Announcing CarnyCon LIVE!

CARNYCON UPDATED!

Announcing CarnyCon LIVE!!!



CarnyCon LIVE is an in-person, fan-run convention for "Carnivale" fans, and we are NOW taking paid registrations!

CarnyCon LIVE will be held in Los Angeles on the weekend of Friday, April 21st 2006 thru Sunday, April 23, 2006.



What will CarnyCon LIVE entail?

CarnyCon LIVE will begin Friday evening with a casual meet & greet party for the fans. Carnivale treats, such as popcorn, soda, corn dogs, etc. will be served (included in membership price) and the fans will have the opportunity to mingle and get to know one another in a friendly and fun-filled atmosphere. Friday Night entertainment will include fan-made music videos, Tarot Card Readings by Stacey Haines of Witch-on-Wheels, and feats of mentalism and sleight of hand magic by Master Magician Rich Ferguson. Saturday will be filled with Question and Answer periods with folks from the Carnivale cast and crew, as well as an autograph session. There will be a Saturday Lunch Buffet served, and a Dinner Buffet/Party on Saturday night -- and BOTH meals are also INCLUDED in the price of your registration! Sunday will include a Writer's Panel, as well as various Carnivale guest speakers and panels through mid-afternoon.



Our Celebrity Guest line-up includes Carnivale Creator Daniel Knauf, Clancy Brown (Brother Justin), Clea DuVall (Sofie), Cynthia Ettinger (Rita Sue), Debra Christofferson (Lila), Brian Turk (Gabriel), Carla Gallo (Libby), Amanada Aday (Dora Mae), Patrick Bauchau (Lodz), Diane Salinger (Apollonia), Michael J. Anderson (Samson), Ralph Waite (Rev. Norman Balthus), John Savage (Henry "Hack" Schudder), and Scott MacDonald (Burley).

Our Writer's Panel includes Special Guest Carnivale Writer/Producers Daniel Knauf, Tracy Torme, William Schmidt, Dawn Prestwich, and Nicole Yorkin.

(All Special Guest appearances are contingent upon professional availability.)

We are sorry, but due to professional commitments, Adrienne Barbeau, Tim DeKay, Rob Knepper, and John Carroll Lynch will not be able to attend CarnyCon.



CarnyCon will be held at the Hilton Woodland Hills, in Woodland Hills, CA (a suburb of Los Angeles) Our Hotel Room Block Rate will be $89.00 per night, plus taxes -- a GREAT price in LA!

Registration fees for Attending Members are $150 (if registration is sent in BEFORE Sept. 1, 2005), $165 (if registration is sent between Sept.2, 2005 thru Dec. 1, 2005), $175 (if registration is sent between Dec. 2, 2005 thru April 1, 2006.) International fans, please pay in US Funds only please.



We WILL accept registrations via PayPal (with an additional, non refundable PayPal service fee.) PayPal prices (US Funds only, please), are: $155 (if registration is sent in BEFORE Sept. 1, 2005), $171 (if registration is sent between Sept.2, 2005 thru Dec. 1, 2005), $181 (if registration is sent between Dec. 2, 2005 thru April 1, 2006.)



Attending Memberships for Children between the age of 3 and 12 years of age are US$50.00 (US$52.00 via PayPal.) Children 2 years of age and younger will be allowed in for free. Minors between the ages of 13 and 17 must pay the full membership price. All children 13 years of age or under must be accompanied by a registered adult member at all times. Minors between the ages of 14 and 17 must register along with an adult member who will be responsible for their actions.

There will be NO memberships taken at the door.



Supporting Memberships (for people who WILL NOT be able to attend the convention but who would still like to contribute money to help support CarnyCon LIVE), are $50.00. All Supporting Members will receive a royal blue Carnivale baseball cap (the same as the ones given out to the cast and crew), and a Thank You Letter signed by Dan Knauf and Clancy Brown. Supporting Membership caps and letters will start being shipped by September 1st. We will also accept payments for Supporting Memberships via PayPal (with an additional, non-refundable service fee.) The PayPal price for a Supporting Membership is $52.00.



Registration forms and PayPal information are available at the CarnyCon LIVE Website.

Please follow the link to our Ticketing Information Page.



Please Download and fill out the CarnyCon Registration Form and send it along with your payment to: CARNYCON, c/o Beth Blighton. PO Box 8655, Benton Harbor, MI 49023. We accept checks and money orders made out to CARNYCON (US Funds Only please.)



If paying by PayPal, follow the links on the ticketing page directly to PayPal. Please send a printout of your PayPal payment confirmation along with your registration form to CarnyCon, c/o Beth Blighton, PO Box 8655, Benton Harbor, MI 49023, for our records.



