The topic of HBO's most recent miniseries may be a bewildering pick for HBO--even more bewildering is that HBO does it right! To many Americans, John Adams seems little more than a footnote between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Then in 2002, David McCullough published his Pulitzer prize-winning John Adams. This biography revealed the intricacies of this lesser-known Founding Father and how he became a powerful force in the fight for America's independence. I highly recommend the book to everyone. I read this book two years ago and couldn't put it down. Evidently the same is true for the executives at HBO who decided to adapt McCullough's gripping biography into a seven-part miniseries (and the same creative team behind this miniseries is supposed to be hard at work adapting McCullough's follow-up to John Adam's titled 1776 into an HBO miniseries as well).

While the story of John Adams is a grand story everyone should see, I am glad this story is being told on the small screen rather than the big screen. The epic tale simply could not be squeezed into two hours. Not since Lord of the Rings have I felt a story was so deserving of almost nine hours running time. Even still many details from McCullough's biography are necessarily left out.

This past Sunday the first two parts aired. The next five parts will air each Sunday for the next five weeks. Paul Giamatti was a brilliant choice for John Adams. This great Founder is portrayed with a sense of humor as well as an unquenchable passion that brings the character to life. In the second part, we begin to meet other famous figures from the period: Benjamin Franklin (another brilliant casting choice), George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and many others.

I would insert some favorite quotes from the miniseries thus far, but I'm afraid if I got started, I wouldn't stop until I had listed ten pages of just quotes (so I'll leave you with "God damn the king!" said by John Adams' more radical cousin, Samuel Adams). As if to remind us that it is HBO, the first part does include full-frontal male nudity. A British customs officer attempting to tax tea is stripped before being tarred and feathered by an unruly Boston crowd.

The miniseries is already being hailed as one of the most historically accurate film portrayals of this time period. The miniseries is based on McCullough's meticulously researched biography, and the filmmakers avoid many of the embellishments usually added to historical stories. This does not mean the miniseries is slow or boring. The courtroom and Continental Congress scenes are filled with so many quotes passionately and expertly delivered accompanied by such a rich score, I don't see how any American's eyes could be dry by the end of the second part. I dare see the must-see film of 2008 is one that won't even go to theatres! Check out HBO's website for some great behind-the-scenes videos.

Paul Giamatti is a great actor...I wish I had gotten to see some of this.