Carnivale - Blu-ray Forum

Levon · 01-05-2018, 02:03 PM

Couldn't find a thread solely dedicated to this show.

Just finished watching this and it is EXCELLENT!!!!

Absolutely gutted HBO cancelled it, Clancy Brown in my opinion is quite an underrated actor.

I noticed one of the songs for the show by Jeff Beal titled Carnivale Convoy sounds quite similar to Bruce Langhorne opening theme to The Hired Hand, a homage perhaps?

Al_The_Strange · 01-05-2018, 02:08 PM

It's been years, but I do remember this show being excellent. Shame it will probably never see a Blu-Ray release.

CouncilSpectre · 01-05-2018, 02:21 PM

One of my very favourite HBO shows.

I'm just glad they got to where they did at the end of the second season. But for a few dangling threads and that last scene it worked ok for a series closer.

Shame about the lack of blu - with the imagery and those mid-west vistas you'd imagine it would look spectacular in HD.

jvonl · 01-05-2018, 02:47 PM

Wonderful, wonderful show! It should definitely have been released on blu. In fact, I was hoping for just that when I saw this thread. Oh well.....

Levon · 01-05-2018, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvonl

Wonderful, wonderful show! It should definitely have been released on blu. In fact, I was hoping for just that when I saw this thread. Oh well.....

Sorry about that!

What is the hold up with it on blu ray anyway? They released Deadwood on blu ray, I Didn't bother picking that up mind you.

I'd say this and Deadwood are my two favorite shows ever and both of them get cancelled

But like CouncilSpectre said, Carnivale did end OK.

redxrebellion · 01-05-2018, 03:00 PM

Was always interested in this show but never took the plunge. If this came to Blu I’d probably pick it up. Wasn’t Clea Duval in this?

Levon · 01-05-2018, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redxrebellion

Was always interested in this show but never took the plunge. If this came to Blu I’d probably pick it up. Wasn’t Clea Duval in this?

Get it even though it's DVD you'll be glad you did. Yeah Clea Duvall is in it, bloody gorgeous in her 1930's get up.

sasdragon · 01-05-2018, 03:22 PM

Honestly one of the biggest upsets in cancellation and non blu release for me. I picked these up years back from Barnes and Noble, going in blind, and I absolutely loved the show.

redxrebellion · 01-05-2018, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Levon

Get it even though it's DVD you'll be glad you did. Yeah Clea Duvall is in it, bloody gorgeous in her 1930's get up.

Sweet. Love me some Clea.

Al_The_Strange · 01-05-2018, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Levon

Sorry about that!

What is the hold up with it on blu ray anyway? They released Deadwood on blu ray, I Didn't bother picking that up mind you.

I'd say this and Deadwood are my two favorite shows ever and both of them get cancelled

But like CouncilSpectre said, Carnivale did end OK.

HBO just doesn't seem to be releasing many catalogue shows anymore. And I can see them shooting this release down under the excuse that there might not be enough interest. Could be wrong, but it seems like only newer shows have been getting their attention lately.

Just picked up the complete Six Feet Under series on DVD precisely because a Blu-Ray release seems unlikely at this point. Although with my luck, they might just announce it tomorrow out of the blue or something.

CouncilSpectre · 01-05-2018, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redxrebellion

Was always interested in this show but never took the plunge. If this came to Blu I’d probably pick it up. Wasn’t Clea Duval in this?

I wouldn't wait - the DVDs are probably dirt cheap these days and it's not like the show is horrible on DVD.

It's genuinely one of the most unique TV shows that I can remember, and well worth anyone's time in checking it out.

Shingster · 01-05-2018, 05:51 PM

One of the best shows HBO ever produced imo, shame it got cancelled but apparently it cost a small fortune to produce (for the time).

thecalm_7 · 01-05-2018, 06:08 PM

Very YMMV, but Walmart has this in their TV bundles for 19.96 if the sign was correct. I keep picking up old TV shows from those bundles. King of the Hill 1-4 for 20$, I couldn’t complain. The Wire is there as well with a holiday face plate. 30-40$ dvd. OZ s1/2, s3/4 for 20$ in standard DVD cases vs the odd size boxes originally released.

jokerzwild · 01-06-2018, 12:22 AM

I remember being very fond of it but it has been so long I don't remember much of it. Probably means it is time to rewatch it.

stejent · 01-20-2018, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

HBO just doesn't seem to be releasing many catalogue shows anymore. And I can see them shooting this release down under the excuse that there might not be enough interest. Could be wrong, but it seems like only newer shows have been getting their attention lately.

Just picked up the complete Six Feet Under series on DVD precisely because a Blu-Ray release seems unlikely at this point. Although with my luck, they might just announce it tomorrow out of the blue or something.