Please be sure to fill out ALL information on your Registration Form and
sign the waiver.

Memberships to CarnyCon LIVE will be LIMITED to 250 Attending Members.



We hope you will join us at the CarnyCon LIVE in Los Angeles next spring! It'll be great to put faces to names, party with our fan friends from all over the world, and spend time with the very generous cast & crew of "Carnivale" who we've all grown so close to in this wonderful fandom. If you enjoyed the ONLINE CarnyCon, we think you will enjoy the live and in person version even more.






We look forward to seeing you there!








Best wishes,
-- The CarnyCon LIVE Convention Committee

Please Feel Free To Join Us

Whether you are new to "Carnivale" fandom or you've been here from the beginning, please feel free to join the CarnivaleHBO dicussion list on yahoogroups.

The CarnivaleHBO group is a large, friendly community that is happy to discuss the intricacies of "Carnivale". We sometimes even get helpful hints from series creator, Daniel Knauf, and a few of "Carnivale's" actors.

Hope to see you there! Let's keep this fandom growing!

The Purpose of this Blog Fulfilled -- Where To Go From Here

Hey folks,

Well, it seems that the stop-gap purpose that this weblog filled in the initial days of Carnivale's cancellation has now been fulfilled, and other, more extensive websites are being brought online to focus the Save Carnivale Campaign more specifically.

Please visit SaveCarnivale.org for updates on the Save Carnivale campaign, and links to all other Save Carnivale efforts.

You will still be able to read the comments on this weblog, in order for people to be able to glean as much necessary information from it while it is still up. But we won't be taking any new comments, as of today. Please send all ideas, info, and brianstorming to the people at SaveCarnivale.org and they will be able to tell you where your ideas can best serve the fandom and Carnivale.

We hope you have found this stop-gap Save Carnivale Weblog to be useful while the bigger campaigns have been setting up. Best of luck to ALL Save Carnivale efforts!

Best wishes,
-- Beth

Save Carnivale Store NOW OPEN!

Here are just a few examples of the wide array of merchandise now available through HelpSaveCarnivale's CafePress "Save Carnivale" Store.



The store has everything from Coffee Mugs to Bumper Stickers, Teddy Bears to an interesting selection of t-shirts (long & short sleeved), book bags, and even bibs!



Proceeds raised from the sale of merchandise in this "Save Carnivale" Store will be donated to the CarnyCon LIVE convention and the Beth Brown Memorial Foundation.



We'd like to thank the HelpSaveCarnivale yahoogroup for putting this project together so quickly, and for being so generous. Funding is an important consideration when putting any convention together, and it will weigh heavily in the equation. But, with any luck, a convention will give fans something fun to concentrate on and rally around for the next year. Any proceeds that do not go to putting on a live convention for the fans will go directly to the Beth Brown Memorial Foundation -- a very worthy scholarship fund, headed by the family of "Carnivale's" own Clancy Brown.

Thanks again to all the fans who contribute to these causes by purchasing items in the Save Carnivale Store. Let's get the word out about "Carnivale" and it's cancellation. And let's do some concrete good, while we're at it!

Start Feeding the Red Piggy Bank!

The folks who brought you the first Online CarnyCon are looking into the possibility of CarnyCon LIVE -- a live & in person convention -- sometime next year. Nothing is written in stone yet, and the CarnyCon committee will let us know as soon as any concrete decisions have been made. The most likely location will be Los Angeles, California. The most likely date will be in the spring/early summer of 2006. So, start feeding those red piggy banks! If there's any way to have a live CarnyCon next year, you'll hear it here first!

Keep your fingers crossed!

HelpSaveCarnivale Under New Management!

The HelpSaveCarnivale yahoogroup is under new Management. So please help us welcome Diane and Julie, and wish them well with their Save Carnivale campaign.

Dan Knauf Speaks About Carnivale's Cancellation

Ahh, so it's now official and I can finally speak.

First of all, I haven't commented to the press yet, so these are my first thoughts on this matter, and I can't think of a better group of people to share them with. Lots of you guys have been there since the beginning, and I've enjoyed your analysis, arguments, cheers and occasional gentle (but well thought-out) jeers.

I've read all the posts since Beth announced the cancellation (Could somebody please tell me where this woman gets her information? Talk about jacked-in!), have taken heart and encouragement from your kind words, have shared your outrage and sense of loss.

If you're hoping I'll slam HBO, I'm afraid you're in for a bit of a disappointment.

The fact is, nobody—-and I mean *nobody*-—would have even considered financing and broadcasting a show this expensive, this different, this technically challenging, even if the creator was a seasoned television writer-producer. The fact that I was an untested talent makes their courage all the more extraordinary. I will always appreciate Carolyn's dedication and passion to this project, Chris's support, and
Miranda's steady, guiding hand.

