Carnival Row
Carnival Row is an American fantasy crime drama series created by René Echevarria and Travis Beacham. It is based on Beacham’s script A Killing on Carnival Row. The show stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. The story follows mythological beings who flee their war-torn homeland and live in a city where humans are wary of newcomers. A detective investigates a string of connected murders, exploring power, immigration, and social tensions.
The series has two seasons with a total of 18 episodes. Season 1 was released on Amazon Prime Video on August 30, 2019. Season 2 premiered on February 17, 2023 and concluded on March 17, 2023.
Production notes: The project began around 2015 with Guillermo del Toro attached as writer/director and executive producer, but he later departed. The series was developed from Beacham’s feature script and went from a pilot order in 2016 to a full series in 2017. Filming took place mainly in the Czech Republic, using Barrandov Studios and other locations. Season 1 wrapped production in March 2018. Season 2 faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but filming resumed later and wrapped in 2021, with some scenes shot in Croatia. Season 2 served as the final season.
Reception: The first season has a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 68 reviews, with critics noting beautiful world-building but a sprawling, complex plot. The second season has a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 16 reviews. On Metacritic, Carnival Row holds a score of 58 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Critics highlighted the show’s mix of influences and its exploration of class, race, immigration, and oppression. It was nominated for Best Genre Series at the 2020 Satellite Awards.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:44 (CET).