B5Erik

OK, I got to this game more than a little late - but better late than never.

I picked up both seasons of Carnivale on DVD last month and blazed through them in three weeks, and, needless to say, I was very impressed.

This was a fantastic show that really made the viewers think. You had to pay attention or you'd get lost. I love that this was one of those shows that didn't hold your hand and spell out everything that was going on. And the production values of the show were outstanding as well - it really looked like 1934 all around!

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the cast. What a group! Clancy Brown has always been one of my favorite actors (there's a reason this guy is constantly working), and the rest of the cast was excellent as well.

The world that was created for this series was extremely well thought out and detailed. It was close enough to the real 1934 that it fit right in. You could almost imagine those events actually taking place.

It's funny, I've been disappointed by show cancellations before, but never 4 years after the cancellation! At least I was spared having my hopes for it's return (due to, "Popular demand," and a massive letter writing and e-mail campaign) dashed. I guess by this point the show really is dead.

Unless Ben Hawkins can somehow revive the thing...

So years later, what are your thoughts about the show?

sven

Great show and thinking about its cancellation still makes me a sad panda.

JasonF

Ditto. I think it's my favorite HBO series, and given the competition, that's high praise. I ought to go back and rewatch it -- I don't think I've watched it since it originally aired.

MrX

Same here. Clancy Brown as Brother Justin is one of my favorite performances of all-time.

collven

I loved this show as well. I thought I heard, soon after it was cancelled, that the creators would continue the story either in books or comics. Did anything ever get released?

Geofferson

I also agree that this is, arguably, HBO's best original programming. I should really go back and revisit the series in its entirety.

Palaver

I've always meant to watch this show. Does it have a proper ending? It doesn't end on a cliffhanger or anything does it?

MrX

It's open ended but if you search online, the writers have done interviews where they talk about where they were going to go in season 3 so the fates of some characters that were up in the air are resolved somewhat.

B5Erik

It's a semi-cliffhanger. The basic story is done, but it's open ended so they made it clear that more was going to happen. There were a couple loose threads, but a much of the storyline from those two seasons is tied up.

Palaver

Thanks for the info. Just as long as its not a Farscape type series ender, I should be happy.

clintilona

Darn...I saw the thread title and was hoping to hear they were making a new movie/miniseries or something.

riley_dude

I watched it about a year ago. Good but the pace was slower than Mad Men. Was hard to stay intersted (and awake) at times.

B5Erik

Sorry about that. I meant it as a look back.

Having just watched the entire series in a three week span I was curious as to what the people who watched it in it's original run had thought about it 6 years later. Personally, I think the show was great. There were a couple lapses in logic in the end, but they didn't take away from how good the series was overall.

I think it's just a shame that the show couldn't finish it's planned 6 year run. It would have been nice to have a mini-series to tie up the loose ends, but the show's creator seems like a quirky guy, and he stubbornly believes that doing so would be rushing the ending. Of course, he could alter his planned ending or just set the mini-series further down the line and just explain what happened in between the end of season two and the mini-series. Unfortunately, he didn't want to do that.

With the cast all busy doing other jobs it's extremely unlikely that we'll ever see a conclusion to the series.

At least the first, "Book," of the story was completed, giving something of an ending. An open ended one with loose threads, but an ending just the same.

xfilekr

Recently watched both seasons with a friend who had watched it while it was on tv. Amazing show, wow. Very sad that it didn't continue, would love a continuation of some sort but that time has probably past. Great characters, direction, writing. Love seeing some of the cast pop up in other things, like the bearded lady showing up in the 4th season of weeds, jonsey on that USA show, etc

saoirse

Great show that needs a conclusion. Or at least a two-hour finale.

Cardiff Giant11

Loved it, it's cancellation along with Twin Peaks and Journeyman are among my most angry TV moments of all time.

MEJHarrison

I'm not sure I'd call getting through 24 episodes in 21 days "blazing" through them.

Still, it's an awesome series. I just watched it for the second time this past spring. Mainly because of Brother Justin. I'm not sure I would have watched a second time if not for the awesome job Clancy Brown did. Still, it was great to see it again.

B5Erik

Well, considering that I don't have a whole lot of TV watching time, that's a lot of one series in short order for me. (I have a 60 mile one way commute, so I spend most of my day at work or driving to/from work.)

There were a few nights when we watched 2 episodes and I went with an hour less sleep.

It was worth the lost sleep, though.

pinata242

Wow, I'm impressed how much you know about the fan campaigns and plans for the show that came out in the months and years after the show ended. I was involved in some of that, even though I knew it wouldn't make any difference. I admit sending a (not-Death) Tarot card to some big wig at HBO along with everyone else on the yahoo group.

Very few shows have I ever made sure my ass was in front of the TV right at the start of the hour, but Carnivale was one of them. It was great, start to finish, and the threads on these boards were full of discussion and speculation. I assume you've read each and every one of those too.

Daniel Knauf did talk about hoping to go back to do at least graphic novels to finish the final 2 "books" (would have been 4 more HBO seasons), but that just faded away.

reverie

Okay, more time that's passed, and my wife and I just finished this for the first time through. It was a terrific show, despite it taking some time to understand what was going on at times! We were both sad to reach the end and then find out how much more was planned (the 6 total seasons) and never happened.

It's funny, but for as much as I loved it, I don't think I could see myself recommending it, since it's a pretty complex show to try and explain, and I don't think a lot of people have that big of an attention span.

Ropes Pierre

That kinda would have been funny if you did

"If you don't renew the show, we will FUCKING KILL YOU"

"We're kidding, we're kidding. We just really appreciate well written shows that make us think while watching them. That was also a really nice outfit you had on, Tuesday, when you were out to dinner."

rfduncan

BTW - for anyone interested in owning this series, the DVD seasons are selling for $12.99 each at COSTCO right now.

Navinabob

I felt season 2 lacked quite a bit of the energy season 1 had. I sorta lost interest a bit more after each and ever episode of the 2nd season and never finished them. Was there a big creative or writing change after the 1st season?

reverie

That's funny, I actually though season two picked up the pace a bit. Or maybe it was the better understanding of what was going on? Didn't Ron Moore leave somewhere during/at the end of season 1 for BSG?

joefrog91

Carnivale was one of HBO's best shows. Too bad it couldn't have had a 6 year run. It is missed in my household.