How To with John Wilson
How to with John Wilson is an American docu-comedy television series created, hosted, and executive produced by filmmaker John Wilson, in which he films candid street interactions with New York City residents while ostensibly offering practical advice on mundane topics, often veering into poignant explorations of urban life and human quirks.[1][2] The series premiered on HBO on November 29, 2020, and ran for three seasons of six episodes each, concluding on September 1, 2023, with topics ranging from how to make small talk and how to put up scaffolding to how to track your package and how to be spontaneous.[3][2] Executive produced by Wilson alongside Nathan Fielder and Michael Koman, the show combines documentary-style footage captured by Wilson on the streets of New York with his voiceover narration, interviews, and animations to create a blend of satire, education, and personal reflection.[4][5] Critically acclaimed for its unique format and insightful commentary on the city's eccentricities, How to with John Wilson holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes across all seasons, with critics praising its humor, emotional depth, and ability to find the universal in the mundane.[2] It has also earned an 8.7/10 rating on IMDb from over 16,000 users, who highlight its awkward yet soothing tone and celebration of New York's diverse inhabitants.[6] The series received multiple Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special in 2024 and Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program in 2022 and 2024, recognizing Wilson's distinctive voice and the show's innovative approach to nonfiction storytelling.[7]Overview
Premise
How to with John Wilson is a docuseries in which filmmaker John Wilson, an anxious New Yorker, explores everyday challenges of urban life in New York City by offering practical advice on mundane topics such as making small talk, finding parking, or dealing with scaffolding.[1] The series employs a second-person narration style, directly addressing viewers as "you" to create an immersive, instructional tone that spoofs YouTube how-to videos while delving into the absurdities of city living.[8][9] Each episode is structured around Wilson's personal anecdotes and anxieties, which are interwoven with candid footage of New Yorkers going about their routines, often leading to unexpected tangents like road trips or visits to niche conventions.[9] This elastic narrative approach blends observational humor with documentary elements, transforming routine urban encounters into profound reflections on social awkwardness, isolation, and fleeting human connections.[10] Episodes typically run 25 to 37 minutes, emphasizing a comedic style that portrays the city's quirks as unexpected life lessons.[1]Format and Style
The series How To with John Wilson employs a distinctive format that relies heavily on extensive B-roll footage captured by Wilson as he wanders the streets of New York City, amassing thousands of hours of raw clips over years of filming. These clips, often shot spontaneously in a guerrilla style, form the backbone of each episode, with 90-95% consisting of new material in later seasons.[11][12] The footage is edited into surreal, associative montages that weave together disparate urban observations, creating a stream-of-consciousness flow that mirrors the city's chaotic energy.[13] This editing approach involves quick cuts and deliberate pacing to allow moments to "breathe," avoiding over-editing while building thematic connections through unexpected detours.[14] Central to the show's narrative structure is Wilson's second-person voiceover narration, which adopts an instructional tone to draw viewers into everyday "how-to" scenarios while revealing his own confessional vulnerabilities. This voiceover, written and rewritten in stages—initially as a script, then refined post-filming and per shot—blends guidance with personal reflection, often subverting expectations by veering away from the original topic midway through an episode.[11][14] The narration's warm, slightly bewildered quality enhances the series' anthropological feel, parodying educational films and fostering a sense of shared introspection.[12][13] Visually, the series draws inspiration from observational documentaries, featuring a shaggy, unpolished aesthetic with quick cuts and ironic juxtapositions, such as mundane advice layered over chaotic city scenes or a house fire panning to unrelated objects.[12][13] Recurring motifs include Wilson's on-camera appearances in awkward, everyday situations, captured in wide shots that emphasize natural framing and the city's evolving landscape.[14] This style manual for camera work ensures flexibility in editing, allowing humor to emerge from the "less sense it makes" in these connections.[13] Comedic elements arise from cringe humor, absurdity, and empathy, rooted entirely in unscripted real encounters and found footage rather than scripted actors. Interactions with strangers—often sourced from chance meetings or online listings—reveal humorous or poignant stories, juxtaposed with abstract visuals to heighten the surreal tone.[11][12] The result is a blend of reportage and twisted comedy, where empathy tempers the awkwardness, making the absurdity feel profoundly human.[13][14]Creator and Production
John Wilson
