John From Cincinnati cancelled, David Milch discusses it

Note from Greetings: I was disappointed that John was cancelled. I enjoyed the characters... a great, unusual soap opera. Wonderful dialogue.. fun surprises. Wonderful actors, doing great jobs.

I loved the exploration of spirituality, with a dysfunctional surfing family. I hope HBO sees fit to bring it back.

I enjoyed Deadwood, too, but it's time had run its course. Since John was the last thing I was left watching on HBO, it makes it easy to drop it. I can rent movies.

From TV Blogger - Saturday, August 11, 2007

Milch Discusses 'Johns' Fate and More

David Milch did an interview with Tavis Smiley on Thursday, his first public appearance (to my knowledge) since John From Cincinnati began airing on June 10th.

The interview explores Milch's aspirations for John From Cincinnati and addresses whether he succeeded. Smiley didn't press the issue of a renewal but Milch seems resigned to the fact it won't be back. But contrary to wide spread reports of his exhaustion, he seems ready to move onto another story.

That story being Deadwood though seems very, very unlikely. Milch appears to have lost his interest in capitalism functioning as an organizing principle and vehicle for society -- which is in essence what Deadwood was about. Here's a recap:Milch on the show's premise and thematic content...

"I was interested in faith as a regenerative and reorganizing principle for the community," but went onto to do Deadwood."This is a show in which I tried - I wanted to come back to the original idea. If God were trying to make himself known with a particular urgency because the apocalypse is coming, and if the difficulty was not with his faculty of communication but rather with our capacity to understand."The idea that the universe is a solid system but a series of waves. And that man is not an individual creature, but that his essence is carried from seeming individual to seeming individual is available to surfers if they aren't loaded and selfish or if they don't become addicted to the behavior of surfing itself. Doesn't often happen."Milch on the show's success in doing so...

Well, there is a very cogent and articulate school of thought which says I didn't bring it down. (Laughter) And in fact, that question - the artist is one of God's surrogates, I believe. And what I was just saying about God trying to make himself understood, I believe is the artists' challenge, as well. I can make myself understood at the sacrifice of the truth.Milch on the story's evolution...

"Oh, no, I know where "John From Cincinnati" would go if they're going to keep doing the show. What the fate of the show is going to be is still up in the air, and I'm going to keep working and in some ways, I think all stories are the same story.

So -"Which means that if God is anywhere, he's everywhere, and it's my task - I said to a priest, as he was dying, “I'm grateful to have lived long enough to be able to say to you that the shadow in which I always believed I and my characters must move is cast by God's sheltering hand.” So any story can let you do that."

You can listen to audio of interview or read the transcript.