Jan. 6 hearings to get production pizzazz for TV

A veteran top television producer is reportedly working with the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack to create a gripping spectacle for its first prime time hearing set for Thursday.

Former ABC News chief James Goldston has been working with the panel to create a made-for-TV drama that it hopes will grab the nation’s attention, Axios reported.

Goldston plans to treat the hearing as if “it were a blockbuster investigative special,” the site says.

The hearing will include dramatic new disclosures, never-before-seen footage of the storming of the Capitol, and video interviews with key players, including loyalists of President Trump.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a committee member, says the panel has unearthed far more than Trump’s mere incitement of the thousands of extremists who stormed the Capitol.

“We’re gonna be laying out the evidence about all of the actors who were pivotal to what took place on Jan. 6,” Raskin told the Washington Post. “Donald Trump and the White House were at the center of these events.”

Goldston hopes to create a totally fresh view of the attack and draw in millions of Americans who have not followed the political ins and outs of the fight over the committee’s work.

He also intends key new disclosures to spawn more coverage and discussion in the media and public, Axios says.

The panel has obtained the official White House photographs from the fateful day, which may give clues to Trump’s demeanor as the riot unfolded.

The committee believes Trump acted in dereliction of duty by failing to lift a finger to stop the attack in real-time. It will also explore his broader scheme to overturn the results of President Biden’s 2020 election win and stay in power illegally.

The committee begins a series of six hearings on Thursday at 8 p.m. The second hearing is on Monday at 10 a.m.

Live coverage will take place on cable networks and major broadcast networks, with David Muir anchoring ABC’s coverage, Norah O’Donnell heading up CBS’ and Lester Holt for NBC.

Under the direction of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Republicans plan to mount a still-unannounced slate of counterprogramming to divert attention from the Capitol insurrection to perceived failures of the Biden administration on gas prices and the economy.