Painting with John

Last updated
Painting with John
Painting-with-john-logo-widthx300.png
Genre
Created by John Lurie
Written byJohn Lurie
Directed byJohn Lurie
StarringJohn Lurie
ComposerJohn Lurie
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Nesrin Wolf
  • Matt Dwyer
CinematographyErik Mockus
EditorErik Mockus
Running time20–24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network HBO
ReleaseJanuary 22, 2021 (2021-01-22) 
July 7, 2023 (2023-07-07)
Related
Fishing with John

Painting with John is an American unscripted television series created by musician, painter, and actor John Lurie. [1] Each episode features Lurie painting watercolors and reflecting on life, music, and art. A six-episode first season premiered on HBO and its streaming subsidiary HBO Max on January 22, 2021. [1] In August 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on February 18, 2022. [2] [3] The third season of the series began airing on June 2, 2023. The title alludes to Lurie's earlier show, Fishing with John , from 1991. On August 16, 2023, it was announced the series was canceled. [4]

Contents

Synopsis

Part meditative tutorial, part fireside chat, musician John Lurie shares his philosophical thoughts while honing his watercolor techniques.

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 6January 22, 2021 (2021-01-22)February 26, 2021 (2021-02-26)
2 6February 18, 2022 (2022-02-18)March 25, 2022 (2022-03-25)
3 6June 2, 2023 (2023-06-02)July 7, 2023 (2023-07-07)

Season 1 (2021)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [5] US viewers
(millions)
11"Bob Ross Was Wrong" John Lurie John LurieJanuary 22, 2021 (2021-01-22)0.185 [6]
In contrast to what television painter Bob Ross says, not everyone can paint, according to Lurie. He goes on to lament his abilities to fly a drone to film an elaborate introduction to his new television show, recounts a childhood story involving his father and brother Evan, discusses his thoughts on laughter, and invites the viewer(s) to "write a poem" while viewing the sunset.
22"The Explosion Story"John LurieJohn LurieJanuary 29, 2021 (2021-01-29)0.215 [7]
Lurie recounts his cancer treatment and vertigo, while remembering an incident involving him reheating curry with a gas stove. He goes on to show more of his life at home on his undisclosed Caribbean island, enjoying rolling tires down hills, and with his housemates, and recounting the time he met Barry White, who said he was very fond of the Lounge Lizards' album Voice of Chunk .
33"Elephant"John LurieJohn LurieFebruary 5, 2021 (2021-02-05)0.223 [8]
Lurie discovers fragment of a tree that resembles an elephant trunk. He discusses his upbringing with his brother and their shared love of Little Walter, and John Coltrane. The background of the art design of the album cover of Voice of Chunk is discussed, with an elaborate tale of Lurie purchasing and photographing an eel. Throughout the episode, Lurie is painting a piece called Elephant, revealed in the end credits.
44"Fame Is Bad"John LurieJohn LurieFebruary 12, 2021 (2021-02-12)0.171 [9]
Lurie discusses his thoughts on fame and what he had encountered in his life as a musician and actor: a casual meeting with Gore Vidal, partying with Rick James and Steve Rubell, mentoring Zach Galifianakis, his friendship with Anthony Bourdain, and his collaborations with Jim Jarmusch and Tom Waits.
55"The Disappearance of Chicken Man"John LurieJohn LurieFebruary 19, 2021 (2021-02-19)0.089 [10]
Lurie recounts his times with his companion "Leroy" around his village concerning various neighbors and townspeople whom they were convinced were mysteriously disappearing, one of them they nicknamed "The Chicken Man". He goes on to discuss his relationship with his mother, and their collective disgust with the registry of motor vehicles in Massachusetts. The episode ends with a live action/animated mashup of Lurie's artwork and surroundings amongst his song (alias Marvin Pontiac) "My Little Garden Gnome" playing in the background.
66"Finding Rudolph" [11] John LurieJohn LurieFebruary 26, 2021 (2021-02-26)0.209 [12]

Lurie recounts his friendship with a man named "Rudolph" on the remote island he lives on, and reminisces on their times together, before Rudolph's absence from his life. Lurie and Nesrin set out to reunite with Rudolph while enjoying the countryside. Lurie describes the local tree frogs he hears in their natural habitat and their musical coordination. Lurie wraps up the series discussing how, despite his battles with his illnesses, he happened to meet the series cinematographer Erik leading to a new series and a medium for him to showcase his work, yet just how uncomfortable it made him.

