John Adams

It has been quite a while since television gave us significant entertainment. Granted, I supported the writer's strike, but that doesn't mean I don't miss some of my favorite shows.

Then suddenly, HBO does it again with the mini-series John Adams. All I can say is this is the best offering television has given us in years. Years.

Based on the highly popular biography by David McCullough, Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney star as John Adams and Abigail Adams. It's hard to believe this man has not won an Academy Award yet, but this performance will surely bring him an Emmy. Both actors are magnificent.

Watching actors portray our forefathers in a way we've never seen is nothing short of eerie. Eerie because we forget that these men (and women) were not godlike or giants, but rather ordinary people, facing impossible odds and enduring the harshest conditions physically and emotionally.

Episode three aired last night. I'm constantly commenting on how shabby our school system must be if this rendition of history is at all accurate. The things I did not know about my own country! Epic political debates and the creation of monumental documents get one or two sentences in our "history textbooks." We surely take these moments in time for granted. And watching John Adams has brought me to that realization.

Aside from its stark vision of history, John Adams is beautiful. Famous, historic locales have never been recreated in such a way. I am so enthralled by this presentation.

Once again, HBO delivers gold. If you have HBO and aren't watching John Adams, then you, sir or madam, are a moron.