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coalescentLast night, I watched 'Milfay', the pilot episode of Carnivale.
Carnivale is the first new show this year that I've been excited about. What I'd heard about the premise intrigued me; the recommendations I'd seen impressed me. In short, I had high expectations. 'Milfay' surpassed them in every way.
Carnivale is an HBO drama, with all that implies. Most notably, it means a short season (12 episodes), and a certain creative freedom denied to major network programming. It's set in 1930s America, following a travelling carnival across the dustbowl of the midwest, a carnival populated by the usual sideshow attractions of the time: A giant, a bearded lady, siamese twins, a dwarf, and several shades of fortune tellers and psychics. In the pilot, after the bankruptcy of his farm Ben Hawkins finds himself pulled into the carnivale. We learn that he was 'expected' by the Management.
It's been compared to Twin Peaks, and there are similarities, but on the whole I think it's a comparison that misrepresents Carnivale. The show may be full of miracles and freaks, but it doesn't have the same sense of the absurd. Instead, it wallows in atmosphere. Carnivale is cast against a backdrop of melancholy-veined passion and old-testament salvation and brimstone that, in tone at least, matches more closely with some of the small-town episodes of The X-Files; on the basis of this episode, it's going to be a dark show. It's also a work of art: From the tarot-twisting opening sequence through every last dust-choked, sepia-washed, immaculately detailed frame Carnivale is a shatteringly beautiful piece of television.
Everyone should be watching this. Besides, where else are you likely to see John Connor debating with The Little Man From Another Place?
Carnivale is the first new show this year that I've been excited about. What I'd heard about the premise intrigued me; the recommendations I'd seen impressed me. In short, I had high expectations. 'Milfay' surpassed them in every way.
Carnivale is an HBO drama, with all that implies. Most notably, it means a short season (12 episodes), and a certain creative freedom denied to major network programming. It's set in 1930s America, following a travelling carnival across the dustbowl of the midwest, a carnival populated by the usual sideshow attractions of the time: A giant, a bearded lady, siamese twins, a dwarf, and several shades of fortune tellers and psychics. In the pilot, after the bankruptcy of his farm Ben Hawkins finds himself pulled into the carnivale. We learn that he was 'expected' by the Management.
It's been compared to Twin Peaks, and there are similarities, but on the whole I think it's a comparison that misrepresents Carnivale. The show may be full of miracles and freaks, but it doesn't have the same sense of the absurd. Instead, it wallows in atmosphere. Carnivale is cast against a backdrop of melancholy-veined passion and old-testament salvation and brimstone that, in tone at least, matches more closely with some of the small-town episodes of The X-Files; on the basis of this episode, it's going to be a dark show. It's also a work of art: From the tarot-twisting opening sequence through every last dust-choked, sepia-washed, immaculately detailed frame Carnivale is a shatteringly beautiful piece of television.
Everyone should be watching this. Besides, where else are you likely to see John Connor debating with The Little Man From Another Place?
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no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 04:01 am (UTC)Unfortunately I haven't been able to actually watch any yet, since the torrent for the first ep doesn't seem to be working... Ho hum. I'll get it eventually!
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Date: 2003-11-07 04:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 04:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 04:31 am (UTC)Do you know what this has done to my expectations now? After this and
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Date: 2003-11-07 04:35 am (UTC)I'll try to get the other episodes watched quickly. ;-)
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Date: 2003-11-07 04:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 04:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 04:42 am (UTC)i'm not fighting with you, Harrison. thats what i have Dan for (amongst other things)
The Bandwaggon...
Date: 2003-11-07 06:14 am (UTC)I have a feeling this one might make it to Beeb 2, actually...
Re: The Bandwaggon...
Date: 2003-11-07 06:35 am (UTC)Should be quite easy, since I can't recall you ever, in fact, telling me so. :-p
And I agree BBC2 would be a good fit, but if I had to guess I'd probably go for E4/C4 - they seem to have first dibs on HBO product.
Actually...
Date: 2003-11-07 07:11 am (UTC)So I *did* tell you, I can't help it if you weren't listening... :D
Re: Actually...
Date: 2003-11-07 07:38 am (UTC)Re: Actually...
Date: 2003-11-07 08:18 am (UTC)Another reason why I envy the UK
that, and I don't have HBO. ;-)
Re: Actually...
Date: 2003-11-10 01:34 am (UTC)Carnivale in the UK
Date: 2003-12-16 08:36 am (UTC)I watched the Pilot as a guest at the Edinburgh International Television Festival back in August. Dawn Airey, the chief of programming for Sky One(and previously head of Five)asked the audience if, by show of hands, they'd like to see another episode. Everybodys hand went up - we were blown away.
Obsessed then with viewing another episode, we thought it might make its way onto Sky One in the Autumn, but that hasnt happened..
Viewing-wise it got decent audiences in the states, but not the critical acclaim it deserves..still a cult following was enough to secure it a second series on HBO.
So, I'm with you guys...Bring on the Carnivale to the UK!