What could have been a joyless retelling of well-worn historical facts surprises with nearly perfectly realized character studies of Adams, his wife Abagail and their place in the forging of a nation. This beautifully shot 8-hour miniseries is rarely dull, and at times unfolds like a superhero origins movie as we see the vividly depicted personalities of Jefferson, Washington and Franklin emerge from the mass of colonial rabble rousers. Giamtti and Linney are absolutely superb in the lead roles.

It's obvious from the get-go that John Adams is something extraordinary. Taking the strong narrative from the book with HBO's consistent high-end production values, Tom Hooper directed a masterpiece that is virtually unrivaled by all television programming. Giamatti is surprisingly excellent as the lead and all of the rest of the cast seems to do well. Though brief, it gets Adams' life across and is unflinchingly patriotic in the process. John Adams is fantastic and should be seen by all.

Man. This feels like it was great, except I just couldn't get past my hatred of Giamatti. I could never get lost in the time period, because why the fuck was Paul Giamatti there? I could never get lost in the drama, because again, why was the bad guy with the blue paint from that one shitty Frankie Munoz movie there?

Acting masterclass from Linney and Giamatti.

An inspiring look at one of our principle founding fathers and second President of the United States. This is a marvelous look at a man nearly forgotten in modern times, yet he played such a crucial role in the formation of the US government. This series is very well made and feels authentic in every detail. It give me a new appreciation for the man and the times. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney are both marvelous in this epic telling of the lives of the extraordinary people from a bygone era.

I really liked it for its dramatic values. Too bad I'm not so versed in this episode of gringo history.

I learned so much from this miniseries. A highly engaging and enjoyable experience from start to finish. The only issue I have with this series is the almost wholly unflattering portrayal of Alexander Hamilton. Even if Adams had a negative opinion of him, I think the series could have done more to show the positive effects of Hamilton's ideas on the early development of the United States (as was afforded Franklin, Washington, Jefferson and other prominent people in the story).

You can tell when historical movies are successful by looking at your interest level in the subject area before and after the viewing. Not being American, I had always found early American history romanticized to such a high level that I would have gone far, far out of my way in order to avoid reading about 18th century America. I'm sure that this is true for a lot of people. Now, I would consider my interest in John Adams and the generation that founded the Republic to be moderately high.

Made me want to stand up and applaud in my room.

It's well done, if a little over-produced. There were a number of effective shots isolating Adams in his environment, and the dialogue between Jefferson and Adams never ceases to be stimulating. Also, a nice, toned-down performance from Linney.

Great miniseries; enjoyed it immensely except for the last episode, which was just everybody dying basically, not even a spoiler, since obviously everybody dies eventually. None of these people are still alive. They just spent an episode wrapping up everyone’s lives as an epilogue of all the interesting things. Not a bad idea, just bleak af in its execution. :-P

way one or t'other, 'tis a slog. the only scene as nail-biting as the series highlight—adams' audience with king james—is watching giamatti cum in 2 seconds flat (a record-breaker even for the likes of his mug)

While the acting and production are still very much top tier, the rest of this hasn't aged very well. Perhaps the plethora of distracting Dutch angles and obnoxious shakycam should've been regarded as a warning re: Tom Hooper's directorial talents. The writing is often great but it as trouble determining what's interesting and what's just historical recounting. Giamatti, as you'll probably already know, is the biggest star of this. He is wonderful.

Very, very good. Visually, quite beautiful. Paul Giamatti does a bit more than his share of scenery-chewing, but reins it in when it counts. Laura Linney is marvelous, as always. David Morse in wig and makeup looks amazingly like George Washington. Dillane/Jefferons... not so much, but he's a solid actor.Tom Wilkinson's Ben Franklin is fun, and there are many pleasures to be gleaned from the smaller roles. More than worthwhile, as a lesson in history, if nothing else.

I'm a sucker for historical period pieces, doubly so when it comes to the founding fathers of America. This is a great version of one of those. Everything is well-acted, produced, and, at least to my understanding, very historically accurate.

A fortunate piece of historical serendipity for the filmmakers to take advantage of with the events of July 4, 1826 acting as a neat bookend for the series. Overall, John Adams felt like a wholly faithful retelling, from pulling no punches in the form of the era's lexicon, to the costume design, to details as granular as the rot in the character's teeth. Giamatti's performance throughout is a highlight, another, the European depiction. Particularly the interaction between JA & King George III.

Highlights are the scenes of the Continental Congress and anything involving Franklin or Jefferson. Loses steam after Adams ascends to the presidency as his family's struggles aren't as compelling as a revolution, but still really worth watching. Giamatti is phenomenal and points for accurately portraying how shit everyone's teeth looked back in the day.

The most well produced piece of any medium I have ever had the pleasure to witness. The casting, setting, tone is all perfect and I praise Giamatti for everything here. There are times when the material can get a little dry, bland, or otherwise inaccurate to a degree, yet that doesn't matter in the long run as this could well be the greatest miniseries to bless any channel.

Exceptional acting and fine storytelling, but Tom Hooper is easily one of the worst visual directors out there, all the more frustrating for the brief moments when great composition does break through.

One of the best shows of the network that always delivers, HBO. Americas 3d presidents life brought to life in incredible ways. a must see for anyone interested in history or just a good show!

I admire John Adams, the historical figure, but I thought this was just OK. I didn't think Giamatti or Linney were well-suited for the parts.

Linney and Giamatti really carry the series, though the gorgeous sets and outfits certainly do their part. The camerawork can be a bit too modern (Dutch angles don't quite mix with the 18th century) and the final episodes may be quite heavy on the drama, but the experience as a whole was pretty impressive.

Great

Giamatti and Linney were excellent together.

This probably deserves 100. You should get college credits for watching it.

Epic in the finest sense of the word. Giamatti is brilliant, as usual, and the history is really brought to life in this miniseries.

Really good. Not fantastic, though, and it could drag. Linney's the real star here.

Giamatti and Linney were perfect as John and Abigail. Their story was entertaining and just the right length. You don't have to be a history lover to like this.

A well-honored envisage of the Young Republic: breathtaking in its scope, concise and accurate in its portrayal and emotionally satisfying in its delivery. Intricately deals with Adams law profession, the throes of declaring Independence and the ensuing corruptible nature of power. At times, prophetically speaks to future generations of their inherent plight in preserving liberty for all, Jefferson more than any, shines a light in these dark places. In the end, it is unflinchingly patriotic.

Brilliant! The cast do an outstanding job, as indeed would be expected, but none the less. A just "15mins of fame" for a sort of forgotten President.

Finishes a little weak, but over it's 7 hour run, there are some truly amazing moments.

We hardly get ANY American Revolution movies, so getting an eight-hours-and-some-change miniseries makes up for some lost time. This production is in many ways just as prissy as the 18th-century upper crusters featured in it -- almost everything takes place in offices and sitting rooms, as if a real movie was going on somewhere else -- but the handsome production and rich historical detail were enough to keep me interested from start to finish

Uneven, but not bad.