"John from Cincinnati", cancelled?

Some words in support of the HBO series, "John from Cincinnati". This is/was another fine work from David Milch, of "Deadwood" and "NYPD Blue" fame. I have become a huge fan of his and highly recommend anything he does. Watching one of his shows is like entering a literary world. Indeed, he was an English professor at Yale for a time.

Weird, hard-to-follow, confusing, brilliant, heartwarming, common, yet epic; these are just a few of the ways I would describe the show. With almost any other creator, one would begin to doubt the worthiness, and perhaps the coherence, of a story like this. With David Milch at the helm, it is easy to trust in the story. You can analyze the characters and read in to every line. David Milch has a plan.

In the first, and very likely only, season of the show, we observe the events that occur upon the arrival of John Monad, a mysterious but benevolent being, over 10 days in Imperial Beach, California. He has a tremendously positive, for the most part, effect on the Yost Family. The family consists of three generations of extraordinary surfers. The patriarch Mitch and his son Butchie were both pros until taken out of the sport by a knee injury and a heroin addiction, respectively, Shaun is Butchie's teenage son but he was raised by his grandparents. He just might be the best surfer in the family. Then there are Cissy and Kai, who watch over the Yost men. John influences these characters and many more including the notable Bill Jacks, who is portrayed superbly by Ed O'Neill.

The cancellation of the series may prove to be one of the worst decisions HBO has made in recent times. In the coming weeks, the movement to save John Monad and his show will need your help. There are already petitions and other organized online events coming together. Be on the lookout for an intriguing web site or two. Let's give David Milch the time he needs to produce another high-quality piece. Let's make that miracle!