I am – Hercules!!

With HBO promos promising “the last two episodes” of “Carnivale,” we’ve been getting barraged with panicky emails asking if Ben Hawkins’ tale is really about to end for good.

Well, by coincidence I attended Wednesday’s sold-out festival-closing “Deadwood” event and HBO bigwig Carolyn Strauss was a surprise panelist. So after everybody took off their microphones, I asked her what the status was with “Carnivale” and “The Wire.”

The good news is, “Carnivale” and “The Wire” are not dead. The bad news? Neither are they yet renewed. Strauss confirms only that both remain in limbo.

Do we know when a decision will be made on either show? “I have no news,” were Strauss’ parting words.

Strauss did mention during the panel, however, that HBO starts televising its “Rome” series beginning in September. (“Deadwood” creator David Milch says that before he pitched “Deadwood” he coincidentally pitched HBO his own series set in ancient Rome. HBO liked his Rome pitch, but was already “waist-deep” in the “Rome” series when he brought it to the channel, so it went nowhere.)

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