the buzz log

HBO's latest miniseries—the seven-part "John Adams," starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney—kicked off with a two-episode opener on Sunday night. We don't know yet how the ratings panned out, but the reaction in Search the next morning sounded like a standing ovation.

Lookups of "john adams miniseries" rose an astonishing 1,073%, climbing into our top 35 daily movers. As of Tuesday morning, the query continued to hold sway in the top hourly searches.

The advance buzz was equally impressive. Over the past 7 days, interest in "president john adams" surged nearly 1,300%. We might've credited the bump to middle schoolers desperately seeking homework help, but the bulk of the queries came flowing in from 35 to 64 year olds. Americans interested in American history, who woulda thought?

Besides the man himself, searchers have investigated the Founding Father's family. Queries are up nearly 300% for Abigail Adams, the country's second First Lady and astute adviser to her husband. Demand for cousin Samuel Adams, son John Quincy Adams, and "john adams children" has also spiked.

Though many critics have lauded the cable drama, some reviewers have not been so quick to jump on the celebratory bandwagon. Tim Goodman at The San Francisco Chronicle bemoaned the waste of Giamatti's talents in the role. If the buzz keeps up the way it's going now, though, this may prove a historic role for the actor.