Carnivale - The Complete First Season (2003)

One of the best yet lesser known shows to ever be on TV.

I'm a big fan of many of the HBO TV series that have come out in the past including Soprano's, The Wire, Entourage, Deadwood, etc. and I beleive this is definatly one of the best. It's full of suspense has an incredible story and keeps you watching for hours on end. More than worth the money for anyone who loves HBO. October 4, 2008

Very good but not for everyone

I bought this show on a whim after enjoying a few other HBO series(The Wire, Deadwood, etc) and was ultimately satisfied. While some people on here complain about the pacing, I was able to deal with it. I felt like the season built up to an exciting and satisfying ending. While the middle episodes may drag a bit, the cinematography and set designs make up for it. I'm not very technically or visually inclined but even I noticed the great outdoor shots in this series. I thought the characters were interesting and the creator made an interesting little world. September 28, 2008

Interesting, but slow

Great cinematography, an interesting premise, and interesting characters that are well-cast are the strenghts of Carnivale. That said, it is simply too slow. Mysterious events happen that have seem to have no connection to the overall plot, which is itself a mystery. Character development is laborious; by the time something meaningful happens it is hard to understand the connection to the events that were spread out over the course of several episodes. No wonder HBO chose not to renew it; it was like trying to understand War and Peace reading a chapter each week, then putting the book down after 100 pages and begin reading again after several months. I wish I could give it a better review; I really liked the idea and vision. But it just didn't work for me. September 20, 2008

Excellent storyline and beautiful cinematics just wished it kept on goin!!!

the only negative thing i can say is dat hbo must be retarded to cutting dis season short.... the storyline is great and captures u within the first episode just wonderful u wont be disapointed...
August 4, 2008

great series

I loved each episode of this series. It's not like most shows. It packs in a lot of plot and interesting background, which is probably why they canceled it. This season wraps up most loose ends, but not all. Don't expect to feel satisfied at the end. Another thing to keep in mind is that this show has fair amount of violence. You probably don't want to watch this right before bed time. This is coming from a guy who's seen many horror shows. The characters are all interesting, too. They went to a lot of work to flesh them all out. June 10, 2008

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