# HBO cancels Carnivale **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391 "2005-05-11T14:54:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/1 "2005-05-11T14:54:57Z")
Asswipes. :mad: [Reuters link](http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=televisionNews&storyID=8455148) Good thing theyre still pimping “Entourage”. :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/2 "2005-05-11T15:10:30Z")
That’s to bad. I enjoyed the show, in particular the 2nd season, and I’m sorry it won’t be coming back. I can’t fault HBO in this case because they gave the series two seasons and they were supportive of the show. Unfortunately the show never found the audience HBO expected it to find. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/3 "2005-05-11T15:10:39Z")
Took 'em long enough. What a piece of crap series. God. Boring. Could any LESS happen? Rotten acting for the most part. Overwrought drama. Nonsense story lines. And boring. _Entourage_ is a pretty good show. It hasn’t yet got the respect it deserves. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/4 "2005-05-11T15:13:21Z")
A disappointment, but it would have been hard to produce 13 new episodes that continued the existing plot lines and/or character developments. I suspect the decision to have the finale be as close to “wrapped up” as it was may have come \*\* after \*\* the decision not to renew, and we’re just now hearing the “official” word on it. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/5 "2005-05-11T15:13:29Z")
Gee, wasn’t there all sorts of press at the time that HBO was fully committed to seeing _Carnivale_ through its full 5-year story arc? That being said, I am actually pretty satisfied with how the season ended. I would like maybe a two-hour movie to wrap things up, perhaps set a couple of years in the future, just to tie up some of the dangling threads. Personally I blame Michael Anderson. He’s the kiss of death! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/6 "2005-05-11T15:15:57Z")
Damn. Guess it’s time now to cancel the premium package. We can just buy DVDs for movies. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/7 "2005-05-11T15:16:58Z")
CRAP !!! I do blame HBO for it. “We are fully commited to seeing this series all the way through to the end”. I want my bloody money back!!! I just loved that show. Haven’t seen anything this good since Twin Peaks, and now they end it??? Why oh why didn’t they leave out the last few scenes with Sophie so at least we had a satisfying ending. I am really pissed off about it, and will boycott all future HBO productions. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/8 "2005-05-11T15:20:44Z")
Sigh… Now all my hopes and dreams are in _Deadwood_. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/9 "2005-05-11T15:21:55Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > _Entourage_ is a pretty good show. It hasn’t yet got the respect it deserves. Oh, I think it’s gotten every bit of respect it deserves. I couldn’t make it through an entire ep of that crapfest. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/10 "2005-05-11T15:27:03Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Took 'em long enough. > > What a piece of crap series. God. Boring. Could any LESS happen? Rotten acting for the most part. Overwrought drama. Nonsense story lines. And boring. This opinion would have carried a lot more weight if you had just stopped here… > [@Trunk](#): > > _Entourage_ is a pretty good show. It hasn’t yet got the respect it deserves. Hehehe. K. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/11 "2005-05-11T15:51:19Z")
> [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > CRAP !!! > I do blame HBO for it. > “We are fully commited to seeing this series all the way through to the end”. Last week I was fully commited to repairing my lawnmower. Then I realized it needed a ring job and there was a small crack in the flywheel and I suddenly had to reassess my commitment. I could understand frustration if the show was poorly scheduled, frequently preempted, or otherwise not supported (Fox I’m looking at you). Carnivale got a fair shake but it just couldn’t get enough viewers to watch it. I suspect part of the reason was because the 1st season moved along at a snail’s pace. Marc ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/12 "2005-05-11T16:03:07Z")
Well, a friend at work – a Carnivale fanatic – is so P.O.'ed he just cancelled HBO. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/13 "2005-05-11T16:22:59Z")
Well, that’s a damn shame - I really liked **Carnivale**. Yet another great series going down before its time, but I’ll cut HBO just a bit of slack. At least like **Dead Like Me** on Showtime ( another somewhat lamented loss ) they gave it two full seasons to prove it’s worth and both series had a sense of _partial_ closure. But only so much slack. Both Showtime and HBO have room on their schedules, far as I can tell ( what’s one more endlessly re-repeated film more or less? ) and continuing with truly high-quality and idiosyncratic programming when you are less dependent on raw viewership numbers like the networks, doesn’t seem such a huge sacrifice to me. **DLM** lost their slot for yet another cop show - like we don’t already have enough of those. _shrug_ Oh well. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/14 "2005-05-11T16:37:50Z")
I bailed out at the beginning of Season 2 because they said it was going to take 3 seasons before the two of them meet and things start happening. I was hoping it would go on, because I’ll bet it would’ve been a good story, just too long to tell. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/15 "2005-05-11T16:41:50Z")
> [@FlightlessBird](#): > > I bailed out at the beginning of Season 2 because they said it was going to take 3 seasons before the two of them meet and things start happening. They lied to you :). Season 2 moved _much_ faster than season 1. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/16 "2005-05-11T16:45:35Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Both Showtime and HBO have room on their schedules, far as I can tell ( what’s one more endlessly re-repeated film more or less? ) and continuing with truly high-quality and idiosyncratic programming when you are less dependent on raw viewership numbers like the networks, doesn’t seem such a huge sacrifice to me. Yeah, but it’s a lot cheaper to keep showing “Chronicles of Riddick” over and over than it is to produce another season of **Carnivale**. If HBO added another show per week, you’re talking about multi-million dollars per year with possibly no increase in subscribers just because they run a couple more new shows. Putting down dogs like **Carnivale** keep costs down and allow them to take a chance on the next thing coming down the pike. I have HBO primarily for the boxing package anyway, so it would take a lot for me to cancel. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/17 "2005-05-11T16:48:02Z")
Another vote for “too bad”. I really liked the series and it had one of the best set designs, costume designs and lighting of any show on television. I think in a few years, this will be considered a classic. Still, even without knowing it was the end, the last episode did kinda wrap things up nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/18 "2005-05-11T16:51:38Z")
Carnivale was interesting. It was never good. I never reflected on an episode after it was over. It was more of “Wow, that was f-ed!” I honestly don’t see how that series could have had a 5 season arc. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/19 "2005-05-11T17:34:37Z")
This sucks even worst than the “dialog” in Deadwood! :wally At least Carnivale was interesting and different from anything else on TV. I can understand that people with short attention spans didn’t “get” the show but what about the rest of us! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391/20 "2005-05-11T17:49:28Z")
Damn. But I definitely got a “canceled” vibe toward the end of the season, so I was prepared. Although I agree, it would have been nice to have more ends wrapped up. While it might have been nice to skip Sofie’s final scenes, that would also have left the entire “Sofie is the Omega” plotline unfinished. Maybe Knauf could write some books to flesh out his story ideas? I think the premium channels better start seriously concentrating on developing series (I think they already are, to some extent). The other day I realized I would much rather get a movie from Netflix and get letterbox and extras, than watch it on a premium channel. Then I thought, “Gee, the only reason to have HBO and Showtime is for the series.” I think a lot of other consumers might come to the same conclusion. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-cancels-carnivale/303391.md?page=2)