Richard Nixon. G. Gordon Liddy. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. These are the names most commonly associated with Watergate. But Gaslit, a new series on Starz based on the Slow Burn podcast, focuses on a lesser-known but important figure.
Gaslit follows Martha Mitchell (Julia Roberts), the wife of Nixon’s attorney general, John N. Mitchell, who was held hostage and drugged by one of Nixon’s goons for being the “first person to publicly sound the alarm on Nixon’s involvement in Watergate.” Mitchell was dubbed a “loudmouth” and “completely insane” then, but that was sexism rearing its ugly head; she’s rightfully considered a “truth teller” now.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
Gaslit is a modern take on Watergate that focuses on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the scandal – from Nixon’s bumbling and opportunistic subordinates to the deranged zealots aiding and abetting their crimes to the tragic whistleblowers who would eventually bring the whole rotten enterprise crashing down. The story will center on Martha Mitchell, played by Julia Roberts. A big personality with an even bigger mouth. Martha is a celebrity Arkansan socialite and wife to Nixon’s loyal Attorney General, John Mitchell, played by Sean Penn. Despite her party affiliation, she’s the first person to publicly sound the alarm on Nixon’s involvement in Watergate, causing both the Presidency and her personal life to unravel.
Gaslit, which also stars Sean Penn, Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin, Shea Whigham, Allison Tolman, Chris Messina, and Patton Oswalt, premieres on Starz on April 24.