Carnivale - A Must See

[Rory Pory]

Well, firstly I'm new to this forum, and just getting to grips with posting my ego and opinion <here>. I'd just like to preach the greatness of my all time favorite T.V Series.

Carnivale

Carnivale is set during the great Depression of the 1930's in America, a standard fight between good an evil. Or is it? No it's a bit deeper that that, not for the Light-Hearted, nor those entrenched in the Christianity faith, this series tests your thoughts on religion.

Why this is truly one of my most treasured and favorite things in the whole of the T.V Tellybox would probably be its extremely dark background setting, its range of heavily dark characters, its very complicated story which makes YOU think. Okay, so it has some 'nude' scenes in it, but you'd expect that from the kind of story this T.V series portrays.

A Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDvbKnYYEc4&feature=related)

So, if you're into dark things, the story of a Healer and a Preacher, looking for darker plot-lines and thrilling characters? I suggest Carnivale.

I wish they'd make a third series though, it was a great series forgotten about, and ended up canceled.

[Freshmeat]

I only saw the second season, but I instantly loved it. I thoroughly recommend it.
My only gripe was the rather bland character of Libby Dreifuss but then every show has a few of these characters.

A third season would have been pretty welcome. It's not like it didn't have closure since the second season does reach its climactic ending, but it's pretty clear that a third season was still underway, were it not for the cancellation.

[Irenaeus]

An absolute must-see if you like shows with a strong supernatural element, and very Tim Powers. For me it is one of the top five shows of the decade. Say, number three or four.

[Tamburlaine]

I loved it, and hated that it was cancelled. Great stuff

[Occasional Sage]

My fiancee introduced me recently, and I'm HOOKED. I consumed the first season and have the second on its way.

re: Libby's character, I can't say anything definite about the second season yet, but she was the instigator of a plot line or two that I'm expecting to see when the next set of DVDs arrive.

[JMobius]

Awesome, a Carnivale thread.

This show continues to be my absolute favorite series of all time. It took a time period I'd typically have no interest in, and used it to veil an awesome mythos with incredible characters. It has served, directly and indirectly, as the inspiration for much of my creative works over the last few years. It's cancellation is something that makes me deeply saddened.

It's not for everyone. It's slow goings at the start, but the teasers and promises of great mysteries to be revealed were enough to keep me going. Anyone with the patience to sit through about the first half of the first season, I promise you will not be disappointed. The finale to the first season is a bar for powerful drama I've yet to see met anywhere else, and I've yet to meet anyone not blown away by it. :)

[Occasional Sage]

This show continues to be my absolute favorite series of all time. It took a time period I'd typically have no interest in, and used it to veil an awesome mythos with incredible characters. It has served, directly and indirectly, as the inspiration for much of my creative works over the last few years. It's cancellation is something that makes me deeply saddened.


Irenaeus nailed it, I think: it's Tim Powers on the screen. If you're a fan of either, you should meet the other.

iirc, the intent was to have a six-season run, yes? Has the creator whose name I don't remember made any moves to get the show back from HBO and follow up in some fashion?

[JMobius]

As I understand it, after some long efforts to get the show renewed failed, he opted to try and continue it in a graphic novel format, which HBO also vetoed.

[Irenaeus]

Irenaeus nailed it, I think: it's Tim Powers on the screen. If you're a fan of either, you should meet the other.

iirc, the intent was to have a six-season run, yes? Has the creator whose name I don't remember made any moves to get the show back from HBO and follow up in some fashion?Any fan of Tim Powers should check out the sci-fi channels The Lost Room as well. It is not nearly as well produced as Carnivale, but it is still a very good and weird 4 1/2 hours of television.

And Knauf seems to have planned the six seasons in quite a lot of detail. It's quite frustrating that it was cancelled.

[JMobius]

Yeah. Coincidently, The Lost Room is my favorite miniseries of all time. :smallbiggrin:

A shame it didn't get picked up.

[Irenaeus]

Yeah. Coincidently, The Lost Room is my favorite miniseries of all time. :smallbiggrin:

A shame it didn't get picked up.Good pick! It would have been cool if they had made an entire series about it, although I have a feeling that it would be weaker as a series than as a miniseries. The condensed plot and fast pace works very well for it.

Carnivale, really needed at least one season more, however. That can't be the end.

Edit: By the way: Unknown Armies seems to be greatly inspired by Tim Powers and seems very similar to The Lost Room (more than it does to Carnivale). I'd recommend it to anyone who's a fan of either.