I literally registered on this forum because Six Feet Under is my all time favourite show and it makes me very sad that The Sopranos and The Wire have been released on Blu-Ray and Six Feet Under hasn't.

I've even tweeted HBO about it a few times and never received a reply.
I thought a release might be on the horizon a few months ago when they started sharing images and quotes on Facebook and incorrectly stated that the show was available on DVD and Blu Ray.
So frustrating, I look online for news of a release every few months.
Currently re-watching this beautiful gem of a TV show and ever since I first saw it in 2006 and was able to binge on it because it had just ended on TV, it has been the show to beat, for me.

P-Rock · 01-20-2018, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shingster

One of the best shows HBO ever produced imo, shame it got cancelled but apparently it cost a small fortune to produce (for the time).

That, and ratings.

CouncilSpectre · 01-20-2018, 05:29 PM

Yeah it was both - ratings didn't justify the huge production costs.

In Carnivalé's case the ratings pretty much halved from season 1 to season 2.

Shingster · 01-20-2018, 06:13 PM

It should really go without saying that ratings and production costs are the contributing factors to most cancellations though! At the end of the day ratings are everything and if a show gets a large enough viewership they're gonna survive. I mean Game of Thrones no doubt costs more to make now than Carnivale did back in the day but the last few seasons of GoT would never have been in danger of cancellation given its huge popularity worldwide.

Carnivale actually had an immense first season ratings-wise (significantly higher than True Blood and GoT for example) but the nature of the show and supposedly the crappy timeslot it had pretty much ensured it couldn't really cash in on that massive first season. After the cancellation Knauf's open letter basically said it was possibly the most expensive show any network had ever made by that point so it sounds like it really needed to rise above 5million viewers and/or generate some extreme worldwide interest to justify its continuance.

CouncilSpectre · 01-20-2018, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shingster

It should really go without saying that ratings and production costs are the contributing factors to most cancellations though! At the end of the day ratings are everything and if a show gets a large enough viewership they're gonna survive. I mean Game of Thrones no doubt costs more to make now than Carnivale did back in the day but the last few seasons of GoT would never have been in danger of cancellation given its huge popularity worldwide.

Carnivale actually had an immense first season ratings-wise (significantly higher than True Blood and GoT for example) but the nature of the show and supposedly the crappy timeslot it had pretty much ensured it couldn't really cash in on that massive first season. After the cancellation Knauf's open letter basically said it was possibly the most expensive show any network had ever made by that point so it sounds like it really needed to rise above 5million viewers and/or generate some extreme worldwide interest to justify its continuance.

Yup.

Unfortunately, in the ratings vs production costs analysis, Carnivalé is situated at the acute end of the ratio. A period piece with a large ensemble cast and near-movie production values. It was always going to be up against it, and whilst the first season's ratings were moderately impressive, they collapsed for the second year.

Such a shame though, it was a genuinely unique series that could have been truly great had it run its course.

Shingster · 01-20-2018, 11:30 PM

It is a shame because in many ways it was ahead of its time and it's the kind of show that perhaps could have flourished had it came out in 2017 under the Netflix banner with a full season simultaneous release so the slowburn nature of the plot wouldn't be so off-putting to less patient viewers. On top of that you have to look at the year we've just had where a whole slew of Stephen King adaptations have received critical and viewer acclaim on both streaming and in theatres, and then alongside that dark fantasy of pretty much any kind is just an easy sell right now with the success of Stranger Things and Game of Thrones, to the point where even a German TV series can get a major push and good internet buzz so long as it taps into these themes. So a show like Carnivale which really had a very strong Stephen King-esque vibe about it that was also a beautifully written, produced and acted dark adult fantasy could really have made a mark where it to be one of the big Netflix properties of late 2017/early 2018.

01-05-2018, 02:03 PM	#1
Levon Senior Member Member since:Mar 2017 Location:Scotland 4K collection:4 Blu-ray collection:628 DVD collection:116	Carnivale Couldn't find a thread solely dedicated to this show. Just finished watching this and it is EXCELLENT!!!! Absolutely gutted HBO cancelled it, Clancy Brown in my opinion is quite an underrated actor. I noticed one of the songs for the show by Jeff Beal titled Carnivale Convoy sounds quite similar to Bruce Langhorne opening theme to The Hired Hand, a homage perhaps?

