Message from Clancy Brown: Re. Carnivale'

[liberalnurse]

Dear Ones,

I have started and re-started this note several times. I've gone from
incensed to glib to cynical to fatuous to sentimental and everything
in
between. This is my last attempt.

I don't want to give false hope. I have no way of knowing the future.
I
can only tell you what I know to be true and try to contribute my
perspective. So here goes.


1) CARNIVALE was cancelled because there were not enough of you.
Period.
By "you" I mean people who loved the show and embraced its complexity
and
subtlety. You should take that as compliment, not reproach. The vast
majority of TV viewers, even HBO subscribers, do not have the
capacity to
think and watch at the same time; and most critics have been so
dulled by
the LCD (lowest common denominator) narrative style, that it is an
heroic
intellectual task for them to recognize, let alone acknowledge,
anything
"outside the box". I understand how our show could frustrate most and
infuriate some. It was too challenging by half.

The second season "style" of the show was adjusted to try and address
some of these issues but you can't make a thoroughbred into a pacer.
We
tried, but it was still too dense for the average bear.

2) Not all the executives at HBO liked the show (that is entirely
normal
and acceptable) but NONE OF THEM wanted to cancel it. I know this
because
their initial expectation was extremely high. It was a HUGE gamble and
they took it. They wanted CARNIVALE to succeed because they knew if it
did, they would have reinvented television again. I know this as well
because they DID keep the faith with you (the committed fans) by
ordering
up the second season. Please understand that CARNIVALE, while
excellent
on many levels and truly groundbreaking in several ways, did NOT come
close to achieving the lofty goals of its first season. Were those
expectations too high? In retrospect, certainly. Were we who were
making
the show ever in doubt? Never. Did the PTB of HBO have doubts? Not
initially. But as time went by and CARNIVALE consistently
underperformed
by every measure except a few (Emmys and Internet traffic), they must
have realized the show was in trouble. As we entered production for
the
second season, spirits were VERY high. As the production wore on and
the
re-broadcast ratings came in, enthusiasm faltered. Then when the first
season DVD sales figures were tallied (about a month before the
premiere
of season 2), the bottom fell out.

It wasn't so much that the show wasn't performing financially – which
it
wasn't. It was more the realization that their passion for creativity
and
boldness had gotten the best of them. They knew the show was
excellent in
almost every way that they could determine. But the writing was on the
wall – not enough customers were watching or buying DVDs. It was time
to
come back to earth. And they agonized over the ultimate decision
because
to "cancel" was, to some degree, an admission of defeat. And these
folks
hate to lose.

Also remember, they were betting in a very big way that the audiences
would show up. They bet on the passion and intelligence of the
internet
community (all of YOU) when ordering a second season. And still the
thin
thread of hope was clung to through the first few weeks of season two.
But the audience never did show up. Or, more correctly, MORE audience
never showed up, and we clunked along servicing about 2 million
addicts.

You cannot honestly even blame the marketing. I mean how does one
mass-market esoterica?

That said I cannot stress enough how extraordinary HBO's effort and
faith
were. It wouldn't happen anywhere else. I wish they could have
continued
being so stubborn and foolhardy, but really all we can lament is that
they came to their senses too soon.

3) Caroline Strauss, more than any other exec, wanted this show to
work.
She "got it" from the start. She believed in it before anyone else.
She
refused to give up on it for almost five years. She worked as hard as
anyone to get it and keep it on the air. Miranda Heller as well. It
bugs
me when I read hateful things said about Ms. Strauss et al. We should
thank them and encourage them to continue to be bold, to push the
narrative envelope, to challenge the intellect of their subscribers.
Don't beat them up so badly that they climb into the TV box and are
afraid to ever come out again. So LAY OFF! Instead of vilifying her,
admire her! Let her know we want MORE shows like CARNIVALE! We want
more
executives who will challenge convention. We want more executives who
are
willing to OVER-estimate the capacity of their audience.

Now out of solidarity, I have also cancelled my HBO subscription and
made
it very clear to DirecTV why; but "hating" HBO will not achieve
anything.
I will re-subscribe sometime in the near future. The best time to do
it
would be when CARNIVALE is re-broadcast on one HBO channel or another.
Wouldn't it be a pickle if they not only regained during re-broadcast
any
subscriptions they lost after they made the cancellation announcement,
but actually ADDED 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 million NEW subscriptions. THAT
would
send a message!

4) CARNIVALE - the HBO series - is probably dead…but CARNIVALE – the
world, concept, saga, fandom – is not. Where we go from here is
really
up to you. It is an exceptional opportunity for all of us. It is a
chance
to build a franchise from the bottom up. As it stands now, there are
not
enough of us to justify anything beyond what we've already gotten. So
if
you want books, graphic novels, conventions, movies, even more
episodes
there is only one thing that will matter from now on – GROW! Double –
Triple – Quadruple – Quintuple! Build an audience population that
will be
attractive! Build demand! This is the only way, friends. Take control
and
spread the word. Spread the show. Spread the addiction! And no one
would
be happier to realize their mistake than HBO amd Time/Warner. If they
perceive GROWING demand, they will be more than happy to satisfy it.

I can't tell you where or when that critical mass is achieved, BUT I
do
know this. If we fall apart now by bickering and back-biting each
other
then we surely will fail. I love this show. I love the fans of the
show.
If this fandom degenerates into a group of suspicious, petty, egotists
taunting and slandering each other; then I'm outta here! And I will
say
good riddance and how dare you smear CARNIVALE with your pusillanimous
pus.

Think I'm kidding?

I'm not.

Dan and Beth and I will endeavor to realize CarnyCon Live in LA where
it
is most likely to attract the most and best attention from anyone that
might be interested in revisiting the franchise commercially. It is
also
the place where we expect to get the broadest participation from
those of
us that actually built the show. And it is the place where HBO would
most
probably allow it to happen and maybe even participate (they do own it
after all). This doesn't obviate any other grass-roots efforts (like
the
DC CarnyFest) but it should be universally supported because it will
make
the biggest noise to the folks whose attention we are trying to get.
If
you are still too smart to be duped by anyone else's sincere effort
then,
by all means, leave us alone. Do your own thing. It's a free country.
I'll stick with Beth, whom I've known for years and have grown to
admire
and depend on; and Dan, who thought up the whole crazy ball-o'-wax to
begin with. We'll all three be there, ready to receive praise or
criticism, affection or aversion.

We'll put something together and let you know. If you like it, buy
it. If
not, don't. Couldn't be simpler. I hope we can keep the best parts of
what has started here over the past few years alive and GROWING.
That, in
and of itself, is worth doing.


Highest regards,


Clancy