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The Circus

The Circus

Inside the Craziest Political Campaign on Earth

2016Ended8 Seasons130 Episodes6.2TMDB
Showtime

Come one, come all to The Circus. This real-time documentary series pulls back the curtain on the current political stories, revealing the intense, inspiring and infuriating stories behind the headlines. Key characters and events are presented in real time, as they are happening.

Created by: John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon

Season 1 Episodes

Browse every episode and jump into details.

Episode 1: The Outsiders

Jan 17, 2016 · 29m

The campaigns of three "outsiders" - Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump - are given behind-the-scenes attention on the road to the Iowa caucus. Series premiere.

Episode 2: Prisoner's Dilemma

Jan 24, 2016 · 29m

The second episode follows Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. Chris Christie, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Gov. John Kasich as they prepare for the all-important, first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire.

Episode 3: Tension City

Jan 31, 2016 · 29m

This episode follows the angst and drama leading up to the Iowa caucuses, with a showdown brewing between Democrats Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton and the GOP's first real test of outsider candidates versus the establishment.

Episode 4: The Big Mo

Feb 7, 2016 · 29m

The fourth episode goes inside the Iowa fallout and the momentum leading into New Hampshire's primary. Who¿s got it? Who doesn't? And how can the Clinton and Trump campaigns pick up the pace to beat back the surge of Sanders and Cruz?

Episode 5: The Winnowing

Feb 14, 2016 · 29m

From the electric jolt of New Hampshire to the hard truths coming up in South Carolina and Nevada. Trump tastes victory, Kasich picks up momentum - and Bush faces the prospect of an impending do-or-die reality.

Episode 6: Fear and Loathing

Feb 21, 2016 · 29m

As the campaigns head towards the final stretch leading to Nevada and South Carolina, there's growing anxiety among both frontrunners and stragglers about just how high the stakes are - and the significance of falling behind.

Episode 7: Confidence Game

Feb 28, 2016 · 29m

With the field narrowed down to The Big Five, the campaigns spread their game across the country and play to their strengths - with eyes squarely focused on the all-important upcoming prize: Super Tuesday.

Episode 8: The Reckoning

Mar 6, 2016 · 29m

With big wins for the frontrunners on Super Tuesday the rest of candidates are reckoning with the results. But the biggest story of all might be one both Democratic and Republican establishments can agree on: how do they stop Trump?

Episode 9: Dead or Alive

Mar 13, 2016 · 29m

It's make or break time for Rubio, Kasich and Sanders. As the candidates pin their hopes on Florida and Ohio, can they gather enough momentum to force a brokered convention - or will their campaigns finally run out of steam?

Episode 10: High Hopes

Mar 20, 2016 · 29m

While Rubio gets trumped in Florida, the rest of the candidates remain cautiously optimistic. But are high hopes what they need to pull off a win and secure the nomination - or are they just delusional?

Episode 11: Home And Abroad

Mar 27, 2016 · 29m

Foreign policy comes to the fore as the political climate grows fiery in the wake of the attacks in Brussels. As Trump and Clinton prepare to square off, can either of them prove their presidential mettle in handling the heat?

Episode 12: On Wisconsin

Apr 3, 2016 · 29m

Ahead of a Wisconsin showdown the candidates crisscross the state in pursuit of competing agendas. Can Kasich, Cruz or Sanders secure their position as spoilers - or will Clinton and Trump finally be crowned their party's Big Cheese?

Episode 13: Circus Recap

Apr 10, 2016 · 29m

From the early primary battles to the Super Tuesday showdown and beyond, pull back the curtain on the 2016 presidential race with Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon - and catch up on the electrifying first twelve weeks.

Episode 14: Game On

Jul 10, 2016 · 29m

While the nation celebrates July 4th, Trump and Clinton engage in their own fireworks. With the reemergence of Clinton's email scandal and Trump's latest faux pas, the titans go on the attack to take each other down.

Episode 15: Veepstakes

Jul 17, 2016 · 29m

No president is complete without a veep. As Trump auditions Chris Christie, Mike Pence and Newt Gingrich and Clinton considers Tim Kaine, can the candidates find the right-hand man for the job who will make, not break, their campaign?

Episode 16: The Trump Show

Jul 24, 2016 · 29m

The political circus goes into overdrive as Trump is crowned the Republican nominee - and Melania, controversially, speaks! Capitalizing on his children to help humanize his image, can Trump plus Pence finally rally a unified party?

Episode 17: In the Arena

Jul 31, 2016 · 29m

The jeers and boos of Sanders diehards ring out in Philadelphia, before the Democrats at last make Hillary a historic nominee. But is shattering a glass ceiling enough for Clinton and Kaine to unite the party into a winning coalition?

Episode 18: Closing the Gap

Sep 11, 2016 · 29m

With ten weeks to go until the election the Trump campaign finds itself running from behind. As members of his party start to publicly jump ship, can Trump find a way to close the gap with Clinton or will he just fall further behind?

Episode 19: Fit to Serve

Sep 18, 2016 · 29m

As Clinton's pneumonia and scrutiny about Trump's medical records comes to the forefront, their fitness to lead is questioned.

Episode 20: Battleground

Sep 25, 2016 · 29m

As Clinton and Trump prepare for their first debate, their campaigns target the swing states with an eye on Florida.

Episode 21: The Newsrooms

Oct 2, 2016 · 29m

Preparations for the debate; the candidates cede the spotlight to those who cover the political news.

Episode 22: Tale of the Tape

Oct 16, 2016 · 29m

The fallout from the second debate and the current scandal surrounding a recently publicized audio tape.

Episode 23: From Russia With Love

Oct 23, 2016 · 29m

Clinton faces the scandal of her highly sensitive, private emails being made public on WikiLeaks, amid claims of foreign hacking and intervention and international espionage of the 2016 election.

Episode 24: His Word as Biden

Oct 30, 2016 · 29m

With only two weeks until election day, Clinton bets on the one man who has the potential to swing those states still up for grabs: Joe Biden.

Episode 25: Nobody F... Knows

Nov 6, 2016 · 29m

Polls predict the differing outcomes; both campaigns make a case in "far-fetched battlegrounds"; to most, the race is either up for grabs or already decided.

Episode 26: President Trump

Nov 13, 2016 · 29m

In a special hour-long episode of the real-time documentary series, Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon go behind the scenes of both campaigns in the lead up to Election Day - and the fallout that followed.

Season 1 FAQ

Quick answers about this season's release timeline and episode lineup.

When did The Circus Season 1 premiere?

The Circus Season 1 premiered on January 17, 2016.

How many episodes are in The Circus Season 1?

The Circus Season 1 has 26 episodes.

What is the first episode of The Circus Season 1?

The season opens with Season 1 Episode 1, "The Outsiders". It aired on January 17, 2016.

Go to Season 1 Episode 1

Where to Watch

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