01-20-2018, 06:13 PM	#18
Shingster Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Aug 2009	It should really go without saying that ratings and production costs are the contributing factors to most cancellations though! At the end of the day ratings are everything and if a show gets a large enough viewership they're gonna survive. I mean Game of Thrones no doubt costs more to make now than Carnivale did back in the day but the last few seasons of GoT would never have been in danger of cancellation given its huge popularity worldwide. Carnivale actually had an immense first season ratings-wise (significantly higher than True Blood and GoT for example) but the nature of the show and supposedly the crappy timeslot it had pretty much ensured it couldn't really cash in on that massive first season. After the cancellation Knauf's open letter basically said it was possibly the most expensive show any network had ever made by that point so it sounds like it really needed to rise above 5million viewers and/or generate some extreme worldwide interest to justify its continuance. Last edited by Shingster; 01-20-2018 at 06:20 PM.

01-05-2018, 02:08 PM	#2
Al_The_Strange Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Out there...past them trees... Home Theater Gallery:126 4K collection:1123 Blu-ray collection:4947 DVD collection:530 Digital collection:1008 Blu-ray reviews: 132 Trading Score:32	It's been years, but I do remember this show being excellent. Shame it will probably never see a Blu-Ray release.

01-05-2018, 02:21 PM	#3
CouncilSpectre Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Apr 2013 Location:United Kingdom 4K collection:900 Blu-ray collection:7092 DVD collection:881 iTunes collection:13 Prime collection:107 Blu-ray reviews: 11 Trading Score:24	One of my very favourite HBO shows. I'm just glad they got to where they did at the end of the second season. But for a few dangling threads and that last scene it worked ok for a series closer. Shame about the lack of blu - with the imagery and those mid-west vistas you'd imagine it would look spectacular in HD.

01-05-2018, 02:47 PM	#4
jvonl Power Member Member since:Jan 2011 Location:Hill Country, Texas 4K collection:416 Blu-ray collection:1635	Wonderful, wonderful show! It should definitely have been released on blu. In fact, I was hoping for just that when I saw this thread. Oh well.....

01-05-2018, 03:00 PM	#6
redxrebellion Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Nov 2011 4K collection:344 Blu-ray collection:1885 DVD collection:295 Trading Score:11	Was always interested in this show but never took the plunge. If this came to Blu I’d probably pick it up. Wasn’t Clea Duval in this?

01-05-2018, 03:22 PM	#8
sasdragon Special Member Member since:Feb 2012 Location:Colorado 4K collection:250 Blu-ray collection:616 DVD collection:47 MA collection:1 Digital collection:5215 iTunes collection:70 Trading Score:291	Honestly one of the biggest upsets in cancellation and non blu release for me. I picked these up years back from Barnes and Noble, going in blind, and I absolutely loved the show.

01-05-2018, 05:51 PM	#12
Shingster Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Aug 2009	One of the best shows HBO ever produced imo, shame it got cancelled but apparently it cost a small fortune to produce (for the time).

01-05-2018, 06:08 PM	#13
thecalm_7 Power Member Top contributor Member since:Apr 2011 Location:The Gulf 4K collection:946 Blu-ray collection:6027 DVD collection:859 iTunes collection:2 Trading Score:126	Very YMMV, but Walmart has this in their TV bundles for 19.96 if the sign was correct. I keep picking up old TV shows from those bundles. King of the Hill 1-4 for 20$, I couldn’t complain. The Wire is there as well with a holiday face plate. 30-40$ dvd. OZ s1/2, s3/4 for 20$ in standard DVD cases vs the odd size boxes originally released.

01-06-2018, 12:22 AM	#14
jokerzwild Power Member Member since:Feb 2012 Blu-ray collection:53 Digital collection:135 iTunes collection:63 Trading Score:191	I remember being very fond of it but it has been so long I don't remember much of it. Probably means it is time to rewatch it.

01-20-2018, 05:29 PM	#17
CouncilSpectre Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Apr 2013 Location:United Kingdom 4K collection:900 Blu-ray collection:7092 DVD collection:881 iTunes collection:13 Prime collection:107 Blu-ray reviews: 11 Trading Score:24	Yeah it was both - ratings didn't justify the huge production costs. In Carnivalé's case the ratings pretty much halved from season 1 to season 2.

01-20-2018, 11:30 PM	#20
Shingster Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Aug 2009	It is a shame because in many ways it was ahead of its time and it's the kind of show that perhaps could have flourished had it came out in 2017 under the Netflix banner with a full season simultaneous release so the slowburn nature of the plot wouldn't be so off-putting to less patient viewers. On top of that you have to look at the year we've just had where a whole slew of Stephen King adaptations have received critical and viewer acclaim on both streaming and in theatres, and then alongside that dark fantasy of pretty much any kind is just an easy sell right now with the success of Stranger Things and Game of Thrones, to the point where even a German TV series can get a major push and good internet buzz so long as it taps into these themes. So a show like Carnivale which really had a very strong Stephen King-esque vibe about it that was also a beautifully written, produced and acted dark adult fantasy could really have made a mark where it to be one of the big Netflix properties of late 2017/early 2018.

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