HISTORY Sets Bill Clinton Impeachment Drama

HISTORY has ordered the six-episode scripted drama series The Breach: Inside the Impeachment of Bill Clinton, which will be executive produced and directed by Emmy Award winner R.J. Cutler (Nashville, The War Room).

Based on Peter Baker’s New York Times best seller The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton, the series is from FremantleMedia North America in association with A+E Studios. Casting is currently underway.

The series will be a day-by-day (sometimes hour-by-hour) account of how the political scandal unfolded, from the revelation that President Clinton was having an affair with Monica Lewinsky, through to the political combat that saw Hillary Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Prosecutor Ken Starr, Congressman Bob Livingston and many others dominating the national headlines.

“Featuring an array of well-known modern political figures, The Breach will bring audiences behind the scenes of an event that changed Washington forever—the first impeachment of an elected president in American history,” said Eli Lehrer, the executive VP of programming at HISTORY. “This drama builds upon our core scripted programming slate of compelling, contemporary storytelling that embraces our recent history, and we are confident R.J. will bring a unique vision to President Clinton’s gripping story.”

“Set at the dawn of the cable news wars and the social media revolution, The Breach is a remarkable political story,” said Cutler. “It’s the origin tale of how our government was broken and has never really healed. It’s also a thrilling tale of personal and professional ambition, of enormous hubris in the name of acquiring power, and of personal foibles, all of which nearly brought down a presidency.”

Dante Di Loreto, the president of scripted entertainment at FremantleMedia North America, added: “This is a moment in American history that altered the direction of this country. It’s a deeply emotional and personal story that caused one of the biggest political storms in our history. FremantleMedia is home to some of the finest creative talent around the world. We’re thrilled to now be partnering with R.J. and HISTORY on The Breach.”