The episode ends with John Lurie successfully commandeering his drone for his show's introduction and welcoming the viewer to Painting with John. His collective artwork is showcased in the end credits.

Season 2 (2022)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [5] US viewers
(millions)
71"What?"John LurieJohn LurieFebruary 18, 2022 (2022-02-18)N/A
Lurie welcomes the viewer to season two of Painting with John, a show in which he reassured them he would not teach them how to paint. He laments about the exploitation of dental and cosmetic commercials. Nesrin Wolf and Ann Mary Gludd James are featured actors in a half-live action and animated segment with Lurie called "Cowboy Beckett", spoofing Western movies. Lurie talks about his family upbringing concerning religion, and his unexplained and comedic habit of "finding coins falling out of his nose". An animated segment called "Synchronized Swimming" occurs. Lurie updates viewers on his life at home since the reception of season one of the series on his undisclosed island and the environmental impacts, and also unfortunate household and personal dilemmas.
82"Children Kicking Hamburger All Over The Highway"John LurieJohn LurieFebruary 25, 2022 (2022-02-25)N/A
Lurie opens the show with his thoughts on men who catcall women. He goes on to have a surreal heated discussion with the Man in the Moon. The "Cowboy Beckett" segment with Nesrin and Ann Mary continues. Lurie recounts his time in the early 1980's being acquainted with Péter Halász from the Squat Theatre in New York City, and his sudden chance to make a trip to Barcelona. Lurie recounts the lecture in Barcelona about technology in theatre in which he took in Halász' place; despite his confidence to pass the allotted time, it went awry.
93"The Bugs Are Winning"John LurieJohn LurieMarch 4, 2022 (2022-03-04)N/A
Nesrin opens the show in place of John, saying he "has lots of work to do," while she contributes to one of his own paintings. Lurie begins his segment talking about his thoughts on intuition's role while painting. Lurie talks about his thoughts of driving alongside other people, and their body language. The "Cowboy Beckett" segment with Nesrin and Ann Mary continues with the trio on the hunt for a puma. Lurie recounts the time when he met Joey Ramone in New York City. He details the bugs and wildlife that he encounters in summertime, and an instance with Erik where the two had trouble containing a very large and strange bug. "Cowboy Beckett" continues, with the trio saying nonsensical and random phrases to each other. Lurie ends the show thanking viewers for sending in their poems about the sunset in which he enocouraged them to write (from the previous season), but kindly tells them to not send any more to him. During the end credits Lurie is shown in the recording studio with Calvin Weston (who played drums for The Lounge Lizards) creating new music for the series.
104"Your Hands Have Turned into Lightbulbs"John LurieJohn LurieMarch 11, 2022 (2022-03-11)N/A
John begins the episode with a breathing exercise for the viewer, instructing them to imagine their hands turning into lightbulbs. Lurie paints while listening to a new piece of music he created for the series, which features Calvin Weston, Tony Scherr, Kenny Wollesen, Doug Wieselman, Smokey Hormel, Michael Blake, Steven Bernstein, Clark Guyton, Curtis Fowlkes. Lurie wishes the subtitle transcribers well in their efforts to type out the show's text, and explains his nonsensical "Adabadeewa" phrase, saying its a word for his bond with Erik, the show's cinematographer. He recounts a pleasant trip to Tahiti, until he encountered other tourists there. Lurie recounts his teenage years occasionally letting Jean-Michel Basquiat live with him, and encountering Klaus Nomi in New York. John and Nesrin end the show saying they want to stop the show, leaving Erik to chase them in a game of hide-and-seek throughout the residence, as Lurie's song "Ketchak" plays throughout.
115"Small Car"John LurieJohn LurieMarch 18, 2022 (2022-03-18)N/A
John opens the show praising the fruit that grows on his island, telling a story about his disappointment when he ate watermelon while traveling in Turkey with Nesrin. "Cowboy Beckett" continues with the trio spouting more nonsense to each other. John recounts a tour stop in Europe with him, Calvin Weston and Billy Martin serving as a trio, with Evan Lurie as an opening act, and an abrupt exit from Bulgaria. The Marvin Pontiac song "Small Car" plays amongst an animated segment. Ann Mary demonstrates to the viewer how to make "weapon potatoes". The trio end the episode as they take their weapon potatoes to "invade a neighboring village."
126"Old Man Dancing"John LurieJohn LurieMarch 25, 2022 (2022-03-25)N/A
John starts off the episode with his thoughts on climate change. He discusses his fascination with vocal sound, especially in Ennio Morricone's film score for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly . He recounts the time he wrote music for commercials advertising Barneys department store, and how this experience led to further work in advertising for an oil company, which made him uncomfortable. Lurie and several old friends and collaborators are seen rehearsing more new music together in a recording studio. Lurie recounts when his father took him to game three of the 1962 World Series at Yankee Stadium and describing his boyhood ritual to seemingly enact good luck onto his baseball hero Mickey Mantle. John, Nesrin and Ann Mary all take time out of their day to spontaneously dance outside.

