The old Sullivan County Jail will once again have people in it, but it won't house inmates. It'll have a Hollywood spotlight.

In August, it'll be transformed into a film set for the new HBO series The White House Plumbers. It's a political thriller focusing on the people behind Watergate.

"They're trying to replicate the Washington D.C. jail as it looked back in 1973, so they're looking for a jail with traditional jail cells and bars," said Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty.

The five-part series features actors like Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. Shooting here could take weeks, with more filming taking place around the Hudson Valley and Capital Region.

What You Need To Know

  • The White House Plumbers is a political thriller about Watergate

  • HBO will film part of the new five-part series at the old Sullivan County Jail

  • Officials are hoping the film shoot will create more revenue for local businesses in the area

"I know they searched between New York City and Albany, and they couldn’t find anything even close to this that fits the bill," said Chaboty.

Chaboty sits on the county film commission. He says he hopes this filming will spark a trend of Hollywood crews becoming commonplace here.

"We want to get as much film and TV production up in this county as we can," said Chaboty. "It’s a moneymaker for the county. They come and spend money, and it has a ripple effect on all the businesses."

At the Miss Monticello Diner, a 30-year, family-owned business located around the corner from the jail, there's a bit of a buzz.

“I was very excited throughout the past years," said George Nikolados, owner of the Miss Monticello Diner. "You’ve seen that they’ve been filming a lot throughout the Hudson Valley, and so I'm glad to finally see it come to Sullivan County, and here, specifically, to Monticello."

In addition to being the diner's owner, Nikolados happens to be the village of Monticello's mayor.

“Especially after COVID, I think it's going to be a nice boost to the economy," said Nikolados. "It's all the local eateries and local stores. Hopefully, people who are working on the sets will see the beauty of Sullivan County and Monticello, and we'll have people vacationing here from their experience here, and maybe some people moving here.”

HBO is still looking for extras that would appear in the show. For information on how to apply you can go onto the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.