Watch John Adams Before It Becomes History

John Adams
HBO
Sundays
5 scoops of Bosco (out of 5)

Reviewed By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco

The thing about historical television mini-series and docudramas is that we usually know what is going to happen. In the case of John Adams we already know the story. Colony, looking for it's freedom, struggles to break free from World Power and succeeds...and they live happily ever after. The devil is in the details and how you convey the story.

The material in John Adams (Sundays on HBO) was covered nicely in a great Mini-series in 1976 on PBS called the Adams Chronicles. But bring in great actors of today, mixed with the enthusiasm of Executive Producer Tom Hanks, a great book by David McCullough, a wonderful screenplay by Kirk Ellis and the best cinematography and filmmaking seen on television under the direction of Tom Hooper, well, then, you have something really special.

I wouldn't have thought to cast Paul Giamatti as the main subject, but Giamatti shows why he is one of the best actors working today with his understated and reserved portrayal of the country's second President. The chemistry between Laura Linney who plays Abigail Adams and Giamatti is wonderful and special. After all, a big part of the story of John Adams is his great love affair with his wife. The real letters between the two when they were apart are a blessing because they provide us with intimate details of the time and circumstances as well as much of the story of McCullough's book and this seven part television series.

The viewer really gets a sense of the greatness, wisdom, and the flaws of the founding fathers as they struggled with the issues involved in starting a new nation. None is more vivid in Giamatti's portrayal of Adams when he decides, as a lawyer, to take on the case of the British Redcoats after the Boston Massacre to demonstrate that this nation needed to allow for a fair trial for all.

This series could not have come at a better time for HBO. It seems that Showtime has been routinely kicking HBO's butt after The Sopranos 86ed. With the rating failures of such shows as John From Cincinatti and Tell Me You Love Me, HBO was in need of a hit to go against the Showtime jugernaut with such shows in the stable as Dexter, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union, Weeds, and The Tutors. They get it here.

Three of the Seven Episodes of John Adams have already aired. Catch up by watching the first three on HBO On Demand.