WASHINGTON—Knocking the broadcast for its lack of cohesive vision, The Washington Post impeachment critic Patrick Jennings gave the insipid day one of the House inquiry hearing two out of five Andrew Johnsons. “We hope the masterminds behind the hearing have some real surprises in store, otherwise I don’t see this ever perking up to three or four Andrew Johnsons,” said Jennings, noting that audiences who tuned in to the congressional proceedings looking for a thriller would find themselves facing more of a plodding slice-of-life drama. “They had the perfect opportunity in the third hour for a dramatic moment, but they totally blew it. If someone had produced a phone in a Ziploc bag, we would have bumped our rating up half of a Johnson for sure; however, it looks like the creators weren’t interested in taking risks. Frankly, if it weren’t for the costume designers behind George Kent’s bowtie, we wouldn’t have given the hearing any Andrew Johnsons at all. This is definitely something for the policy wonk, though casual viewers shouldn’t waste their time.” Jennings added that audiences would find much more satisfaction going back and rewatching the O.J. Simpson trial.

Advertisement