10 TV Shows That Deserve Feature Films
6. Carnivale
The Premise: An avatar of light and darkness walk the Earth at all times. Ben Hawkins, who has the power to heal the sick, and even resurrect the dead, is one, though he doesn't know it. Upon the death of his mother, he finds himself caught up with a traveling carnival - with more links to his past, and his mysterious father, than he ever dreamed of. Across the country, Brother Justin Crowe believes God has spoken to him, and he sets out to do the Lord's bidding, building a church for migrant workers - but he too soon discovers he has powers he never dreamed of.
Why It Deserves The Feature Film Treatment: Long before Game of Thrones became the biggest HBO production in, well, ever, Carnivale was a big budget experiment that examined magic, monsters, and freaks in a whole different era/setting - the American dustbowl thirties. It was a beautiful show, visually, with a stellar cast, and a unique concept. The problem? The first season saw events move at a snail's pace. It was a calculated move - the antagonist and protagonist don't meet at all for the first year - but casual viewers had a hard time with the pacing.
The second season corrected this, quickening the pace considerably. However, HBO couldn't justify the massive production cost, and the show was given the axe - with a good chunk of the story left untold. It's a marvelous story, however - and worthy of a big screen ending.