True, like many of you, I am ambivalent: HBO giveth, and HBO taketh away.

I feel like a father whose baby was doomed in vitro, somehow delivered, treated and kept alive by a brilliant team of surgeons, only to see that same team yank the child off life-support just as she began to show improvement.

Do I think their decision was boneheaded? Yes, absolutely.

Do I understand why they made it? Again, yes, absolutely.

Carnivale was an expensive show. Costs-per-episode have been guessed at on this board, and in every case those estimations have been low. Way low. Carnivale, in fact, represented one of the most costly—-if not *the* most costly—-pattern-budget ever invested in a weekly series in television history. If anybody has any resentment toward HBO executives, consider this:

• They have a fiduciary responsibility toward their stock-holders;
• The show was hugely expensive;
• The reviews were mixed.
• The audience was not large enough to support it.

Game. Set. Match.

Was Carnivale thrown into a hopeless time-slot? Definitely. Could we have done better with more promotion and support? Probably. Were marketing opportunities missed? Undoubtedly. Would we have broken out had we gotten a third season? I'm absolutely sure of it.

Would I bet my career, my reputation and--more importantly--tens of millions of stockholder dollars on it?

I sincerely do not know.

Would you?

I'm not here to play apologist for the network. Far from it. But in fairness, these things need saying, so there they are.

HBO taketh away, but, damnit...

... HBO giveth.

I was fortunate enough, for a too-brief, shining moment, to be part of a project in which every last contributor believed with all their hearts—-from the production assistants to the network executives.

Everybody on the show knew we were doing something special. Nobody delivered less than their best work. This is an exceedingly rare thing in the television world, where talented cast and crew are, quite frankly, wasted on pabulum. When asked what they're working on, the all-too-routine answer is "Some piece-of-s—-t cop show (or doctor show, or lawyer show)."

Meanwhile, we all got to work on Carnivale.

Now *that* is cool.

And you guys watched it. And got it. And appreciated it.

You guys counted down to Sunday nights.

You reveled in the show's mysteries, its characters, its world. You taped it, you TIVOed it, you played and replayed it. You caught every blooper and anachronism, every real and imagined flaw in our internal logic. You praised its authenticity and historocity. You researched our mythology. Unlike many of our critics, you not only welcomed the show's intellectual and narrative challenges, but embraced them!

Not one teeny, tiny shred of our time, trouble and work was wasted on you.

And that is very, *very* cool.

Folks have been asking what I want them to do in the face of this, Okay, then. If there's one thing I want from you guys, it's to simply know this:

Carnivale is not dead

Raymond Chandler was once asked by a reporter how he felt about Hollywood ruining all his books. He simply pointed at a shelf behind him and said, "Hollywood hasn't ruined my books. They're all right there."

Similarly, I might point at my boxed set of Season 1 (and soon-to-be-issued Season 2) and say, "The network didn't kill my show. It's right there. Wanna watch a few episodes?"

Carnivale, and this wonderful community that's joined to celebrate it, will continue to live as long as the work is viewed and enjoyed. It's pretty clear now that, for whatever reasons, we never found our audience.

But it's not too late.

Lend your DVDs to friends. Get them out there into the world. Capture eyeballs, collect converts. Donate sets to your local libraries. Throw viewing parties. Start discussion groups.

For God's sake, organize a Live CarnyCon!

And maybe—-just maybe—-in the (hopefully) not so distant future, some bright young executive will say, "Hey, remember that show Carnivale? You know, people are still talking about that! There's a monster fan base out there!" Maybe they'll order a season. Maybe a series of films...

Who knows? Stranger things have (and do) happen.

You can bet I, as well as many in our cast and crew, will be ready to support you in any way we can. As for me, I'll be weighing in on the lists, participating in chats like always. I'm not going anywhere. You guys are stuck with me.

Granted, it'll take some effort, but as a very wise friend of mine named Samson once said, "When it comes to livin, dyin's the easy part." And everything's impossible, til it ain't.

Fans, the ball's in your court, now. Take it and run with it.

Dazzle me.

I love you guys.

D.

(As posted on the CarnivaleHBO yahoogroup)

The Horror Channel & Uncle Creepy Join the Fight!

From the Horror Channel Website:

Carnivale Cancelled by HBO

Despite a mass of fan support, HBO has decided not to renew its stellar show Carnivale.

It was looking pretty bad for the show after its second season ended and there was not a peep made by HBO about the possibility of a third season. The official word on this brilliant show's fate came down this weekend.

