# How To with John Wilson (2020)

> A self-described anxious New Yorker secretly films city strangers while attempting deadpan how-to advice that spirals into unexpected territory.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/92581

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 18
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, documentary
- Created by: John Wilson
- Network: HBO
- Cast: John Wilson, Kyle MacLachlan, Liz Schack, Yanjaa, Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Martha Stewart
- TMDB rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10801534/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: deadpan, wry, awkward, quirky, gently uneasy

## What critics say

Critics and viewers broadly acclaim How To with John Wilson for its inventive blend of documentary, comedy and personal honesty, with its audience rating holding steady across seasons.

## Synopsis

How To with John Wilson (2020-2023) is an American documentary comedy series created by John Wilson for HBO. Wilson, an self-described anxious New Yorker, serves as both host and protagonist, secretly filming the lives of everyday city residents while attempting to offer earnest advice on ordinary subjects. Across three seasons of six episodes each, the engine of the show is the gap between the promised how-to lesson and the wildly unexpected places each segment wanders. Wilson's candid, unpolished narration keeps the viewer anchored as strangers, awkward silences and chance encounters pile up into something unpredictable. Set in present-day New York City, the series is built from short, carefully stitched segments that pair deadpan observation with the textures of urban life. Its tone is quirky, wry and gently uneasy, with a documentary realism that makes the humor feel discovered rather than staged. Fans of Nathan for You, Seinfeld and Jiro Dreams of Sushi will find resonance in its blend of observational comedy and real-world curiosity. The result is a mockumentary-adjacent portrait of the city that is funny, odd and quietly humane.

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- [Bored to Death (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/28634)
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- [Difficult People (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56256)
- [Animals. (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/57645)
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- [Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/3850)
- [Fishing with John (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/55065)
- [Nathan for You (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/52734)
- [Pretend It's a City (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/96189)

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