Earlier this month it was revealed that George Clooney and Bridge of Spies scribe Matt Charman are developing a limited series based upon the Watergate scandal, and now comes word that a rival project is in development at CBS Television Studios.
Deadline reports that CBS has acquired the rights to Thomas Mallon’s novel Watergate, and is developing a limited series which has John Orloff (Band of Brothers) penning the script for Paul Giamatti and Dan Carey’s Touchy Feely Films production company.
Watergate has been envisioned as a darkly comedic series, which “will tackle the events of the political break in and subsequent downfall of Richard Nixon’s presidency through the eyes of a collection of characters that weren’t as well known [and] follows seven characters from the private cabins of Camp David to the klieg lights of the Senate Caucus Room, the District of Columbia jail and the Dupont Circle mansion of Theodore Roosevelt’s sharp-tongued 90-year-old daughter. It aims to solve some of the scandal’s greatest mysteries such as who erased those 18 1/2 minutes of tape.”
The report goes on to state that Watergate is being considered for premium and streaming outlets such as Showtime and CBS All Access.