Customer Reviews

Carnivale: The Complete First Two Seasons

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Easily as eliptic, complex and mysterious as "Twin Peaks" with more magic in its soul "Carnivale" only lasted two seasons on HBO because the witless suits didn't have the imagination to see the value the series added to their schedule. Keep in mind these are the same folks that also cancelled their second most watched series "Deadwood" after having already renewed if for a third.

Set during the 1934 dustbowl we first meet the ragtag members of the Carnivale as they pass through Oklahoma. Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) mother has just died. His home is about to be bulldozed and the dust storms that struck the midwest rage incessantly. Jonesy (Tim DeKay)the head roustabout stands up to those about to destroy Hawkins home and helps him bury his mom as do the other members of the carnival. Suddenly their family whether Hawkins likes it or not.

It seems Hawkins has the ability to heal others and perform miracles. He's a lost soul in denial of his abilities and focused on discovering who he is. Across the U.S. in California Preacher Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown "The Shawshank Redemption" and Mr. Crabs in "Spongebobsquarepants")discovers he has a similar gift but through circumstances beyond his control this fire and brimstone preacher who wants to do good loses his faith in God and finds himself on a very different path from the uncommunicative, uncertain Hawkins. The two men are linked both by their abilities and a series of dreams. "Carnivale" gives us their stories as they discover whether they are good or evil and find a place in the world for who they are as well as who they become.

Featuring an excellent cast (Michael J. Anderson from "Twin Peaks" as Samson, Clea DuVall, Patrick Bauchau of "The Pretender", Adrienne Barbeau, Amy Madigan, Ralph Waite and others)the thoughtful well written stories always manage to examine the darkness and light in each of these characters as they face their struggle tod discover to exist in a harsh world.

The show was designed as a six year experience. Unfortuantely HBO cancelled it after two. Although the ratings fell during the first set they began to pick up again during the end of the second season. The network elected to cancel the show and cut their losses. It's a pity as this was one of the most ambitious fantasy shows on TV and had a great storyline that I would have loved to see resolved. Hopefully one day creator David Knauf will have that opportunity in a movie.

The boxed set has some terrific extras for both seasons with commentary tracks, production featurettes and all of it is nicely packaged. It's a pity that HBO didn't give this show the same opportunity as "Deadwood" with a series of TV movies to close out the show. I've lost faith in the network's ability to recognize great programming and they've become just as bad as the other networks (if not worse because you're paying for it so you don't have to put up with the ads).

This twofer is definitely worth getting making the show much more affordable.

To me this was the absolute finest production ever made for television/cable and because "only" several million totally devoted viewers could not get HBO to finish the four or five year series, we are left with two and will never know where this journey could have taken us all. It is magnificent but it is painful to watch because you know that it is unfinished "business." I for one have never watched HBO again because to make the time and emotional investment in Carnivale that so many of us made only to hear we didn't count, says to me that they can and most likely will do the same thing again.

HBO seems to thrive on super violent material that is laced with meaningless four letter words. The actors on _The Sopranos_ certainly have a payroll that out does the production costs of Carnivale yet maybe there is no room even on cable for works of complexity that demand that viewers think.

So buy it and yes, HBO owns it and will profit - but just this one last time. They abused their trust and far be it from me to ever again add to their coffers.

Why HBO didn't renew this series, I'll never know. It's based back in the "dust bowl" era of America with a boy in a traveling circus and a preacher gone evil. It deals with the power to heal, good vs evil, and more. Carnivable was based in a time of nobility. However man created wonder for reason. And the show takes you back to that time of wonder and after each episode you think back to that time of nobility.

A very well made series! But why didn't HBO keep going with it????

The only reason I withheld one star is the packaging. Why on earth did they break this up with 2 eps per disc? It's unwieldy when folded out. They managed to put 3 and sometimes 4 episodes of Six Feet Under onto one disc, along with some commentaries; could they not have done this with Carnivale, making it an easily managed 4 discs per season package?

The one I received had a dinged, smushed corner, and the dinged package contained a loose disc because part of the plastic disc-holding hub had broken off. This happens with way too many box sets I buy. I would rather have DVD holders made from resilient, functional plastic instead of the clear yet brittle, easy-to-break stuff. It just doesn't hold or release DVDs well, and I honestly don't care about the art behind the discs when I'm trying to pry one off its hub.

Perhaps when I go dig into this richly mysterious story again, I'll be in a less gripey mood. Except of course I'll eventually have to re-confront HBO's colossally dingbat decision to cancel this series. It was exquisite torture watching this week by week; it kept me baffled for the longest time, yet I kept watching. Something about the combination of gritty, dusty period realism and arcane myth makes this a show unlike any other I can recall.