To be honest, I am quite outraged and severely disappointed. Carnivale was one of the most powerful shows to hit the airwaves in ages. The characters and storylines were so memorably complex that you just simply could not take your eyes off of the screen. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, but to not renew this show for at least a third season is not only a premature move, it's outright stupid.

I know I am not alone on this one, and if you are one of the many outraged fans, let's take a moment to e-mail HBO and let them know how we feel. Ya never know, they brought back The Wire after its initial cancellation, so there just may be some hope yet. If not, Showtime here I come.

Send your comments to HBO by sending an e-mail here: chris.albrecht@hbo.com and here: carolyn.strauss@hbo.com !

Genre fans are the most passionate on Earth. I honestly believe that we can make a difference.

Thank you.

--Uncle Creepy

Telegram Time!

Sometimes the least-expected method might have the most effect.

Fans of "Carnivàle" are now sending good, old-fashioned TELEGRAMS to HBO Chairman and CEO, Chris Albrecht, letting him know how unhappy we are to hear that Carnivale has been cancelled and urging him to reconsider.

It's easy to join in the campaign: Western Union.com charges $14.95 to send a 1000-character telegram. This gives you about 200 words to let Mr. Albrecht know exactly how you feel about the issue. And those telegrams say MONEY SPENT. It's not a huge amount, only the price of a few Starbucks double lattes or a movie and some popcorn, but it'll be something that gets delivered by a messenger -- in DROVES -- to the one man in whose hand the fate of our show rests...

Chris Albrecht
HBO Entertainment
2500 Broadway, Ste. 400
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Infuriating News Travels Fast -- YOUR Turn!

Please feel free to drop of any links to stories you find on the web, hear on television, or in the newspapers or magazines concerning Carnivale's cancellation.

Just leave the details, a link, the author, what source, etc. hre in the comments section of this post.

Let's see how far this news has travelled!

Send Us Those Stories!

Got a story about what happened when you called in to cancel your HBO today? Please feel free to leave your story in the comments section of this post/ Let your fellow fans hear about your experiences, and it might help them decide to take a stand, too.

Remember the motto: No Carnivale, No HBO!

Dark Horizons gets it. Why can't HBO?

Dark Horizons reports on Carnivale's cancellation...

___________________________

HBO Cancels "Carnivale"
Posted: Wednesday May 11th, 2005 11:50pm
Source: Reuters
Author: Garth Franklin

"HBO has been the best network on the box in the last decade or so but even they aren't infallible. Pretty much every show they've launched like "Sex and the City", "Deadwood", "The Sopranos", "Real Time with Bill Maher" and "Six Feet Under" I've enjoyed and loyally watch (I've yet to see "Entourage" and "The Wire" but I'm stocking up on the DVDs as I write this). However if one show has held my interest in the last year or so its been "Carnivale".

The 1930's Depression-era set tale of Armageddon wrapped up its second season brilliantly last month on the network and many a fan has been waiting with baited breath as to when a third season would be announced. Then the rumours began that HBO wasn't interested in renewing the series, a surprise considering it was beating other shows like "The Wire" which got renewals.

Now the worst possible news has happened. Reuters reports that HBO has pulled up stakes on "Carnivale," opting not to order a third season. Series creator Daniel Knauf has already signed on to produce a series for the rival Showtime cable channel. "We have decided not to renew 'Carnivale'. We feel the two seasons we had on the air told the story very well and we are proud of what everyone associated with the show has accomplished" said HBO's President of Entertainment Carolyn Strauss.

Damn it HBO, this sucks. Whilst it's very sad news to hear about "Carnivale", the network does have a few new interesting shows starting next month along with what looks to be one of the true highlights of the Fall TV season - the mega budget limited series "Rome".

Thanks to 'Chris'"

_____________________________


Yup, you kinda gotta wonder about that "mega-budget" limited series Rome. Over a hundred million dollars to put on twelve episodes of that -- about what it cost to put on Carnivale for two seasons? Hmm... This math thing is puzzling me again.

TVGuide.com Gets it. Why can't HBO?

TVGuide.com's own Michael Ausiello takes a partiung shot at HBO:

CARNIE CATASTROPHE: It's official — and depressing: HBO has pulled the plug on Carnivàle. "We have decided not to renew Carnivàle," HBO entertainment prexy Carolyn Strauss said in a statement. "We feel the two seasons we had on the air told the story very well, and we are proud of what everyone associated with the show has accomplished." She's particularly proud of the way Season 2 ended on a cliff-hanger, ensuring that fans of this woefully underappreciated show would never get the closure they so desperately desire and deserve. She's doing cartwheels over that.

Thanks, Michael! I think that says it all...

Contact the 24 hour News Networks!

Here is some contact info to leave feedback with the 24-hour Cable News Networks, in case anyone would like to let them know how you feel about Carnivale's cancellation, and the fans Turn Off HBO drive.

