Uploaded March 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This is my review of the best comedy about people watching: How to With John Wilson.
A show that has just a six-episode season with the simple premise of acting as a how to guide on a variety of trivial topics but that manages to make them so hilarious to watch unfold that it’s been a while since a show has genuinely made me cry from laughing.
I haven’t seen anything quite like it and I seriously cannot praise How to With John Wilson enough.
This is my video explaining why.
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
Website:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
Clips Mentioned:
Anatomy of a Scene – How to With John Wilson
youtube.com/watch?v=RCNsx_NyNOU
What is How to With John Wilson?
How To with John Wilson is an American comedy television docuseries created by filmmaker John Wilson. The series, executive produced by Nathan Fielder, Michael Koman and Clark Reinking, was ordered by HBO. It premiered on October 23, 2020. On December 9, 2020, HBO renewed the series for a second season to premiere in 2021.
John Wilson attempts to give advice while dealing with his own personal issues. The 25-minute episodes, framed as tutorials and filmed mainly on the streets of New York City, cover topics from small talk to scaffolding. While each episode initially focuses on its title topic, in the course of his investigation, Wilson meets people and strikes up conversations that lead in unpredictable directions. For example, an episode titled "How to Improve Your Memory" ends up featuring a conference on the Mandela effect in Ketchum, Idaho.
The series has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a score of 100% with an average rating of 8.5/10 based on 20 reviews. On Metacritic, the first season has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter wrote How To with John Wilson is "funny, sad, and, in the end, shockingly profound. "Steve Greene of IndieWire gave the series a positive review of an A-, saying it has "a hint of darkness and a wealth of empathy."
Wilson was born in Astoria, Queens, and grew up on Long Island. He became interested in film as a teenager when his dad gave him a movie camera. Wilson cites Les Blank, George Kuchar and Bruce Brown as influences.
While attending Binghamton University, he made a short documentary about a balloon fetish community called Looner. In 2008, after graduating from college, Wilson worked for a private investigator. He has said this experience influenced his focus on the people and places of everyday life.
In 2015, Wilson was asked to go on tour with David Byrne to make an original film about his performance. Titled Temporary Color, it is described as a "true crime concert doc about David Byrne and a pair of violent criminals." The following year, Vimeo asked Wilson to make an official documentary about the Sundance Film Festival. These works caught the attention of comedian and writer Nathan Fielder, and the two eventually started collaborating after meeting in 2018.
In October 2020, How To with John Wilson premiered on HBO. The show is executive produced by Nathan Fielder, Michael Koman and Clark Reinking. On December 9, 2020, HBO ordered a second season, to premiere in 2021.
Nathan Joseph Fielder (born May 12, 1983) is a Canadian writer, comedian, actor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for co-creating and starring in the Comedy Central show Nathan for You.
Fielder was born to a Jewish family on May 12, 1983 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His parents, Eric and Deb, were social workers. He attended Point Grey Secondary School, where he was a member of the school's improv comedy group, which also included comedian Seth Rogen. Fielder worked as a magician during his teenage years and is a member of The Magic Castle in Los Angeles, California. Fielder studied business at the University of Victoria, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2005. After university, Fielder moved to Toronto and enrolled in a comedy program at Humber College in 2006. He worked briefly for a brokerage firm, before quitting to start his comedy career.
After receiving the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award in 2006, Fielder worked as a writer on Canadian Idol, where he was noticed by Michael Donovan, an executive producer for the CBC comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
This is my review of the best comedy about people watching: How to With John Wilson.
A show that has just a six-episode season with the simple premise of acting as a how to guide on a variety of trivial topics but that manages to make them so hilarious to watch unfold that it’s been a while since a show has genuinely made me cry from laughing.
I haven’t seen anything quite like it and I seriously cannot praise How to With John Wilson enough.
This is my video explaining why.
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
Website:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
Clips Mentioned:
Anatomy of a Scene – How to With John Wilson
youtube.com/watch?v=RCNsx_NyNOU
What is How to With John Wilson?
How To with John Wilson is an American comedy television docuseries created by filmmaker John Wilson. The series, executive produced by Nathan Fielder, Michael Koman and Clark Reinking, was ordered by HBO. It premiered on October 23, 2020. On December 9, 2020, HBO renewed the series for a second season to premiere in 2021.
John Wilson attempts to give advice while dealing with his own personal issues. The 25-minute episodes, framed as tutorials and filmed mainly on the streets of New York City, cover topics from small talk to scaffolding. While each episode initially focuses on its title topic, in the course of his investigation, Wilson meets people and strikes up conversations that lead in unpredictable directions. For example, an episode titled "How to Improve Your Memory" ends up featuring a conference on the Mandela effect in Ketchum, Idaho.
The series has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a score of 100% with an average rating of 8.5/10 based on 20 reviews. On Metacritic, the first season has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter wrote How To with John Wilson is "funny, sad, and, in the end, shockingly profound. "Steve Greene of IndieWire gave the series a positive review of an A-, saying it has "a hint of darkness and a wealth of empathy."
Wilson was born in Astoria, Queens, and grew up on Long Island. He became interested in film as a teenager when his dad gave him a movie camera. Wilson cites Les Blank, George Kuchar and Bruce Brown as influences.
While attending Binghamton University, he made a short documentary about a balloon fetish community called Looner. In 2008, after graduating from college, Wilson worked for a private investigator. He has said this experience influenced his focus on the people and places of everyday life.
In 2015, Wilson was asked to go on tour with David Byrne to make an original film about his performance. Titled Temporary Color, it is described as a "true crime concert doc about David Byrne and a pair of violent criminals." The following year, Vimeo asked Wilson to make an official documentary about the Sundance Film Festival. These works caught the attention of comedian and writer Nathan Fielder, and the two eventually started collaborating after meeting in 2018.
In October 2020, How To with John Wilson premiered on HBO. The show is executive produced by Nathan Fielder, Michael Koman and Clark Reinking. On December 9, 2020, HBO ordered a second season, to premiere in 2021.
Nathan Joseph Fielder (born May 12, 1983) is a Canadian writer, comedian, actor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for co-creating and starring in the Comedy Central show Nathan for You.
Fielder was born to a Jewish family on May 12, 1983 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His parents, Eric and Deb, were social workers. He attended Point Grey Secondary School, where he was a member of the school's improv comedy group, which also included comedian Seth Rogen. Fielder worked as a magician during his teenage years and is a member of The Magic Castle in Los Angeles, California. Fielder studied business at the University of Victoria, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2005. After university, Fielder moved to Toronto and enrolled in a comedy program at Humber College in 2006. He worked briefly for a brokerage firm, before quitting to start his comedy career.
After receiving the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award in 2006, Fielder worked as a writer on Canadian Idol, where he was noticed by Michael Donovan, an executive producer for the CBC comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
