| The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth | |
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| Also known as | The Circus |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Presented by |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 130 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 28–30 minutes, 57–61 minutes (specials) |
| Production company | Left/Right Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Showtime |
| Release | January 17, 2016 – November 12, 2023 |
The Circus is an American documentary television series initially following the 2016 presidential race,[1][2] the Trump administration, the 2020 United States presidential election, and then the Biden administration. It was produced by Left/Right Productions, a North Road company, for Showtime.[3]
The docu-series premiered on January 17, 2016, and focused on the 2016 U.S. presidential election, January to November. It was renewed for a second season, which premiered on March 19, 2017, and focused on President Trump's first 100 days.[4] It returned on April 15, 2018 for a third season, and focused on the mid-term elections, with CBS News anchor Alex Wagner stepping in as co-host to replace Mark Halperin, who was replaced on January 3, 2018,[5][6] by the show, after sexual harassment allegations.[7][8][9][5][6] Jennifer Palmieri joined as guest host beginning October 13, 2019, with season four episode twelve, Desperate Times, Desperate Measures, and joined as a permanent co-host in season 6.[10][11][12][13]
The first half of the fifth season premiered on January 26, 2020.[14] The second half of the fifth season premiered August 16, 2020.[15] The sixth season premiered on January 10, 2021.[16] The seventh season premiered on March 6, 2022.[17] The second half of the seventh season premiered on September 25, 2022.[18] The eighth season premiered on February 26, 2023.[19]
On November 7, 2023 it was announced the series would come to an end after eight seasons, with the final episode airing on November 12, 2023.[20]
