PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The Waiting Game
It’s been 20 years and I’m still hoping there will be some kind of revival of Carnivàle. If you were a fan, you were likely just as pissed as I was that HBO created one of the most flagrant cliffhangers in television history. If you weren’t in the know, please come with me on this little stroll down memory lane about the beginnings of an epic television series. Starting with one of my favorite opening credit sequences.
Home of the Undesirables
As a kid, carnivals were magical places for me. The fairgrounds through a child’s eyes, was a place of adventure and endless fun. Of course, now, I know all the risks and hazards. And most of the time, the environment is far too people-y for me. But before age 30, I saw it as a happy place. In my teens, I’d have all kinds of stories in my head about the people running it, and the visitors coming in droves seeking thrills. But the carnival seems a rare story setting for Hollywood.
Of course, you have Tod Browning’s classic, Freaks (1932). Then there’s Tobe Hooper’s Funhouse (1981). The epic climax and ending for Child’s Play 3 (1991), and some of my favorite episodes of Tales from the Crypt and The X-Files take place in carnivals. As well as a myriad of other B-Movies set in or around carnivals. But it’s not as common of a setting as say a house where people were violently murdered or died tragically. And it’s such a rich environment with so many possibilities.
In the Beginning…
Daniel Knauf (The Blacklist 2017) saw that potential when he created the original 180-page feature film script during the 90’s for Carnivàle. It would be some years before he converted it into a television series script. Then finally he got the opportunity with HBO to distribute it. The initial plan was to have 6 seasons. 3 “books” as they called them, with two seasons per book. The budget was already set fairly high (for back then) when they made the first two seasons.
Ratings started strong, but then tapered off and ended up with a lukewarm second season. This resulted in HBO canceling the series. Which, it’s one thing to end a beloved series. But to do it when you’re literally in the middle of some heavy shit going down… That’s just dirty.
Synopsis
Taking place during The Great Depression, the main plot of the story centers around an escaped convict from Oklahoma named Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl, Let the Right One In 2022) and an insanely devoted preacher named Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown, The Mortuary Collection 2019). Both men seem to have a connection to each other, sharing dreams.
It’s revealed early on that Ben has special healing powers. As the series progresses, you learn that Father Justin and Ben’s fates are intertwined, with the fate of humanity revolving around their actions. Ben travels with the carnival that rescues him, and mystery surrounds him.
Not just what he’s done in his past, but what the dreams he has and what his abilities could mean. With Brother Justin, he sets out to build his holy empire. And sees nothing beyond that. Including some of the darkness that surrounds him and his seemingly good intentions. Brother Justin is on a mission to save mankind, while Ben is essentially trying to find his place in the world and discover who he is as a person.
But Carnivàle had so much more to offer than its core story.
Lost Potential
There are many wonderful and rich characters in the carnival that Ben travels with. And I feel the writers did such a great job of portraying the types of acts you’d see at the carnivals during the time. Each place they set up had a smaller story that would take place, showing you a little more about their lives.
With every location though, Ben and Justin are being brought together. The carnival takes its cues from its manager Samson (Michael J. Anderson Twin Peaks 1990). Who gets his direction from a mysterious figure hidden behind a curtain that he calls “Management”. Management also tends to put Samson into troublesome and often questionable situations.
Carnivàle also had a great roster of talent. Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog 1980) played Ruthie the Snake Charmer. Patrick Bauchau (The Cell 2000) played a snarky blind mentalist named Lodz. Clea DuVall (The Faculty 1998) portrayed one of my favorite characters, Sophie, a tarot card reader and clairvoyant who has a horribly complicated relationship with her catatonic fortune-telling mother Apollonia (Diane Salinger Slay Belles 2018).
Not that I’m keen on a show running for more than 5 or 6 years, but there were so many avenues you could explore with the supporting characters alone. I believe they were setting it up for the next seasons (seasons 3 and 4) to follow Sophie and dig deeper into her past. Which, from what was shown in seasons 1 and 2, was pretty intense.
Another thing I loved about the show was the production design and overall aesthetics. I love period pieces set between the early 1900s to 1950s. From the old trucks to the actual carnival setup itself.
Comeback?
You’d think with all of the things Hollywood seems to like revamping and reproducing, that Carnivàle could easily be on that list. But a petition with around 55,000 didn’t work back then. So I’m not sure it would now. But maybe if there was renewed interest or someone with enough money to drop on it to bring it back?
If you want to check it out, a Max subscription is the only way you can see it. Despite canceling Carnivàle at the worst possible time because it had poor ratings… HBO still holds it hostage. I suppose you could also see if your local library might have it.
