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John From Cincinnati
SERIES: HBO, Sunday 9:00p (60 minutes)


7.3

based on 24 reviews
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based on 245 votes
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Get more information on this show at TV.com.

Official Show Site

Starring Rebecca De Mornay, Bruce Greenwood, Brian Van Holt, Ed O'Neill, Greyson Fletcher, Austin Nichols, Willie Garson, and Luis Guzman

The lives of three generations of a dysfunctional surfing family residing near the California-Mexico border are impacted by the arrival of a mysterious (and ambiguously supernatural) stranger in the latest series from "Deadwood" creator David Milch.

GENRE(S):	Drama
FIRST AIR DATE:	June 10, 2007

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

New York Post Linda Stasi

As profane as "Deadwood" and as profound as "The Sopranos," the series strikes every right chord.

Christian Science Monitor Gloria Goodale

[A] strange confabulation.

Entertainment Weekly Ken Tucker

The ceaseless ways in which Milch and Nunn challenge our expectations about how families, friends, and strangers are meant to convey their fealty to each other, along with some fine hard-boiled dialogue and fisticuffs, suggest great continuing pleasures.

Newsday Diane Werts

Ultimately, viewers just have to work a lot harder to fathom John from Cincinnati than Tony from Jersey.

LA Weekly Robert Abele

Mesmerizing and entertainingly confounding.

San Jose Mercury News Charlie McCollum

I found enough mesmerizing moments, bits of character and sharp Milch dialogue in the opening episodes that I'll probably stick around to catch a few more waves.

The New York Times Alessandra Stanley

The premiere episode is almost willfully strange and unlikable. But that doesn’t mean that the series is bad, just peculiar, a solemn mythologization — and mystification — of surfing as unearthly pleasure and life-sapping addiction.

Los Angeles Times Paul Brownfield

Sometimes "John From Cincinnati" is a muddle, at other times rich drama and divine comedy. And sometimes it's all of that at once.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen

Three episodes in, I started to buy into the world Milch has created. I don't understand it, I don't think I even really like it (almost all of the characters are damaged and rather unpleasant), but I am intrigued by it.

Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan

It's only June, but I can confidently state that you won’t see a weirder show than "John From Cincinnati" all year long.

Hollywood Reporter Barry Garron

Intriguing but not entirely satisfying.

USA Today Robert Bianco

Too little of it even attempts to make a lick of sense. Still, the cast is first-rate, and Milch himself is a singular talent. I can't write off a show like that, but I can't exactly advise you to watch it, either.

New York Daily News David Hinckley

I'll be patient, out of respect to Milch and Tinker, but I don't expect you to be.

Newark Star-Ledger Alan Sepinwall

It's an odd little show, often more David Lynch than David Milch, and after three episodes I'm still not sure I understand it all.

TV Guide Matt Roush

The first three episodes of this peculiar series bored me silly with its pretentious mannerisms, and I can't help thinking that many HBO subscribers will tune in and wonder: They dropped Deadwood for this?

Variety Brian Lowry

"John From Cincinnati" might be the strangest show ever produced for American television.

Time James Poniewozik

Its visuals are gorgeous and its mystical glimpses tantalizing, but its transcendence is more asserted than earned. We sinful mortals still want prosaic things like a story.

People Weekly Tom Gliatto

The tone of the first three episodes is grubby yet also precious. [11 Jun 2007, p.41]

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Melanie McFarland

The only thing a person can be certain of after watching "John From Cincinnati" is this: Any die-hard "Deadwood" fan interested in keeping the veins in his forehead intact should not bother with it.

Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker

A pretentious and talky botch, John From Cincinnati won't fill the void left by The Sopranos.

Wall Street Journal Nancy DeWolf Smith

In the three episodes HBO made available to reviewers, however, the only moment of transcendence for the viewer occurs when some of the characters take to the sea on their boards and ride the waves in an "Endless Summer" moment that comes as a blessed relief after the inexplicable chaos of what precedes it -- and is over too soon.

Kansas City Star Aaron Barnhart

A truly baffling series about surfing, screwed-up families and miracles.

Salon Heather Havrilesky

This show needs a miracle even more than the damaged inhabitants of Imperial Beach do.

Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert

Watching HBO's surfing drama "John From Cincinnati" is like sitting through a bad play at a tiny experimental theater.... In short, if Gary Busey were a TV series, he would be "John From Cincinnati."

The average user rating for this tv show is 7.3 (out of 10) based on 245 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

G A. gave it a9:
Hbo is killing me with the canceling of my favotite shows. This show rocked. You never knew what was coming & I loved it for that reason. Who wants some cookie cutter script with all the answers given 2 you @ the end?

Mark W. gave it a9:
A rare gem that deserved another season (or three). JfC reveals more with each viewing, so it is not shocking that many critics were dismissive after a single viewing of the first episode. The show was very smart and complex. View the whole series once it is out on dvd and you will be richly rewarded. Ed O'Neill stands out in a talented and spot-on cast.

Tammy L. gave it a10:
JFC is the best show yet!!! Shame they are not going to have season 2! HBO... I'm dropping my subcription the first day of OCT

Marc P. gave it a0:
As satisfying as a Chinese crossword puzzle wish I had time to learn the language of Milchanese.

Henry N. gave it a0:
this show wasn't smart or complex, it was an embarrassing testament to how dumb the tv audience has gotten. Milch's politics and screwy beliefs in faith healing and miracles served up like some Universal Truth. Throw in a few magic tricks and some will mistake confusion for complexity. Only psychotics would think a show about some upcoming genocide and apocalypse is "uplifting." Think about THAT.

Harold S. gave it a1:
A Milch mix with Nunn nuts, is a total waste of time. The Deadwood type talk is simply out of place; just so ostentatious I'm pleased that it was dropped from HBO.

conor m gave it a10:
i thought this show was so incredible and it was one of the few shows out there where you just waited for the next episode.its an awesome show, bring it back!

John From Cincinnati SERIES: HBO, Sunday 9:00p (60 minutes)

John From Cincinnati
SERIES: HBO, Sunday 9:00p (60 minutes)