Could Real Surf-Family Have Helped JFC Demise?
August 23, 2007, Posted by Nick on:johnfromcincinnatiblog.com

I wonder if this has anything to do with why HBO cancelled this amazing series. Could it be that the Fletchers have expressed an interest in exercising their family’s life story rights and have claimed to take action against HBO for compensation??

ON THE SET: John from Cincinnati

By Nathan Myers

***Editors Note**** In an article in Surfing’s March 2007 issue [“On the Set,” page 61] regarding the upcoming HBO TV series “John from Cincinnati,” about a family of surfers in Imperial Beach, one of the show’s writers, former Surfer magazine editor Steve Hawk, overstated the role of the Fletcher family in the show. Here is the official word from HBO regarding Herbie and Dibi Fletcher’s relationship to the show: “We are working with the Fletchers as consultants on this project as they are experts in the world of surfing, and in the interest of authenticity they, along with co-executive producer Kem Nunn and others who live in the surfing world, help advise on many of the issues in the series that pertain to that world. HBO did not acquire the Fletchers’ life story rights, and the series is not based on the Fletchers. The fact that our story includes a multigenerational surfing family was simply a creative choice used to develop the story of “John;” any perceived similarities between the surfing Yosts and the Fletcher family is coincidental. As to the decision to cast Greyson Fletcher in the role of the Yost surfing grandson, Shaun, David Milch met Greyson on set and thought he could be perfect for the role, as he is an excellent skateboarder and understands the world. As a bonus, he turned out to be a very good little actor.”