John from Cincinnati
“Just north of the border, in a tired coastal town, live three generations of the Yosts, surfing royalty turned society misfits. The Yosts’ reign and reputation, once defined in the curl of a perfect wave, have been eroded by years of bad luck, addiction and hubris. But just as things are looking like they can’t get worse, a stranger named John arrives – and the Yosts’ banal existence is lifted into something profound, miraculous and, possibly, universal.”
So says HBO.
A new series premiered last night, and it’s being filmed right in our own Imperial Beach. In fact, some of the locals can even be seen in the background, working as extras or in recurring roles. If you missed the first episode, don’t worry; it’s being replayed all week on HBO, and is available on HBO on Demand. If you don’t have an HBO subscription, you can also watch it online right now for free.
“John from Cincinnati“ is about three generations of surfers, so we’re bound to see some great action and scenery during this series. The family is completely dysfunctional, which makes for some quirky characters (my favorite kind), and the craziness ensues right from the beginning.
Austin Nichols plays the title role, the most interesting character and the catalyst for much of what happens on the screen. Nichols was most recently seen on HBO’s “Deadwood,” playing Wyatt Earp’s younger brother (and you already know that the real Wyatt Earp lived and owned four saloons in San Diego in the 1880’s, right? See? It all comes back to San Diego!) You can see Nichols’ other film and television credits here.
The remaining cast of “John from Cincinnati” includes familiar actors from films and television, including Bruce Greenwood, Rebecca De Mornay, Ed O’Neill (Married with Children) , Luis Guzman, Willie Garson (Sex in the City) and Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210), among others.
Greyson Fletcher is a newcomer to film, but already an accomplished skateboarder, with multiple sponsorship deals. He’s also an excellent surfer, like his father, uncle and grandfather before him (in real life), which is what he’s doing in this series. (No, the series is not actually based on his family, though the similarities are hard to overlook.) Keala Kennelly, a famous pro surfer who previously played herself in the film “Blue Crush,” is also one of cast, so I hope that we’ll see her surfing soon, rather than just working in the surf shop.
The script is being written just before filming (by David Milch of HBO’s “Deadwood”), so no one really knows what’s going to happen on this series, including the show’s cast and crew. Already there’s an unexplained supernatural elements to the story, and there’s definitely much to learn about “John.” The first episode has left me with more questions than answers, but the characters are engaging enough to reserve a space on my DVR for regular viewing.
If that’s not enough to get you to tune in, there’s always Imperial Beach and the surfing scenes, both worthy of a television series.
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