CNN.com feedback

CNN TV Feedback

CNN Headline News

CNN International

CNN Feedback and Tips

CNN's Anderson Cooper Immediate Feedback

Speak Out at Fox News: Speakout@foxnews.com

Fox's Dayside with Linda Vester: Dayside@foxnews.com

Fox News Channel Comments: Comments@foxnews.com

Fox's StudioB with Shepard Smith: Studiob@foxnews.com

Fox's The O'Reilly Factor: Oreilly@foxnews.com

Fox's Your World with Neil Cavuto: Cavuto@foxnews.com

Fox's Special Report with Brit Hume: Special@foxnews.com

Fox's The Big Story with John Gipson: Myword@foxnews.com

Fox & Friends: Friends@foxnews.com

Fox Magazine: Foxmagazine@foxnews.com

Call Fox News at: 1-888-369-4762

MSNBC/Newsweek

Letters to MSNBC Website: letters@msnbc.com

Letters to MSNBC Entertainment: Living@MSNBC.com

Letters to MSNBC TV: viewerservices@msnbc.com

Cancellation News Hits CNN!

CNN's Entertainment News division has picked up on HBO's "Carnivale" cancellation.

HBO cancels 'Carnivale'
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 Posted: 8:07 AM EDT (1207 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- HBO has pulled up stakes on "Carnivale," opting not to order a third season of the circus-set Dust Bowl drama.

Prospects for a "Carnivale" renewal have appeared bleak since the sophomore season wrapped in March; the show didn't increase its viewership, and series creator/executive producer Daniel Knauf already signed on to produce a series for the rival Showtime cable channel.

"We have decided not to renew 'Carnivale,' " said Carolyn Strauss, president of entertainment at HBO, in a statement. "We feel the two seasons we had on the air told the story very well and we are proud of what everyone associated with the show has accomplished."

Could this be the tack HBO is actually trying to take? Push blame over onto Dan Knauf's shoulders for doing a pilot on Showtime? How unheard of! A series creator with more than one iron in the fire at a time? Guess CBS will be cancelling "Survivor" over Mark Burnett and that whole "The Apprentice" betrayal, right?

Try again, HBO. After that daft statement about "Carnivale" coming to its "natural end", no one in their right mind is going to believe anything you say -- especially if you're trying to make Dan Knauf into a scapegoat.

Bad move, HBO. Just another in a series of bad moves you've demonstrated today. And bad, bad form...

Hitting the Airwaves...

Got the following report on the CarnivaleHBO Yahoogroup:

Our highest rated morning show here in Detroit has some Carnivale fans. I never knew it, but they discussed the cancellation this morning. I called them to let them know about our community and our plans for a mass cancellation of HBO. We will see if they can get the word out too. You can email them at DREWMIKE@WRIF.com

I tried to cancel my HBO this morning, but was told the computers are down and to call back in an hour. I am also now calling HBO directly.

Sad day!

Sharon

If anyone else hears anything on their local radio stations about HBO cancelling "Carnivale" and the anger it is generating, please leave your story and any links or contact info you might have in the comments of this post.

I'm sure the news will be reaching Carnivale Friend Extraordinaire, Shelley Morgan -- from the "Decoding Carnivale with Clancy Brown" radio show on Rock 107.1/WIRX too!

No Carnivale, No HBO!!!

The time has come friends...

HBO thinks "Carnivale" has come to a natural end. Well, perhaps some of us think our relationship with HBO has now come to a natural end. Our households handing over $14.00 each month may have also come to a natural end. And maybe its time that a new subscribership to Showtime has come to a natural beginning.

For the next 48 hours (longer, if necessary) this fandom will be holding a TURN OFF HBO campaign.

Please call your local cable or satellite provider and explain to them that:

• You are DROPPING your subscription to HBO today!

• Tell them WHY you are dropping your subscription -- because HBO has cancelled "Carnivale". No Carnivale, No HBO!

• If it is within your household's budget, please switch from HBO to Showtime -- in a show of solidarity with Carnivale creator, Dan Knauf, who is currently scripting a pilot for Showtime.

• Please get the contact address or email addy for the customer relations and/or programming department of your local cable or satellite provider.

• Follow up your cancellation of HBO with a note to the cable/satellite company's powers-that-be to tell THEM why you dropped the most expensive premium channel from their line-up. (HBO may not care what the fans think, but it's possible that they'll care a great deal what the providers who carry their programming think!)

Remember... Be Polite, Be Brief, Be an Executive Fan.

No Carnivale, No HBO!!!

It's OFFICIAL!

