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One of the most notorious political scandals in American history, the Watergate Scandal is set to be exposed yet again in White House Plumbers (2023), an all-new miniseries coming this Spring. The notorious scandal that would ultimately remove President Richard Nixon from power remains to this day an unprecedented act of political espionage, showing what even people in the highest and most respected institutions in the country are willing to do in the name of the greater good. It's a well-documented historical event that has been depicted and referenced in various movies and shows, but with White House Plumbers, it's expected that the perpetrators of the disreputable crime will have the biggest spotlight placed upon their lives since they committed the act that ultimately toppled a presidency.
Coming from the minds behind Veep (2012-2019) and Succession (2018-), White House Plumbers is easily one of the most anticipated limited series of 2023. Primarily centering on agents E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux), the star-studded series will show the why, the how, and the ultimate ramifications of what these men and their conspirators did and how their actions would go on to change the United States of America forever. If you're looking forward to this lesson in American history, read below to find out everything we know so far about White House Plumbers.
Editors Note: This piece was updated on March 31 to include the latest trailer.
When and Where Is White House Plumbers Releasing?
Coming from the producers of Veep and Succession, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that White House Plumbers will be released on HBO. As you might imagine, that means the series will also be available to stream on HBO Max, giving options to potential viewers who have access to the award-winning service via cable or streaming. The series was initially set to premiere on HBO in March but was delayed for unknown reasons. The series will now be premiering on Monday, May 1, 2023, at 9:00 P.M. ET/PT. The five episodes will be released weekly, as is the case with all HBO originals.
Watch the White House Plumbers Trailer
The teaser trailer for White House Plumbers quickly introduces E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy in the first shot. Here they are being briefed by White House Legal Counselor John Dean (Domhnall Gleeson), who informs the two Central Intelligence agents that they are being given a task of utmost importance in regard to American security. Dean tells them that their task is to infiltrate the Democratic National Committee and sabotage, steal, and uncover the private and classified records inside to ensure that President Nixon will win his upcoming re-election. The two assemble their rag-tag team of would-be election interferers and get to work on the fateful early morning of June 17, 1972, but if you know your history, you know that the heist doesn't go as planned. What follows is an investigation into the shocking actions of the Nixon administration that would change the world of American politics forever. We also get to see what other characters we'll meet in addition to E. Howard Hunt, G. Gordon Liddy, and John Dean. As the end of the trailer shows, we see that many of these characters are family members of the three individuals among others, like Dorothy Hunt, Frances Liddy, Jeb Magruder, Kevan Hunt, and Dita Beard.
The second trailer for the anticipated series doubles down on the show's comedic and satirical elements, painting the real-life figures in a particularly silly light. We also get to learn a little bit more about the two main characters we'll be following, with E. Howard Hunt coming across as an overly ambitious family man and G. Gordon Liddy appears to be a cocky attention seeker who enjoys the spotlight a little too much. Despite their excitement to be a part of a committee to reelect President Nixon, it's clear that they are not the brightest flashlights in the DNC, as they constantly hit roadblocks they can't circumvent despite the solutions seeming obvious.
Who Is Making White House Plumbers?
After being instrumental parts of the Emmy-winning Veep, White House Plumbers will be reuniting several crew members of the presidential comedic satire that has earned incredible praise over the years. These include creators and writers Alex Gregory and Peter Hyuck as well as at least one episode of the series being directed by David Mandel, all of whom worked on Veep. Gregory, Hyuck, and Mandel will all also be executive producing White House Plumbers along with star Justin Theroux.
As for the rest of the crew, cinematography for all five episodes will be helmed by The Queen's Gambit (2020) director of photography Steven Meizler. White House Plumbers will also be hosting a quartet of editors including Grady Cooper (Dead to Me), Roger Nygard (Veep), Erick Fefferman (The Resort), and Steven Rasch (Curb Your Enthusiasm). Other crew members include casting director Ben Harris (The Good Place), production designer Anastasia White (Mr. Robot), and costume designer Leah Katznelson (21 Jump Street).
What Is the Plot of White House Plumbers?
The official synopsis for White House Plumbers keeps things short, sweet, and simple, introducing the general concept of the anticipated drama series:
White House Plumbers tells the story of how Nixon’s own political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds, E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux), accidentally toppled the presidency they were zealously trying to protect. White House Plumbers is coming to HBO March 2023.
The limited five-episode series is expected to look at the events directly before, during, and after the Watergate scandal and will likely take a deep dive into what effect this event has had on American politics. It also wouldn't be a stretch to say that the series will comment on parallels that could be made to modern-day political events, particularly those that involve figures in power who refuse to accept or attempt to overturn the results of a presidential election.
Who's Starring in the White House Plumbers Cast?
The above trailer boasts an impressive ensemble cast, particularly with True Detective (2014-2019) star Woody Harrelson as E. Howard Hunt and The Leftovers (2014-2017) lead Justin Theroux as G. Gordon Liddy. Hunt and Liddy's wives, Dorothy Hunt and Fran Liddy, will be played by Game of Thrones (2011-2019) alum Lena Headey and Reboot (2022-) star Judy Greer respectively. Also mentioned in the trailer are Kathleen Turner (Peggy Sue Got Married), Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Ike Barinholtz (MADtv), and Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina).
The rest of the strong ensemble cast is filled out by David Krumholtz (The Deuce), Kim Coates (Godless), Toby Huss (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), Liam James (The Way Way Back), Rich Sommer (The Devil Wears Prada), Yul Vazquez (Severance), and Zoe Levin (Palo Alto).