Season 3 (2023)

The third season of the series consists of six episodes and it aired from June 2 to July 7, 2023. Lurie's friend and fellow musician Flea appeared in one of the episodes. [13]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [5] US viewers
(millions)
131"Hermits Unite"John LurieJohn LurieJune 2, 2023 (2023-06-02)N/A
142"Potato"John LurieJohn LurieJune 9, 2023 (2023-06-09)N/A
153"The Sea Monster"John LurieJohn LurieJune 16, 2023 (2023-06-16)N/A
164"My Friend Flea"John LurieJohn LurieJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)N/A
175"How the Music Is Made"John LurieJohn LurieJune 30, 2023 (2023-06-30)N/A
186"The Night Hunters"John LurieJohn LurieJuly 7, 2023 (2023-07-07)N/A

Production

The episodes were recorded at Lurie's home on an undisclosed island in the Caribbean. [14] In June 2021, Lurie announced a second season of the show was planned and for the first time in 22 years, he was rehearsing music for it. [15] In August 2021, HBO renewed the series for a second season. [2]

Soundtrack

The series' soundtrack features music by Lurie, who was a founding member of the Lounge Lizards and the creator of Marvin Pontiac.

Reception

The series has received positive reviews from critics. Robert Lloyd of Los Angeles Times wrote "Painting With John represents HBO at its most worthwhile: arty and unpredictable." [16] Robert Ito of New York Times described the show as "a meditative and often joyful blend of painting and personal storytelling." [17] On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 100% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 8.0/10. The website's critical consensus states, "A celebration of art and life through the eyes of a delightful curmudgeon, Painting with John is a surprising, intimate feat of TV joy.". [18]

Related Research Articles

<i>Penn & Teller: Fool Us</i> American magic competition television series

Penn & Teller: Fool Us is a magic competition television series in which magicians perform tricks in front of American magician-comedian duo Penn & Teller. Its first two seasons were hosted by Jonathan Ross, the third through ninth seasons were hosted by Alyson Hannigan and the tenth season onwards by Brooke Burke. Fool Us was filmed at Fountain Studios in London, England and the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, located in Las Vegas. After each performance, if Penn & Teller cannot figure out how a trick was done, the magician(s) who performed it win a Fool Us trophy and a five-star trip to Las Vegas to perform as the opening act in Penn & Teller's show, also at the Rio Hotel & Casino.

<i>Ballers</i> American comedy-drama television series

Ballers is an American sports comedy drama television series created by Stephen Levinson and starring Dwayne Johnson as Spencer Strasmore, a retired NFL player who must navigate his new career of choice as the financial manager of other NFL players. The series premiered on the American cable television network HBO on June 21, 2015, with a pilot episode written by Stephen Levinson and directed by Peter Berg. The fifth and final season premiered on August 25, 2019, and concluded on October 13, 2019.

<i>Divorce</i> (TV series) American television series

Divorce is an American comedy-drama television series created by Sharon Horgan, set in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, and starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church as a middle-aged divorcing couple. The series premiered on HBO on October 9, 2016. The pilot episode was written by Horgan and directed by Jesse Peretz. On November 14, 2016, HBO renewed the show for a second season, which premiered on January 14, 2018. On November 2, 2018, HBO renewed the show for a third season, which was later announced on its premiere date to be the final season.

Van Helsing is a fantasy horror drama television series. Kelly Overton plays the titular character of the series, which was inspired by Zenescope Entertainment's graphic novel series Helsing. A commercial-free advance preview of the pilot aired on July 31, 2016 on Syfy ahead of its September 23, 2016 premiere. In December 2019, Syfy renewed the series for a fifth and final season which premiered on April 16, 2021, and concluded on June 25, 2021.

