John from Cincinnati has been cancelled and for the life of me I can’t help but blame stupid Americans.
I’m blaming the same stupid Americans who didn’t watch Arrested Development or Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and completely ignored Kitchen Confidential. I’m really, really tired of the stranglehold they have on my television set.
I don’t understand how John from Cincinnati didn’t find an audience. Oh that’s right; it actually required viewer to pay attention and possibly think. And that’s way too much to ask an American audience to do.
Or is it? I mean Lost has a pretty rabidly loyal base of viewers who notoriously have complete and utter faith that the show’s writers know exactly they’re going and what they’re doing. So why couldn’t John from Cincinnati find an equally loyal audience?
It certainly wasn’t any more weird that Lost. And like Lost multiple viewings increased understanding and appreciation of the show. And like Lost there was a central mystery involving a close-knit group of characters on a beach.
Anyone familiar with both shows knows that I’m oversimplifying things. The shows weren’t that similar. In fact John had more in common with the aforementioned Studio 60 in that it was well written and probably a bit over viewers heads.
I’ll readily admit it; I wasn’t 100% sure of what was going on or who the titular John was. But I knew that with each episode I grew to care more and more about the characters and gained a better understanding for their relationships. And I knew that every Sunday I couldn’t wait for the next installment.
So if I could admit my failing as a viewer and strive to correct them, why wouldn’t more viewers? And might this have a trickle down effect that find HBO shying away from green lighting projects that seemingly require “too much” work from a viewer?
All I know is that I was eagerly awaiting the second season of John from Cincinnati and that will never come to pass.
