Its not just HBO's fault, I read that the producers demanded too much money for the show. Maybe HBO had to set an example against bully producers. Too bad they made and example out of Carnivale, I also read that Rome suffered a similar fate
I cant see this show being expensive . It had no big name actors . They did the same to Deadwood but made they cut these shows and put they money into other shows like Sex in the city to balance the budgets .
Yes this show was awesome we wish there was a season 3 we are watching seasons 1 and 2 eight times now they brought back dexter why not this show again thankyou
I wish they'd do a movie to give some closure, I'd settle for a book hell I'd even go lower and say graphic novel. There should really be a clause when a show is canceled they're given the ability to wrap it up and tie up loose ends. It's really un fair to those who invested their time into the series.
GT Tree Trunkz We *could* have had a movie. To HBO's credit producers phoned Knauf proposing this very idea, to quote Knauf he said they wanted to "Do a two-hour movie to wrap up all the stuff that hasn’t been wrapped up." But Knauf turned them down flat. He insisted he wanted Carnivale to be seven seasons, and that a movie was not enough time to tell the story. I personally think he approached the situation too close-minded, and that a compromise was needed there. Quite honestly I think Knauf works better under a time constraint, I see enough material for a movie or maybe one more season. But stretching the climax out for five more seasons? I'm not a fan of that idea, even though I think Carnivale is a beautiful series.
Her Majesty carnivale was always much more than the central plot line though. It was a snap shot into that time period and I could easily see the show meandering for 5 more seasons. Who knows what Knauf had planned.
This was a great show. I've watched both season 1 ans 2, twice now. I'd really like to know what happens next. Ending the series with a movie would have been better than what we got.
It's really hard to believe that a show about The Depression would be "that" expensive , but apparently looking very dirty cost a lot. The subject/setting of The Depression was very interesting and done very well ;with some really talented actors , but the show really could have done without all the supernatural and religious BS that took up so much dark(black screen) space. I think that's what really killed it in the end , and not money as claimed. The Depression plus a Carnival of freaks has so much intricate facets and unique personalities itself - as to have been certainly able to stand alone - without the supernatural and religious foolishness that so obviously made it seem to self destruct. It was high quality , for the most part , and that's far more than can be said about what's replacing it today. "let's raise some dust"
I've heard was also in part to the massive budget they wouldn't compromise on. If you watch "The Show Behind the Show" special, the sheer scale of the show, amount of costuming, sets, towns (which changed nearly every episode), etc. was so costly that the profits they were making per episode eventually weren't meeting their budget needs. Viewership did taper off during the second season as well, but the cost per episode was so expensive (especially compared to other shows at the time) that it outweighed the profits. A very ambitious show that had to cancel, unfortunately.
Garouix It was a high quality, prestigious series, it cost 3.7 million an episode. But it wasn't an unreasonable budget by HBO standards, Game of Thrones for instance costs almost twice that. Knauf on this aspect was actually very willing to compromise and pretty creative and dynamic about it, and boasts that he cut their costs down for the second season. He began to use less outdoor shooting, eliminated some characters to subtract actor's salaries from the equation, removed episodes and ideas from the plot that would take more time to complete. It was viewership that hurt the series, we are the ones that let Carnivale fail not him. Carnivale was respected it just wasn't a blockbuster, sometimes good art and what's popular don't go hand and hand, though many new fans are rediscovering it and admiring what a masterpiece it was.
DarkAnge3714 Hard to say these days with so much so called reality show trash TV that is much cheaper to produce. Like anything else, making a quality product costs a lot and being that profits are the bottom line I guess we are lucky that a series like Carnivale even saw two seasons.
that's a pity ..it's the best show of the 20 past years ..
HBO blew it by not bringing this show back
Its not just HBO's fault, I read that the producers demanded too much money for the show. Maybe HBO had to set an example against bully producers. Too bad they made and example out of Carnivale, I also read that Rome suffered a similar fate
I cant see this show being expensive . It had no big name actors . They did the same to Deadwood but made they cut these shows and put they money into other shows like Sex in the city to balance the budgets .
