the weight of Anderson’s carnal fame and the sex bomb prosthetics, but James manages to deliver a layer of sweetness and self-awareness that rings true; hers is no hammy Pammy.”

Read more: The Responder reviews: what did critics say about BBC drama

The Radio Times was even less impressed with the show. They only gave it two stars, branding it a “turn off”.

David Craig was critical of Stan’s performance, saying it’s “uneven at best”. He did praise, James however, saying she gives a “far more grounded performance, encompassing a number of subtle moments that easily pull at the heartstrings”.

It seems that the new Disney + drama is a bit of a mixed bag. For those wanting a sensitive depiction of Pam and Tommy’s story, it doesn’t sound like this is going to be it.

Lily James And Sebastian Stan Talk Pam & Tommy Prosthetics, Pants, And Iconic Pictures | MTV Movies

Will you be watching Pam and Tommy on Disney Plus? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know!


Robert Emlyn Slater
Senior Writer

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