HBO & John Adams - Accurate?

Much of the dialog during the congress had to be invented, of course.
McCullough used Adam's own extensive notes but in his book he says
several times that no one knows exactly what was said during several
debates.

I hasten to add that I am by no means one of the history experts.

I only got to watch a couple of episodes. We don't have HBO.

George makes a good point. I will point out at the outset that i have not seen this series. However, any time there is historical "drama," at the least, dialog is invented, and at the most, license is taken for "dramatic effect." Last night i watched the motion picture "Elizabeth" with Cate Blanchett in the title role. Not only was the dialog invented (of course), but the film tried to make Mary of Guise--dowager Queen of Scotland--the heavy of the piece (or one of the heavies). Elizabeth was Queen from November, 1558 until her death in 1603. Mary of Guise was dying from what was then known as dropsy at the time Elizabeth took the throne, and was bed-ridden almost continually from November 1559 until her death in June of 1560. The movie suggests that Elizabeth's close adviser and confidant Francis Walsingham poisoned an otherwise healthy and lively opponent of Elizabeth. Dramatic yes--historical, hardly. Mary of Guise was not in sufficiently good health to have performed as portrayed in that movie.

I would suggest that you read McCullough's book, to which George has referred. I've not read it (frankly, Adams doesn't interest me that much), but have read nothing but high praise of it. As i understand from reviews, it was meticulously researched.

McCullough stated on PBS that there was some "license" in how he wove connections of the gazillion pieces of correspondence that Adams left. The HBO series is based upon McCulloughs book but only as much as their own story isnt affected. In the book,there is a bit more of the developing sense of what actual scoundrel Jefferson and HAmilton were.
Like everything in history, we have no way to "falsify" much of the scholarship without actually delving into the same stuff as the original author.

Bookmarking. I love the show -- missed a few episodes but planning to catch up on demand.