@Speed Racer it cost $3.5m an episode
Wanted to see the final outcome. Great show. Should have continued.
rome deadwood carnivale all great hbo shows its a shame they didnt have chances to end properly
Yes this show was awesome we wish there was a season 3 we are watching seasons 1 and 2 eight times now they brought back dexter why not this show again thankyou
Exactly! I’m about to watch it again for the eighth time!
Carnivale was a good series and it's too bad it didn't run a few more seasons. Just when I was really getting into the show it disappeared.
I wish they'd do a movie to give some closure, I'd settle for a book hell I'd even go lower and say graphic novel. There should really be a clause when a show is canceled they're given the ability to wrap it up and tie up loose ends. It's really un fair to those who invested their time into the series.
GT Tree Trunkz We *could* have had a movie. To HBO's credit producers phoned Knauf proposing this very idea, to quote Knauf he said they wanted to "Do a two-hour movie to wrap up all the stuff that hasn’t been wrapped up." But Knauf turned them down flat. He insisted he wanted Carnivale to be seven seasons, and that a movie was not enough time to tell the story. I personally think he approached the situation too close-minded, and that a compromise was needed there. Quite honestly I think Knauf works better under a time constraint, I see enough material for a movie or maybe one more season. But stretching the climax out for five more seasons? I'm not a fan of that idea, even though I think Carnivale is a beautiful series.
I completely agree. The way this show ended is practically criminal.
Her Majesty carnivale was always much more than the central plot line though. It was a snap shot into that time period and I could easily see the show meandering for 5 more seasons. Who knows what Knauf had planned.
Bring it back, best HBO serie
This was a great show. I've watched both season 1 ans 2, twice now. I'd really like to know what happens next. Ending the series with a movie would have been better than what we got.
Excellent show
Bring it back!
It's really hard to believe that a show about The Depression would be "that" expensive , but apparently looking very dirty cost a lot. The subject/setting of The Depression was very interesting and done very well ;with some really talented actors , but the show really could have done without all the supernatural and religious BS that took up so much dark(black screen) space. I think that's what really killed it in the end , and not money as claimed. The Depression plus a Carnival of freaks has so much intricate facets and unique personalities itself - as to have
been certainly able to stand alone - without the supernatural and religious foolishness that so obviously made it seem to self destruct. It was high quality , for the most part , and that's far more than can be said about what's replacing it today. "let's raise some dust"
how about Henry Scudder, Gabe & Libby who are they?
I cant get passed the grammer mistakes in your text info. Educate yourself
Why did they cancel this show?
because of no or small profits : /
I've heard was also in part to the massive budget they wouldn't compromise on. If you watch "The Show Behind the Show" special, the sheer scale of the show, amount of costuming, sets, towns (which changed nearly every episode), etc. was so costly that the profits they were making per episode eventually weren't meeting their budget needs. Viewership did taper off during the second season as well, but the cost per episode was so expensive (especially compared to other shows at the time) that it outweighed the profits. A very ambitious show that had to cancel, unfortunately.
Garouix It was a high quality, prestigious series, it cost 3.7 million an episode. But it wasn't an unreasonable budget by HBO standards, Game of Thrones for instance costs almost twice that. Knauf on this aspect was actually very willing to compromise and pretty creative and dynamic about it, and boasts that he cut their costs down for the second season. He began to use less outdoor shooting, eliminated some characters to subtract actor's salaries from the equation, removed episodes and ideas from the plot that would take more time to complete. It was viewership that hurt the series, we are the ones that let Carnivale fail not him. Carnivale was respected it just wasn't a blockbuster, sometimes good art and what's popular don't go hand and hand, though many new fans are rediscovering it and admiring what a masterpiece it was.
+Her Majesty I wonder if Carnivale would do better in today's climate of television than it did then.
DarkAnge3714 Hard to say these days with so much so called reality show trash TV that is much cheaper to produce.
Like anything else, making a quality product costs a lot and being that profits are the bottom line I guess we are lucky that a series like Carnivale even saw two seasons.
I don’t care.