HBO is known for its fantastic dramas, but it should create more shows similar to its 2008 miniseries, which didn’t get the recognition it deserved. From classics like The Sopranos and Game of Thrones, to shows like Deadwood and The Wire, HBO has consistently broken barriers in American television. For years, the network has led the way in creating daring, complex, and ambitious entertainment, pushing the limits of what TV can be.
Although Band of Brothers and The Pacific are well-known, the 2008 miniseries John Adams is perhaps HBO’s most overlooked historical drama. Starring Paul Giamatti as John Adams, the seven-part series is based on David McCullough’s biography and carefully details Adams’ life and the founding of the United States. All episodes were directed by Tom Hooper, who also directed The King’s Speech.
John Adams Premiered On March 16 2008
Fans of historical dramas will love John Adams, but it’s also surprisingly easy to get into, even if you don’t usually enjoy the genre. The show boasts an incredible supporting cast, with standout performances from Ebon Moss-Bachrach (from The Bear), Justin Theroux, Andrew Scott, David Morse, and Sarah Polley. Paul Giamatti is, as always, excellent in the lead role as John Adams.
The challenges of building a new country are clearly visible in the series, but Paul Giamatti’s performance is brilliantly complemented by Laura Linney as his wife, Abigail Adams. Linney, known for her roles in The Big C and Ozark, delivers another exceptional performance in this captivating historical drama. Like many of HBO’s most successful shows, John Adams excels at showing events from multiple perspectives, allowing for a rich and detailed telling of a complex story.
HBO Needs To Invest In More Historical Dramas Like John Adams
Despite positive reviews for John Adams, the network didn’t produce many similar historical dramas afterward. AMC’s Turn: Washington’s Spies was one of the few exceptions, probably because John Adams was incredibly expensive, costing $100 million for a single season. However, HBO shouldn’t let that high cost discourage them from making more shows in this style in the future.
Similar to how Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and Chernobyl demonstrated HBO’s ability to vividly portray 20th-century events, John Adams proved the network could also tackle stories from even further back in history. The excellent historical drama Rome, released in 2005, further highlighted HBO’s potential when it commits to this ambitious, and often costly, genre.
It’s been a while since HBO delivered a historical drama as compelling as John Adams, and it’s uncertain when another series with similar depth and complexity will appear. However, given HBO’s past successes with shows like Rome, Chernobyl, and John Adams, the network should consider returning to this type of storytelling.
We want to know what kind of shows you’d like HBO to make more of! Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum.
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2026-03-16 02:40