The Adams Chronicles

For those of us who fondly remember the bicentennial celebrations that took place in 1976, will probably also remember watching the 13 episodes of Adams Chronicles.

They followed the British miniseries format by using actors who had done stage work, lavish costumes, studio sets and exterior shots at locations that fit the scene.

The story revolves around John and Abigail Adams in the first five episodes; their son and his wife John Quincy and Louisa Catherine in four episodes; and grandson Charles Frances and both of his sons Henry and Brooke each have an episode.

John Adams was an important figure in the founding of our country, but he got lost in the shuffle because he was outshone by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and even his cousin Sam Adams. But his contributions may have even been greater because he got financial help from Holland during the latter part of the Revolution; helped Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence; through the groaning of Congress set up protocol such as how to address the President; and kept us out of war when everyone was screaming to get involved in the European mess in the final two years of the 18th century.

John's son and grandson also played important roles in helping this country to become the power that it became. But one has to remember there is always personal costs when you are in that position.

Fortunately Acorn Media has release the miniseries on DVD and it is a pleasure to see it again after so many years.

This Mini is by far one of the best to be produced by PBS. Its success was helped largely in part by the fact that it came out during the bicentennial year, but even had that not been the case it still would have done well. I certainly made me interested in American History, and I am sure that it probably inspired others as well.

The cast is populated by several well known Broadway and television actors (including William Daniels who does a turn this time as John Quincy rather than the role he created in "1776"), and the majority of the performances are outstanding, particularly George Grizzard, Kathryn Walker, and Pamela Payton-Wright. If you every get a chance to see this mini...DO!

In my opinion, the best TV miniseries were the ones from the 1970's, and this one just may have the number one spot, or close to it.

You get to know four generations of the Adams family and their places in history (as well as their personal lives) without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. If you want to learn more, there's always books you can read.

All the acting was excellent, and it was interesting to see William Daniels playing John Quincy Adams, when not too long before that, he played his father, John Adams, in the movie "1776". (He also played John Adams again in another TV miniseries around that same time, and later on he was in a series where he played the principal of John Adams high school. Do you detect a pattern here???

Don't miss this one!

I've also seen "The Adams Chronicles" in the mid-1970s when I was a College Student. I've skimmed through the published Adams Papers, witch lots of letters between Abigail and John Adams, and the series has captured the flavor of the Adams, with their love and intellectual exchanges with each other.

John Adams may have a lot to learn about good PR, but Abigail must have been one of the smartest and well-informed first ladies the US has ever had.

I wish I could buy the video series, but there appears to be none available. The film apparently is available in far-off university libraries throughout the country.

I am old enough to have seen this when it was originally presented on PBS. I also grew up in the shadows of Boston where most the mini series takes place.

I am currently listening to the audio CDs of JOHN ADAMS by David McCullough read by Edward Hermann which got me to thinking about how wonderful THE ADAMS CHRONICLES was. I came on IMDb looking for the series on DVD or VHS or in some form that would allow me to revisit it. Disappointedly it would seem not to be available in any of those forms.

If anyone KNOWS of or about a version or if this series may be run again on PBS would you please let me know.