John Wilson was born on October 7, 1986, in Astoria, Queens, and grew up on Long Island.[15][16] His interest in filmmaking emerged during his teenage years when his father acquired a home movie camera, sparking an early passion for capturing everyday moments. Wilson pursued formal education at Binghamton University, graduating in 2008 with a degree in cinema, where he produced short documentaries such as Looner, exploring niche urban subcultures.[17][18] Following graduation, Wilson established himself as a documentary filmmaker through a series of short films that highlighted the quirks of New York City life, including How to Live with Bed Bugs (2013), which chronicled the challenges of urban pest infestations with a mix of humor and raw observation.[12][13] His distinctive style of documenting urban eccentricity gained traction when his work caught the attention of comedian Nathan Fielder, leading to contributions on Fielder's projects like Nathan for You and The Rehearsal, where Wilson served as a cinematographer and editor. These early endeavors honed his approach to blending personal narrative with found footage, emphasizing the absurdities of city living.[12][13] Wilson has described himself as an "anxious New Yorker" grappling with social awkwardness, traits that infuse his on-screen persona with a relatable vulnerability and curiosity about human interactions. This personal lens draws from influences like underground filmmaker George Kuchar, known for raw, diaristic video work, and photographer William Eggleston, whose color images elevated the mundane to poetic heights, inspiring Wilson's eye for beauty in banal street scenes.[19][17][20] These elements shaped the show's premise, channeling his anxieties into explorations of everyday advice amid New York's chaos. Prior to the series, Wilson amassed an extensive archive of video essays on New York life, filming thousands of hours of street scenes, conversations, and odd encounters that captured the city's pulse. This personal repository, built over years of solitary observation, provided the foundational footage and thematic core for his later work, transforming casual recordings into insightful portraits of urban existence.[11][13] Since the conclusion of the series in 2023, Wilson directed the music video for Bon Iver's "Everything Is Peaceful Love" in February 2025 and opened Low Cinema, a neighborhood movie theater in Ridgewood, Queens, in August 2025.[21][22]Development and Production
The series originated from John Wilson's body of short films, which gained notice from HBO through comedian and executive producer Nathan Fielder, leading to a straight-to-series order in August 2019.[23] The project was executive produced by Fielder, Michael Koman, and Clark Reinking, alongside Wilson himself, building on Wilson's established style of observational New York City documentaries.[24] Production emphasized an organic, unscripted approach, with Wilson spending months filming unstructured B-roll footage across New York City using lightweight, portable cameras to capture everyday serendipitous encounters without any staging.[11] This material, often amounting to thousands of hours, formed the foundation for each episode; Wilson would then research potential topics drawn from the footage and conduct informal interviews with real New Yorkers encountered during shoots or via targeted outreach like Craigslist postings.[11] Scripts were developed collaboratively afterward by a small team of writers—including Koman and journalists like Susan Orlean and Alice Gregory—to weave the unpredictable elements into cohesive narratives, a process that contributed to the intensive timeline of several months per season.[11] Wilson served in multiple key roles as director, writer, narrator, interviewer, and hands-on contributor to editing, supported by a lean crew that included assistant editors for organizing vast archives and a COVID compliance officer during later seasons.[25] While specific budget figures remain undisclosed, the low-fi, location-based method kept operations nimble, relying on Wilson's solo filming for much of the B-roll and minimal post-production sets. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted filming for Seasons 2 and 3, delaying production as restrictions limited on-the-ground access and required safety protocols, which pushed Season 2's premiere to November 2021 and Season 3's to July 2023.[11] In May 2023, HBO announced that Season 3 would be the series' final installment, a decision made by Wilson on his own terms to conclude while the show's inventive energy remained fresh and to avert creative burnout.[26]Episodes
Season 1 (2020)
The first season of How To with John Wilson premiered on HBO on October 23, 2020, and consists of six episodes, each running approximately 30 minutes.[27] The series debuted amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its episodes reflecting New York City's experiences of social isolation and tentative recovery, especially in the season finale which documents the onset of pandemic restrictions.[28] This inaugural season introduces Wilson's distinctive narrative approach, blending how-to guidance with meandering explorations of urban quirks, such as encounters with obscure subcultures and impromptu interviews that veer into personal anecdotes. The episodes follow Wilson's on-camera quests to address everyday challenges, often leading to tangential discoveries that highlight the absurdity and humanity of city life.- "How to Make Small Talk" (October 23, 2020): Wilson examines the nuances of initiating and navigating casual conversations, drawing on street observations and personal reflections to illustrate the potential pitfalls and connections formed through fleeting interactions.
