Daniel Knauf’s groundbreaking show Carnivale premiered on HBO back in 2003 to a large audience of 5.3 million viewers. The parallel stories of Ben Hawkins, a travelling carnie with strange healing powers and Brother Justin, a Methodist preacher on a mission, captivated audiences initially, but the show struggled to maintain its high ratings. Despite the awards and critical acclaim, Carnivale’s running cost of $2 million per episode was deemed too expensive and the show was eventually cancelled by HBO after only two seasons.

Like many shows ended long before their time, Carnivale has since gained a huge cult following of devotees fascinated by the enigmatic themes and overarching story line that never came to fruition. A few years after the shows demise, some of these dedicated fans created CarnyCon 2006 Live!, an event attended by both cast and crew from Carnivale. The demand for the shows continued existence is clearly there, yet...