The Circus

29min

Documentary

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.

Episodes

Cast

The Outsiders

1. The Outsiders

29min

17th Jan 2016

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.

Prisoner's Dilemma

2. Prisoner's Dilemma

29min

24th Jan 2016

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.

Tension City

3. Tension City

29min

31st Jan 2016

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.

The Big Mo

4. The Big Mo

29min

7th Feb 2016

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?

The Winnowing

5. The Winnowing

29min

14th Feb 2016

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.

Fear and Loathing

6. Fear and Loathing

29min

21st Feb 2016

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.

Confidence Game

7. Confidence Game

29min

28th Feb 2016

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.

The Reckoning

8. The Reckoning

29min

6th Mar 2016

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?

Dead or Alive

9. Dead or Alive

29min

13th Mar 2016

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?

High Hopes

10. High Hopes

29min

20th Mar 2016

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?

Home And Abroad

11. Home And Abroad

29min

27th Mar 2016

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?

On Wisconsin

12. On Wisconsin

29min

3rd Apr 2016

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?

Circus Recap

13. Circus Recap

29min

10th Apr 2016

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.

Game On

14. Game On

29min

10th Jul 2016

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.

Veepstakes

15. Veepstakes

29min

17th Jul 2016

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?

The Trump Show

16. The Trump Show

29min

24th Jul 2016

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?

In the Arena

17. In the Arena

29min

31st Jul 2016

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?

Closing the Gap

18. Closing the Gap

29min

11th Sep 2016

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?

Fit to Serve

19. Fit to Serve

29min

18th Sep 2016

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

Battleground

20. Battleground

29min

25th Sep 2016

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

The Newsrooms

21. The Newsrooms

29min

2nd Oct 2016

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

Tale of the Tape

22. Tale of the Tape

29min

16th Oct 2016

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

From Russia With Love

23. From Russia With Love

29min

23rd Oct 2016

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.

His Word as Biden

24. His Word as Biden

29min

30th Oct 2016

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.

Nobody F... Knows

25. Nobody F... Knows

29min

6th Nov 2016

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.

President Trump

26. President Trump

29min

13th Nov 2016

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.

First air date

17th Jan 2016

Last air date

12th Nov 2023

Status

Ended

Type

Documentary

Original language

en

Networks