From the Hollywood Reporter

Big tent folds as HBO cancels 'Carnivale'

HBO has pulled up stakes on "Carnivale," opting not to order a third season of the series. Prospects for a "Carnivale" renewal have appeared bleak since the sophomore season wrapped in March; the Dust Bowl drama didn't increase its viewership and series creator/executive producer Daniel Knauf already signed on to produce a series for Showtime (HR 3/22). "We have decided not to renew 'Carnivale,'" said Carolyn Strauss, president of entertainment at HBO, in a statement. "We feel the two seasons we had on the air told the story very well and we are proud of what everyone associated with the show has accomplished." (Andrew Wallenstein)

____________________


According to Variety

'Carnivale' packing up
Cabler skein calls it quits

By JOSEF ADALIAN

HBO's "Carnivale""Carnivale" is leaving town.
The mystical Depression-era drama about the battle between good and evil is being shut down after two seasons, HBO confirmed Tuesday. CablerCabler had produced a total of 24 episodes of the skeinskein over its two-season run.

HBO entertainment prexy Carolyn Strauss said the net had "decided not to renew 'Carnivale' " because the series had come to a natural end.

"We feel the two seasons we had on the air told the story very well, and we're proud of what everyone associated with the show accomplished," Strauss said in a statement released by the cabler.

Nick Stahl and Clancy Brown toplined "Carnivale," which was created by Daniel Knauf. Howard Klein and Knauf exec produced the series.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed," Klein said of HBO's decision. "It's a show I'm incredibly proud of. There are so many positives that came out of this experience."

"Carnivale" had its share of strong reviews, and won several Emmys, but didn't draw the universal acclaim generated by other HBO dramas such as "Deadwood" or "The Sopranos." HBO also never really gave the show a break in terms of scheduling or lead-ins, slotting the second season of the show Sundays at 9 p.m. opposite "Desperate Housewives," as well as such big ticket events as the Golden Globes, Super Bowl, Grammys and Oscars.

____________________________

So Carnvivale just "came to a natural end," did it?

Okay, HBO... Have it your way.

Remember the mantra:

No Carnivale, No HBO!

Read it, learn it, live it.

It's begun...

International Relations

If you're outside the United States, please feel free to leave us any international contact addresses for Sci-fi/entertainment magazines, columnists, reporters, etc. who might be interested in hearing about Carnivale's cancellation and the fans' efforts t save the show.

Just post the information under this subject in the comments, for easy reference.

Thanks!

Infuriating News Travels Fast!

Have you found any mentions, in the press or online, talking about the cancellation of Carnivale? Please share them with us here in the Comments section of this post. Be sure to include a URL if the article or mention was online, and include the name of the author, who they write for, and the body of the comment. We'll feature a few of these aticles as the days go by.

Let's build a nice collection of articles and mentions!

Here's one to start us out...

This one is by Eric Berlin of BlogCritics.org

"I just started watching Carnivale, the HBO show about a ragtag carnival scraping by in the 1930s Depression-era dustbowl days. In fact, I’ve only seen the first two episodes of the first season on DVD as I don’t get the fancy-schmancy cable-type channels.

But what I saw was wondrous: great characters, beautiful and strange depictions of rural Oklahoma and fertile California, and a storyline that had already put its claws around my story-hungry heart. Magic, mayhem, and madness lurked around and within the delightfully oddball characters, from the bearded lady down to the sad and wizened and diminutive ringleader. The first inklings of disastrous and magical events were just starting to take shape, and I rejoiced in knowing that I had latched onto a show that would be on agenda for a longtime to come.

Except not.

Rumors are now swirling that Carnivale has been put out to pasture after its second season on HBO.

From Ain’t It Cool News:

Fans of Carnivale woke up this morning to some very bad news. Beth Blighton, trusted source of Carnycon and she-who-knows-all posted that an "unimpeachable source" had confirmed that Carnivale is being cancelled.

I used to think that the cancellation of quality shows that hadn’t quite found a wide audience was the domain of the broadcast networks. But, sadly, even the mighty HBO, it seems, is making a sacrifice to the mighty Gods of Ratings."

Cages to Rattle!

Here are some contact URLs for places that might be worth contacting in our Big Media Blitz! Let's make sure the news is out about "Carnivale's" cancellation, and that this loyal, growing, and vociferous fandom is NOT going to take this lying down.

Time to spread the word, Executive Fans!

(Thanks to Elizabeth Hebda for gathering these URLs and contract addys)

TV GUIDE ASK

TV GUIDE FEEDBACK

Entertainment Weekly: letters@EW.com

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER -- to contact a reporter or write a Letter to the Editor

BroadcastingAndCable.com -- for Letters to the Editor

New York Times -- Letters to the Editor

The View

http://www.npr.org/about/pitch/story.html

The Television Critics Association


(More to come SOON! Watch this space!)

