Paul Giamatti the revolutionary dreamboat
Sarah and I have gotten hooked on HBO's new miniseries on John Adams. It's an interesting look at the dynamics of the early U.S. Particularly interesting to see how they represent the personalities of some of the founders--I knew Ben Franklin was a bit of a playboy, but still shocking to see him sharing a bathtub with his French mistress. And Thomas Jefferson comes off much shyer than I might have expected. It does solidify the importance of "the rule of law" for many of the founders, Adams in particular. He clearly gives up on the British throne when it becomes clear the king will ultimately do whatever he pleases, no matter whose rights get trampled in the process.
For those of you with access to HBO and a historical curiousity, it's definitely worth a look. I'd assume it will be out on DVD within the year as well. There's a link here to a discussion about the show involving historians and one of its staff.