Wow, my wife and I just came across this series and have been excited to see the second season. It's a shame that we find out now that it was cancelled before it was resolved. The acting is great and the storylines have great depth and are interwoven nicely. I haven't seen a show this introspective since Northern Exposure. Too bad there aren't more thoughtful, engrossing shows out there such as this. I suppose most people don't like to get involved with their televisions, just want to be entertained. Hope something comes of this series and there is resolution, a la Firefly and Serenity.

I'm always slightly behind the curve when it comes to appreciating a cult show like CARNIVALE. (I didn't start watching OZ until it had been on for years and then watched 3 seasons in one week.)

The most strikingly thing about CARNIVALE is how the cast is a pitch-perfect mix of character actors, unknowns and modestly famous celebs. Anytime you see Clancy Brown AND Amy Madigan AND Patrick Bauchau in the same cast credits, you know it will be good! Cynthia Ettinger is flawless as the world-weary stripper/prostitute who falls painfully in love with Tim McKay's heroic Jonesy. Nick Stahl and Clea DuVall are both outstanding as young characters already damaged by Depression-era lives and relentless bad luck. Michael J. Anderson deftly plays the leader of the troupe as he walks a tightrope between deception and power.

Show creator Daniel Knauf apparently struggled for years to make it as a teleplay writer and then when the first season of CARNIVALE was completed had to struggle again to convince HBO to make the second season. Knauf currently writes for SPARTACUS BLOOD & SAND.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA creator Ronald D. Moore was an exec producer on the first season of CARNIVALE and he has said he was very sad when it was canceled after two seasons.

The set and costume design (which won several Emmys and was nominated for at least a dozen) is flawless. You can almost feel the dust and dirt on your face in several scenes. The economic and cultural desperation resonates in the show as we watch victims of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl wander across a sun-blasted American West in search of any sort of salvation.

Watch CARNIVALE and be amazed.

Carnivale is a unique Television experience that I would recommend to anyone. That is the short version of my review. But let us look at why I state this. Prior to actually watching the show, I had no idea what it was about, save for the fact that I vaguely remember the show being broadcast on HBO. But I had thought that the show was entirely about carnies and to me that did not sound appealing. For awhile I continued to avoid this show, until about 3 months ago when I finally broke down and made the purchase. I had been reading the various reviews on how great of a show this was and how it had died early. The current price for both seasons is a steal!!

When they finally arrived at my house I had no idea what I was about to get myself into. Ripping the plastic cover off season 1, I placed the first cd into my dvd player and began to workout. For me the best time to watch TV shows was during a good bike ride. The initial opening sequence was gripping and my bike ride soon became of secondary importance.

Two days later I had watched both seasons and I did not want to leave the world of Carnivale. Watching how Daniel Knauf intertwined the two stories of Ben Hawkins (good) and Brother Justin Crowe (evil) was fascinating. But what was even more intriguing was the constant struggle between good and evil. Although this was a "basic" struggle, what Mr. Knauf succeeded in doing was showing how both characters were corrupted by their surroundings and the events that took place. Both characters were prisoners of Mr. Knauf's story and as such, were destined to become enemies. These characters were very real and at times I found myself immersed in their stories. Call me crazy, but I felt as if I were living in the world of Carnivale. That is how good this series is and why I recommend it to everyone.

I used to anti-up my dollars to watch some of the fine programming on HBO, like the Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Rome, and, of course, best of all... this fine piece of original work! It was the first time in I don't know how long, that I saw something on TV that drew from real American History and Biblical references to create a true American original Fantasy! It felt like, The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, or the tall tales of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox! But far more complex, textured and morbid.

I could not believe that HBO did not renew this show! Just when I (and many others) had delved so deep into its mythos! It's like reading an excellent book, but having someone yank it away and burn it when you were only 1/2 way through!! Watch the first two seasons just to see how amazing the development of this story is. Warning...not for the squeamish, like a lot of HBO fare, but this show does have a lot of dark and demonic references. But also glimpses of hope and miracles in one of America's darkest hours. But beware! You may feel as cheated as the rest of us when Season Two ends and you continue to wonder what could have been! By the way...I no longer pay for HBO, they let me down big time on this!

this is my favorite show of all time and it was cancelled after two seasons. Oh... if only i was entertained by shows like dawson's creek, i could watch show's that last. Damn you HBO, at least put it out on Blu Ray...

this is one of our favorite series of all time...
dear lovers of magic and myth,
... so naturally it got canceled. A story of magic, myth, mystery and the struggle of good and evil for possession of this world, this series never fails to entertain and mystify. Set during the great depression and involving the characters in a traveling carnival, its scope reaches through the ages in what seems a never ending conflict between the forces for liberation and those ever seeking control and power. The Indian poet and mystic Tagore wrote: "The Devil seeks slaves and demands obedience. God desires companions and accepts love." This tale illustrates this saying perfectly.
For more details about the show, you can read other reviews. We won't bore you with repeating the same information. We just wanted to say that we wish the series was still going.
kyela,
the silver elves