posted
It's just been announced that HBO's Carnivàle has been given the axe.
This is terrible for several reasons - and here's where I'm going to tell most of you who have never seen the show before why you should care.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE AS A FAN OF GOOD TELEVISION Carnivàle is a show that from the get-go decided to take full and complete advantage of HBO's innovative 'Novel for Television' approach to TV programming.
The show was set forth with the plan of it presenting a complete 6-season story in the format of three 'Books': each set of two 13-episode seasons would be one of these 'books'. There were never any plans to go beyond 6-seasons, and the creator had said it would be ridiculous to do so. This was a set Epic Story that had three distinct parts. Each cycle of 2-seasons would complete one important step, but the entire story would not be told until all 6 seasons had run their completion.
Television, in my opinion, is in a golden age. Among all the dreck out there are truly stand-out series that are finally beginning to see the storytelling capabilities television allows.
Finally, we're seeing smart, literary television that makes you really give a damn from week to week. Character and situations change - a thread was begun a while ago discussing the general feeling towards 'safe' shows, in which you can be assured that nothing earth-shattering would happen within that episode.
On Network television, this new idea of realized cause-and-effect has proved to be popular - shows like 24 and LOST are the breakthrough examples, with Joan of Arcadia and Veronica Mars being not too far behind.
The freedoms of Cable Networks have allowed them to take this formula, and produce what they call 'edgy' shows - shows that, while their writing may be exquisite, are often advertised FOR their edgy, 'You Can't Do That On Broadcast' content.
I believe this was an important step in television, but, like all 'new freedoms', it can also be abused.
Carnivàle is a show that took all of these innovations, and tempered them into a beautiful work of visual and literary art. There are things that could be very offensive on the show - but they are not overindulged, and in fact are incredibly important to the tone and actual story of the show.
As a writer who loves the art of storytelling, this show is the current Apex of achievement in the art of Television.
And then, following a season finale of what I will unequivocally call the best hour of television I've ever seen - which included a heart-wrenching cliffhanger - the Network announced that they feel the show ran its course, and they felt it told the story quite satisfactorally.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE AS A FAN OF GOOD FANTASY
Imagine if a network like HBO were to commit to presenting an incredibly faithful adaptation, over a few years, of your favorite Fantasy Series - may it be George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire', or Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER.
Now imagine that this goes into production, and is everything you imagined and more.
Following the second year, second book, they cancel it.
Now, this is a terrible thing for you, seeing how much you loved the adaptation. But, you would still be able to finish the story, because the books existed.
In our case, the books don't exist.
It would be comparable if a publisher decided to print half of Stephen King's THE STAND, with the promise of publishing the second half next year, and then at the last moment deciding, "We felt the story reached a natural conclusion, so we feel no obligation to release the second half."
WHAT'S THIS SHOW ABOUT? First, let me point you towards a quicktime video non-spoiler summary of Season 1 - watch this first.
The story is an American Fantasy. It takes place during the 1930s and is the tale of the Final Conflict between the forces of Good and Evil that lead to the End of the Age of Magic, and the beginning of the Age of Reason.
The first season focuses on the Avatar of Light, and the Avatar of Darkness becoming aware of their destinies, and the paths that lead them to their decision to embrace it. The protagonist and antagonist never meet in this season.
The second season is The Quest - having accepted their destinies, the Avatars now act out on what they know they need to do, which will culminate in a personal confrontation.
And there's more. A lot more. This combined was only Book One of the planned Trilogy, and now we don't know if we'll ever know the rest of the story.
Yesterday, the creator of the series posted this, in reference to the decision to cancel the show, how he feels about it and why, and what we can do about.
The biggest thing is to let people know about the show.
the DVD set of Season 1 is out, and I'm already loaning it out like mad. What most people did with Firefly, I'm doing with Carnivàle.
There's a telegram campaign going on as well - people are spending $14 to send Western Union Telegrams to HBO to show them that they're willing to spend that money to save the show.
Now, for those who haven't seen the show, I wouldn't think of asking you to contribute to that, but would I would do is ask you to seek out the show, hunt it down. Blockbuster it, Netflix it, borrow it - and if you appreciate it, then Pay It Forward.
Carnivale was a major risk, and a risk that paid off, big time. Now let's keep it going to completion to allow other such opportunities to come in the future!
posted
I've been meaning to check out this show for a while based on Mikes (saxon75) recommendation. With yours added to it, I think I will do it soon. I think you are the person who, through your posts, got me to watch Lost, Veronica Mars, and House. If I haven't thanked you yet, Thanks. I love all 3 of those shows.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
It was a great show, and Niki will also be sad to hear this .
I gotta tell ya though, we were both disappointed in the season two final episode. So very anti-climactic. We also didn't like the filler episodes, in which nothing really happens.
On the whole though, it was our favorite show for the last two years (and the only show in which we based our nightly activities around). Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
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This is really sad news. I have no interest in the other HBO "hits" - but "Carnivale" has been at the top of the viewing list for me since it began.
I should have known that when someone who has never watched the "Soprano's" loves "Carnivale" it's a bad sign for "Carnivale." Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:I gotta tell ya though, we were both disappointed in the season two final episode. So very anti-climactic.
Anti-Climactic? The Season 2 finale? I found it absolutely brilliantly climactic.
The cliffhanger ending, I felt, was the energetic high point. That last image gave me actual CHILLS. Because it was perfect. That epside was a masterpiece.
It was completely fulfilling for me as a season finale, but certainly not a a series finale - it wasn't designed to be that.
quote:We also didn't like the filler episodes, in which nothing really happens.
I think I'd argue that Carnivale had no 'filler' episodes. There were episodes that featured backstory - for examle, the season 1 episode "The River" featured Brother Justin's history didn't progress the current timeline, but it gave us very important information about the character that was incredibly important in the overall story.
Season 2 especially didn't have anything that I don't believe anyone could consider a filler episode - the whole damn season was the race for Scudder.
Posts: 2689 | Registered: Apr 2000
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posted
I didn't have cable long enough ago to ever get into it. What I saw seemed interesting. Carnival + creepy magic prophecy + god-like boy = interesting.
Posts: 2258 | Registered: Aug 2003
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