- "How to Put Up Scaffolding" (October 30, 2020): Wilson delves into New York City's extensive scaffolding infrastructure—spanning nearly 300 miles—and its historical role in construction safety, while pondering solutions to mitigate its visual blight on the urban landscape.[29]
- "How to Improve Your Memory" (November 6, 2020): Employing the ancient "Memory Palace" technique, Wilson investigates techniques for enhancing recall, interweaving interviews with experts and everyday New Yorkers to explore forgetfulness in modern life.[30]
- "How to Cover Your Furniture" (November 13, 2020): Frustrated by his cat's destructive habits, Wilson surveys methods for protecting household items from wear, from protective covers to preservation philosophies, revealing broader anxieties about maintaining order amid chaos.[31]
- "How to Split the Check" (November 20, 2020): Wilson unpacks the social dynamics and logistical complexities of dividing restaurant bills among groups, consulting etiquette advisors and diners to address issues of equity and awkwardness in shared meals.[32]
- "How to Cook the Perfect Risotto" (November 27, 2020): In an effort to repay his landlord's kindness, Wilson attempts to prepare her favored Italian dish, but the narrative shifts to chronicle the abrupt societal changes brought by the emerging COVID-19 crisis in New York, including empty streets and adaptive routines.[33]
Season 2 (2021)
The second season of How To with John Wilson premiered on HBO on November 26, 2021, and concluded on December 31, 2021, comprising six episodes that continued the series' blend of observational documentary and personal essay.[34] Building on the foundation of the first season, this installment demonstrated a matured storytelling approach, with enhanced production polish evident in smoother narrative transitions and more layered voiceover reflections.[35] The episodes maintained the show's signature structure, starting with a "how-to" premise that spirals into unexpected explorations of New York City life and human quirks.| Episode | Title | Original Air Date | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 (2x01) | How to Invest in Real Estate | November 26, 2021 | After renting the same apartment for years, John contemplates an unexpected opportunity to become a homeowner, delving into themes of commitment and urban living.[36] |
| 8 (2x02) | How to Appreciate Wine | December 3, 2021 | John attempts to master his senses and make informed choices when faced with the overwhelming world of wine, encountering experts and enthusiasts along the way.[36] |
| 9 (2x03) | How to Find a Spot | December 10, 2021 | John reflects on the competitive and complex process of parking in New York City, where the possibilities of car ownership come with significant challenges.[36] |
| 10 (2x04) | How to Throw Out Your Batteries | December 17, 2021 | Seeking a solution to the universal conundrum of battery disposal, John ponders the value of things people hold onto and what they ultimately discard.[34] |
| 11 (2x05) | How to Remember Your Dreams | December 24, 2021 | After years of rooting his life in non-fiction, John drifts from rational thought in hopes of remembering his dreams, leading to introspective tangents.[36] |
| 12 (2x06) | How to Be Spontaneous | December 31, 2021 | Though determined to let fate be his guide, John's attempt at spontaneity does not go as planned, highlighting the difficulties of embracing the unplanned.[37] |
Season 3 (2023)
The third and final season of How to with John Wilson was announced by HBO on May 25, 2023, as the series' concluding installment, consisting of six episodes that premiered weekly on Fridays from July 28 to September 1, 2023.[24] This season adopts a more introspective tone compared to prior outings, with Wilson reflecting on personal growth, the passage of time, and farewells to New York City's idiosyncratic elements, while episodes frequently circle back to motifs from earlier seasons for thematic resolution.[40] The narrative arcs emphasize themes of memory, change, and urban transience, providing a sense of closure to the series' exploration of everyday absurdities.[41] The episodes maintain the show's signature format of ostensibly instructional segments that evolve into meditative wanderings through New York, blending street footage, interviews, and voiceover narration.- How to Find a Public Restroom (July 28, 2023): Wilson investigates the dwindling availability of public restrooms in New York City, consulting sanitation experts and even traveling to Burning Man to speak with a septic engineer about urban waste management solutions.[42]
- How to Clean Your Ears (August 4, 2023): After a visit to an urgent care clinic for ear cleaning, Wilson grapples with heightened sensitivity to the city's ambient noises, leading to reflections on auditory overload and personal boundaries in dense urban environments.[43]
- How to Work Out (August 11, 2023): Wilson experiments with exercise routines and bodybuilding, uncovering the physical and psychological trade-offs of fitness pursuits amid New York's self-improvement culture.[44]
- How to Watch the Game (August 18, 2023): Delving into sports spectatorship, Wilson observes fan rituals and communal bonding at events, fostering a deeper appreciation for the social dynamics of athletic competition.
- How to Watch Birds (August 25, 2023): Seeking to escape indoor isolation, Wilson takes up birdwatching, which introduces him to outdoor enthusiasts and exposes the blend of wonder and eccentricity in nature observation.
- How to Track Your Package (September 1, 2023): Prompted by a stolen delivery, Wilson examines methods for securing parcels, evolving into broader contemplations on loss, preservation, and the impermanence of possessions in city life.[45]