Celebrity Clout

It's been suggested that it might be smart to contact such Daytime Talk celebrities as Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey to let them know about Carnivale's incredible interactive fandom, and see if they might throw a little limelight on our plight. To that end, here are a couple email addresses to contact these very high profile celebrity's shows:

Ellen DeGeneres's On Your Mind Page

The Oprah Winfrey Show

Remember, be polite and concise when contacting these celebrity show sites... But most importantly, be POLITE.

In other words, be an "Executive Fan"!

Coming Soon... Our "Save Carnivale" Press Release

I'm working on a short press release to send out to the critics, newpapers, entertainment media, etc. If fans would like to use it to spread the word about Carnivale's cancellation locally, or as a template to write their own Letter to the Editor, please feel free to copy & paste.

The Press Release will be up as soon as possible.

The BIG Media Blitz!

Please help us research and gather as many contact email or snail mail addresses for television critics, media outlets, networks, entertainment shows, newspapers, blogs, websites, etc. as possible who might be interested in hearing about "Carnivale's" cancellation, and the fandom's media campaign to bring this wonderful show back.

Share your contact addys in the comments section of this post, and we will feature different "People to Contact" as we go along.

We've got lots of fans from all over the world! Let's put our collective research skills to good use and build our contact database so that it's as extensive as any on the web.

Time to burn up that Google search engine!

Thanks!

Brainstorming!

Please feel free to give us a brief summary of what YOU think would be a good idea to help Save Carnivale. Just leave your idea in the comments section of this post, and your fellow fans can share in this giant brainstorming session!

Time to put all our heads together and come up with some useful ideas!

Plan of Action

Okay, so here's what we know...

Carnivale has been cancelled, and HBO will be making its "official" announcement about the cancellation soon -- perhaps sometime next week. Now we need a plan of action to focus on...

Anything we decide to do should first do no harm. THAT has to be rule number one. Even if our efforts come to nothing, then at least we will have the satisfaction of knowing we tried. And we will also know we did nothing to make things any worse or to give fandom a bad name, in general.

If you would like to CANCEL YOUR HBO subscription, the most coordinated course of action will be this: within 48 hours of HBO's "official" Carnivale cancellation announcement, contact your local cable or satellite provider and explain POLITELY that you would like to drop your HBO subscription because "Carnivale" has been cancelled, and you have no reason to keep it now. Ask if they will make a note of your reason for cancellation, and find out what their policy is for contacting their customer relations department. You can then follow up with a letter or postcard to your provider's customer relations representative and let THEM know why you have cancelled your subscription to this premium service, as well.

It has also been pointed out by someone wiser than me that the NETWORKS -- ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX are actually in a better position financially than their pay cable compatriots to afford the cost of making "Carnivale". Also, with "Revelations" taking off so well for NBC, it's possible that CBS, ABC, and Fox might be interested in creating a little competition with a show revolving around Good vs. Evil, End of Days subject matter, with a built-in cult following already in place, like "Carnivale". It would be easier to cut some of the nudity and language from the show to make it fit a well-healed network's content parameters than it would be to sacrifice characters and story arcs in order to fit into a smaller cable network's much smaller overall budget.

Nonetheless, if you would prefer to see Carnivale remain on cable TV, FX is making a reputation for itself as an "edgy" network on the cusp of giving the big boys in the pay cable market a run for their money. Showtime also has a working relationship with Dan Knauf and Tracy Torme, already. So Showtime might be worth contacting with a letter of support for Carnivale, if for no other reason than to let them know that Knauf & Co. do have loyal fans who would be interested in seeing the show they are working on there.

If you would like to send a POLITE letter of support to any of these networks, asking them if they would consider adding "Carnivale" to their line-up, here are some addresses that might be helpful to you:

NBC Television Network
Consumer Relations
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

ABC, Inc.
Consumer Relations
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4551

CBS Television Network
Consumer Relations
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019

FOX Television Network
Consumer Relations
P.O. BOX 900
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90213-0900

FX Cable Channel
Consumer Relations
P.O. BOX 900
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90213-0900

Showtime Networks Inc.
Consumer Relations
1633 Broadway
New York, NY 10019


If you would like to send a telegram, postcard, letter (registered or otherwise), or email to HBO to let them know DIRECTLY how you feel about "Carnivale's" cancellation, please use the following contact addresses (and be sure to let them know you want the Second Season DVD set to be released as soon as possible!):

email: HBO@hbo.com

HBO online contact addy visit www.hbo.com and click on their CONTACT US link)

Write to:

