Amid a raft of cancellations across the various US TV networks, streaming service Amazon has announced that it has given an eight-episode series order to Carnival Row, a fantasy drama from Rene Echevarria (Star Trek), Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim) and director-producer Paul McGuigan (Victor Frankenstein).
The one hour drama series is described as a “fantasy-noir” and is “set in a neo-Victorian city. Mythical creatures fleeing their war-torn homeland have gathered in the city, and tensions are simmering between citizens and the growing immigrant population. A string of unsolved murders are eating away at whatever uneasy peace still exists.”
“There has never been a series like Carnival Row before,” said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy, Drama and VR, Amazon Studios. “The scope of the storytelling combined with the uniqueness of the world, themes and aesthetics haven’t been on TV before. A simple police investigation will lead us down a remarkable journey in a world where humans and creatures co-exist. We’re so excited about what Rene, Travis and Paul are creating and we can’t wait to bring it to customers.”
“Carnival Row is inspiringly ambitious, and timely in a way that we never could have anticipated,” added Lauren Whitney, President of Scripted Television at Legendary. “We are thrilled to have excellent partners at Amazon, and the infinitely talented trio of Echevarria, McGuigan and Beacham as the driving force behind this show.”