MUMBAI: "Into each generation is born a creature of light and a creature of darkness."

That is the tantalising premise of HBO's upcoming show Carnivale. The show which will debut on the channel in India soon will, however, be quite different in tone from Sex And The City.

The series deals with a travelling troupe of carnival and circus performers. The supernatural-infused costume drama is set in the 1930s in America. At the centre of the story is a fugitive Ben Hawkins played by Nick Stahl.

He finds refuge within a travelling carnival comprised of a tarot card reader and her catatonic/ telekinetic mother, a blind mentalist, a bearded lady, and conjoined twins among other people.

The carnival is owned by the mysterious and unseen management, who has designs on the young Hawkins. This is where the supernatural element comes in. Stahl's character has an untapped gift. He can heal the lame and raise the dead for a price like Jesus.

Complicating things is the fact that Hawkins is disturbed by cryptic and prophetic dreams, which he shares with a Methodist preacher in California, Brother Justin Crowe. Crowe is convinced that he is following God's will. Unfortunately, Crowe's plans lead to disturbing and tragic consequences.

This will lead to an inevitable clash between good and evil. HBO had dealt with the supernatural theme earlier with its series Tales From the Crypt.