John Adams HBO Series

 

Michael Benton, Contributor

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hbo adamsThe John Adams HBO miniseries, produced in 2008, has won more awards than any other TV miniseries. Adams HBO episodes focus on the life of America's second President and his central role in the Revolution and early decades of American government. The John Adams HBO special was based loosely on the biographical book by David McCullough. John Adams and HBO do not seem like a perfect match, as John Adams the movie could never be as bloody or sexy as some other HBO series, but the HBO series John Adams was actually quite successful at creating excitement about such a significant historical figure. The John Adams HBO cast included Paul Giamatta in the leading role with Laura Linney starring as his wife, Abigail Adams. Each HBO John Adams episode focused on a different period of the politician's life and his ascendancy to the leadership of the Continental Congress, his presidency, and his life after electoral defeat to an old friend, Thomas Jefferson. You can now watch the HBO John Adams series online and the John Adams HBO episode guide is available on the official website. You can also go there to purchase the official John Adams DVD set.

There are some historical facts that were altered in the John Adams HBO miniseries, including the timing of his daughter Abigail Adam Smith's death. The creators of the show used their artistic license lightly, however, and did not alter any vital characteristics or major events enough to constitute charges of anachronism. The HBO John Adams series does not promote itself as a documentary but as a drama, thus they are permitted to play with certain theories around the Adams family to an extent that creates fully rounded characters with whom modern viewers can empathize without giving up the historical accuracy of the overall portrayal. Moments that tested the man and his family come to the screen starkly, reminding us that history is not just a series of inevitable facts but a record of human triumph and disaster in all manner of extreme situations.

On the unofficial John Adams HBO wiki, you can find the John Adams movie summary for each John Adams HBO episode. John Adams the movie is usually a reference to the John Adams TV series. There was also a John Adams PBS series as part of the American Experience program, but it was not presented as a dramatized rewriting of events like the HBO Adams mini series. For long distance traveling, the John Adams HBO series make for great John Adams road movies. For this purpose, you would need to purchase the DVD John Adams or possibly download the John Adams TV mini series online. Besides Paul Giamatta, there are not many headline stars in the John Adams series, but the acting is kept to period with quite a bit of accuracy on the part of the actors and set designers. For any student of history, or even just the curious, the John Adams TV series is an excellent view into the early years of the United States.