<i>Room 104</i> American anthology television series

Room 104 is an American television anthology series created by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass, first broadcast on HBO between 2017 and 2020.

Insecure is an American comedy-drama television series created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore, and is partially based on Rae's acclaimed web series Awkward Black Girl. The series is about the awkward experiences of a contemporary African-American woman. The series premiered online on September 23, 2016, via HBO Now and HBO Go, before airing weekly on HBO from October 9, 2016.

<i>Kindred Spirits</i> (TV series) American paranormal/documentary series

Kindred Spirits is an American paranormal television and documentary reality series. The series premiered on October 21, 2016 on Destination America and TLC, airing there until 2018. It has aired on Travel Channel since the beginning of the third season in 2019. The program stars investigators Adam Berry and Amy Bruni, formerly from the Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters Academy television series, which aired on Syfy at the time of Berry and Bruni's departure. Berry and Bruni investigate residences to determine if recurring paranormal activity is tied to the families living there. For the fourth season, psychic medium Chip Coffey joined the cast. After 49 years since their meeting with Ed and Lorraine Warren, the Perron family returned in the second episode of the fourth season, to their childhood home.

<i>Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens</i> American comedy television series

Awkwafina is Nora from Queens is an American sitcom starring Awkwafina that first aired on January 20, 2020, on Comedy Central. The series was renewed for a second season before the series premiere, and received generally favorable reviews from critics. The second season premiered on August 18, 2021. In May 2022, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on April 26, 2023.

<i>Breeders</i> (TV series) Comedy television series

Breeders is a British dark comedy television series created by Martin Freeman, Chris Addison and Simon Blackwell. The series follows two parents who struggle with parenthood and is partially based on Freeman's own experiences. Freeman plays one of the two leads in the series and is also an executive producer on the show along with Addison and Blackwell.

How To with John Wilson is an American television comedy 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.

This is a list of episodes from the twelfth season of Shark Tank. The season premiered on October 16, 2020, on ABC.

The eighth season of the American crime thriller television series The Blacklist premiered on November 13, 2020 and ended on June 23, 2021.

<i>Young Rock</i> American television sitcom (2021–2023)

Young Rock is an American television sitcom based upon the life of professional wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson, also known by his ring name "The Rock". The series is created by Johnson, Jeff Chiang and Nahnatchka Khan. It aired on NBC from February 16, 2021, to February 24, 2023. In April 2021, the series was renewed for a second season. A holiday special episode aired on December 15, 2021, and the second season premiered on March 15, 2022. In May 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on November 4, 2022. In June 2023, the series was cancelled after three seasons.

This is a list of episodes from the nineteenth season of Real Time with Bill Maher.

<i>The Blacklist</i> (season 9) Season of television series

The ninth season of the American crime thriller television series The Blacklist premiered on October 21, 2021, on NBC, and ended on May 27, 2022. The season consisted of 22 episodes.

References

  1. 1 2 Holloway, Daniel (December 10, 2020). "John Lurie Returns to TV in New HBO Series 'Painting With John'". Variety . Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Grobar, Matt (August 17, 2021). "'Painting With John': HBO Orders Second Season Of Unscripted Series Exec Produced By Adam McKay". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  3. "Painting with John Season 2 Debuts February 18. HBO Series". Martin Cid Magazine. January 26, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  4. "'Painting with John' to End After Three Seasons on HBO". 16 August 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "Painting with John – Listings". The Futon Critic . Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  6. Metcalf, Mitch (January 25, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.22.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  7. Metcalf, Mitch (February 1, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.29.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  8. Metcalf, Mitch (February 6, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.5.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  9. Metcalf, Mitch (February 16, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.12.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  10. Metcalf, Mitch (February 22, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.19.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  11. "Painting with John 06: Finding Rudolph". HBO. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  12. Metcalf, Mitch (March 1, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.26.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  13. "Media Release: Season Three Of The HBO Original PAINTING WITH JOHN Debuts June 2". Warner Bros. Discovery. May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  14. Ito, Robert (2021-01-20). "John Lurie Doesn't Paint Happy Trees". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-01-24. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  15. @lurie_john (June 2, 2021). "I am rehearsing music tonight..." (Tweet) via Twitter.
  16. "'Painting with John' is HBO at its arty, unpredictable best". Los Angeles Times . 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  17. Ito, Robert (20 January 2021). "John Lurie Doesn't Paint Happy Trees". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  18. "Painting with John". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.