John from Cincinnati: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

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. Set in Imperial Beach, California, the last great surf-break before Tijuana, where the U.S. meets Mexico, and water meets land, John From Cincinnati tells the story of the Yosts, a family of surfers whose awesome athletic talents have seemed for generations to come with a curse attached. The gifts of 13-year-old Shaun rival those of Butchie, his addict-derelict father, and his now-ascetically-withdrawn grandfather Mitch, both of whom defined the sport in their heydays. In shaping Shaun's career, his grandmother Cissy strives to achieve a commercial and athletic success that will compensate for the frustrations and failures of her life with her husband and son. Into this world, where even simple joy has been turned into a commodity, steps a mysterious stranger named John. Soon after, things begin to happen to the Yosts, and those whose lives they touch, that test the boundaries of past and present, the mundane and the miraculous, the natural world and what lies beyond it.

Series details

• Title: John from Cincinnati
• Format: Scripted
• Language: English
• Genres: Drama
• Premiere date: 2007-06-10
• Final broadcast date listed: 2007-08-12
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: HBO
• Network country: United States
• Typical episode runtime: 60 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 1276

Cast and credited roles

• Bruce Greenwood — Mitch Yost
• Rebecca De Mornay — Cissy Yost
• Brian Van Holt — Butchie Yost
• Greyson Fletcher — Shaun Yost
• Austin Nichols — John Monad
• Ed O'Neill — Bill Jacks
• Keala Kennelly — Kai
• Luis Guzmán — Ramon Gaviota
• Luke Perry — Linc Stark
• Matt Winston — Barry Cunningham
• Willie Garson — Meyer Dickstein

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2007-06-10; final listed air date 2007-08-12; episode order: 10.

Source and licence

Adapted from John from Cincinnati on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.