Chris Albrecht - Chairman and CEO - HBO Entertainment
HBO Entertainment
2500 Broadway, Ste. 400
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Carolyn Strauss - President - HBO Entertainment
HBO Entertainment
2500 Broadway, Ste. 400
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Miranda Heller - Vice-President, Original Programming
HBO Entertainment
2500 Broadway, Ste. 400
Santa Monica, CA 90404

In another interesting wrinkle, it sounds like the Emmy nomination forms are currentlt being sent out to members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. And, apparently, "Carnivale" features quite prominently on HBO's offerings for consideration. Wouldn't it be ironic if "Carnivale", its actors, writers, directors, and/or technical teams, got nominated for the Emmys AFTER it had been cancelled? If "Carnivale" garners any Emmy nominations, it might be worth a letter or email to your local television critic to point out how this wonderful show has been cancelled, and still is garnering recognition from the Academy. It wouldn't be the first time a cancelled show has gotten nominated or even won! And every time it happens, the press just eats it up. So, let's keep our fingers crossed that some nominations come in. After all, "Carnivale" won FIVE Emmys in its freshman season. Can any other show in HBO's lineup say that?

And also feel free to continue to email or write to your local television critics to keep interest in "Carnivale" alive.

This should be enough to keep this fandom busy for a while. These are the most constructive things we can do, at the moment. Please note that we WILL continue to build the fandom and keep things active on the lists, websites, and chat room.

Hope everyone will find something on this list they feel comfortable in doing to support "Carnivale".

Best wishes to the cast, crew, and creative team of "Carnivale". The fans are still with you, and we'll do everything we can to help!

"Carnivale" Cancelled!

Sorry to be the bearer of really lousy news...

According to an Unimpeachable Source, "Carnivale" has been cancelled.

HBO has not made its "official" announcement yet, and it is unknown exactly WHEN they will -- quite possibly in the next week or so -- but they have definitely cancelled "Carnivale".

So, what does this mean for us?

Well, for one thing, we're planning on keeping this "Carnivale" fandom together! We're gonna make sure the "Carnivale" fandom continues to grow and to be the supportive fandom family it's become. There will continue to be "Carnivale" discussion groups, message boards, web sites and chat rooms. We encourage EVERYONE to take full advantage of all the wonderful "Carnivale" fan pages and groups that are out there. Start more groups of your own! Read, write, and share fanfic! That's the way to keep this story going for a long, long time... Continue to support the careers of all the talented and generous people involved with the show who have done so much for us! And keep in touch with all the fan friends you've made along the way.

Let's take what we've already made with this fandom and continue to build, in the same way that the "Star Trek" fans continued to build their groups. (And we all know what THEY managed to accomplish when THEIR show was cancelled prematurely by the Brainiacs who ran NBC!) Network executives come and go. They take their promotions (or their demotions), and they move on to the next high profile position. But fandoms... fandoms are meant to last, to OUTLAST revolving-door network execs. So, who knows what a different set of execs might think a few years down the road, when the last half dozen unoriginal "water cooler shows" they've floated have sunk, and they look back and see an active fandom still chugging along for the one amazing show they threw away?

As for HBO...

Would they feel it if 5540 subscribers CANCELLED THEIR SUBSCRIPTIONS on Monday?

Would they feel it if 5540 subscribers contacted their local cable or satellite provider and let THEM know how unhappy they are about this decision?

Would they notice bags and bags of protest letters being delivered to their desks?

Would they be interested in reading articles written by television critics who've heard from a number of disappointed readers?

And... do we still trust HBO to do the right thing and get that 2nd season DVD set out in a timely manner? Perhaps they should hear about how many of their subscribers want that DVD set... and how many want it NOW. Maybe they need to hear how many people out here are expecting to plunk down their hard-earned money for that Season Two DVD set -- and soon.

Yes, now's the time to get our frustrations out, to write our letters, cancel our subscriptions to HBO, and basically make ourselves heard. Now is the time to scream about the "Ass-faced Bastard People" who have been so shortsighted, so creatively, financially, and strategically un-savvy as to cancel the one show they possess that is truly building a cult audience. Now is the time to shake our heads at the stupidity of HBO basically abandoning THE hottest topic on television right now -- namely good vs. evil, End of Days drama -- to the no-pay NETWORKS like NBC! (I mean, how DUMB is that?!?)

But tomorrow...

Tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves and get to work keeping this fandom together and making it into something that's built to LAST!

We're open to hearing creative ideas as to how to help "Carnivale" and the wonderful people involved with it.

All our sympathies to the wonderful talented people of "Carnivale". Just know that we're all still here! We're with ya, and we'll follow your careers, wherever you go.

And as for "Carnivale"? As long as we have a fandom, THIS SHOW WILL GO ON!