Binge On This - Carnivàle: A Throw-back to the Thirties
It's time to review another TV series, and this time I've picked one I consider highly underrated. It's called Carnivàle, was aired on HBO between 2003 and 2005, and it offers a view into the life in a traveling side-show in the United States of the 1930's.
Dust Bowl, Freak Show, Great Depression
Okay, maybe it's just me, but I've always found the decade of the 30's highly fascinating. I would even go as far as saying, it has not been covered enough in popular culture, or at least not nearly adequately. What comes to mind is a particular season of American Horror Story called Freak Show, a series with a similar setting, but so poorly made that I'm even ashamed I mentioned it here.
Carnivàle on the other hand manages to combine the themes and feels of those times ... Well, I couldn't possibly say whether it's realistic, but it does convey the sum of the moods and feelings I've come to associate with the 1930's: The constant economic crisis taking its toll on the overall attitude of the working people. The subsequent distrust in institutions in general. The apparent unraveling of the world's order, which still seems archaic from our perspective. And in this intended preservation of "normalcy" comes the confrontation with the "side-show freaks", who are awed and feared at once, representing all things that are different. While at the same time, the circus itself is made up of just people, working hard just to get by.
Surreal, Supernatural, or Just Unusual?
While Carnivàle is not specifically focused on supernatural beings or events, it does carry a strong element of the surreal. Real psychic abilities standing in contrast to the ubiquitous element of the make-belief world of the circus show. Premonitions and mental manipulation are always present, without dominating the plot. Conceptual entities, such as God and the Devil take part in the story line, even if just indirectly, and through the characters' actions.
This extremely rich subtext is so deep, that it felt to me like there was a whole new hidden level to the series.
Very High Production Standards
One of my favorite aspects of Carnivàle was its visual appeal. The faded colors, the worn and wrinkled clothes, the constant dust blowing through the scenes, all just reassured my personal preconceived image of the 30's. Also, the music, the language, the hairstyles... everything seems so accurate. As it turns out, I was not the only one impressed by this show's production design. The studio invested much effort into making every detail as accurate as possible, for which it has received a lot of praise from critiques.
Too Good For Six Seasons?
Actually, the only bad thing I can name about Carnivàle is the fact that it was cancelled after the second season, though the script had been written for six. Unlike most TV shows, this was not for the usual reason of poor quality. On the contrary, the reasons given for its cancellation was that it was much too complex for your average viewer to enjoy. While the first season boasted a record sized audience, this couldn't possibly be sustained. The other reason for discontinuing the series was the high cost of the large cast and on-location shooting.
Of course, the cancellation prompted a huge campaign of loyal fans, who tried to petition HBO to continue, but to no avail. So up to now, the second season leaves the viewers with a number of unresolved cliffhangers. This unfortunate fact, though, should not deter anyone interested in getting a taste of the 1930's from watching the two seasons. They may actually be the best and weirdest impression of that decade. (Should you know a better one, I'm all ears!) So if you feel like getting a first glimpse, take a look at the trailer:
Take a Look at the Previous Posts in my Binge On This Series:
Weeds: The Hillarious Alternative to Breaking Bad
Mr. Robot: Hackers, Freedom, and Mental Issues
Das Boot: A Real German WWII Series
Black Sails: Pirate Lore Galore
Twelve Monkeys: Time Travel and Pandemic
The DocsMX 2020 Film Festival
Omg you watched Carnivale!!!!
You really can be my friend. I know NO ONE who has watched this.. we watched it when it came out and loved it... It's still one of our all time faves.
It was so bizarre and unique, we just adored it..I don't know why it wasn't more popular.. pre Netflix??
Ooooowwww, I feel so privileged @riverflows ! Though I've known that we have a very similar taste. :-) Why it was cancelled? Back when we watched it (like two years ago) I had this strong feeling that it was too good for your average TV audience. Now that I looked it up on Wikipedia, it seems like that's what actually happened. Though it's been almost two decades since it came out (!!!), so there is a good chance the "average viewer" has become more open to bizarre weirdness, so who knows, they might do good on reviving it. I'd be so psyched!
Thanks for the comment. Have a !BEER
Two decades??? Sheesh. That's crazy. I'm so tempted to watch it again now. I felt so in love with the characters... we watched in a woods in a bus, feels like a lifetime ago now. Thanks for the nice memory, and the beer!!!!
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Oh yes, I am also surprised that there are other people on the platform who liked this series. It was one of my favorites, it's in my top best series and its cancellation broke my heart, literally, I felt rage. A little gem. Greetings and success !!!
Yes it's in our top too! The cancellation of that and Firefly were heart breaking.
You know, that was also my original concern... However, it seems like there are more of us than expected! In fact, I should be surprised there are not MORE folks who enjoyed this awesome show.
Oh I loved Carnivale, I have watched it 3 times already. Such a great show, the acting, the story and the sets were awesome. I am still hoping that it will be finished, cos what a cliff hanger. It is one of my favourite shows of all time, so creepy but I was addicted. I love introducing it to people who never saw it xxx
NICE!!! Yeah, I wasn't sure if writing series reviews was a good idea in the first place? Then to focus on all these obscure shows that cater to my strange tastes? Seems like it was, since there are so many of you who can relate positively. :-) Thanks for the encouraging comment!
I can't believe I hadn't heard of this show, but then again I do all my watching of things through a computer, so it's easy to miss things that become a bit popular. This was such an interesting time period in America, definitely full of weirdness.
My mother now lives in a town in Florida where what's left of American circus performers weather out the harsh American winters and also use it as off-season training. They have tons of training equipment and large properties, and it's quite fun to pull over and watch them practice their acts.
I'll have to catch the first episode of this soon. !wine
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Sounds like I have introduced you to a show you may like! That's fantastic, I feel better and better about writing this post. :-)
So there are still some of these old-time circuses left, traveling the country in a big-top? That's kind of amazing in of itself. To see them practice in the off season must be even cooler. I assume that must be the place to go for all the kids dreaming of joining the circus.
Thanx for the wine!