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Circus

Season 1 2010
TV-PG

  • 2010-11-04T01:00:00Z on PBS
  • 1h
  • 2h 12m (6 episodes)
  • United States
  • English
Over the course of six dramatic hours, the documentary follows the legendary Big Apple Circus on an unforgettable journey from the big top to the “back lot,” where nail-biting drama unfolds both high in the air and down on the ground and the real heart of the circus beats. CIRCUS goes behind the scenes to explore a distinctive world with its own rules and lingo and no fixed address. It reveals the sights, sounds and stories of the circus’ fascinating cultural legacy in unprecedented breadth and scope as viewers escape into a place of passion, excitement, perseverance and even heartache. From the training and rehearsals to the bravery and the intensity of life — and work — in the circus, the cameras capture it all. Grab a front-row seat as members of the Big Apple family experience life-changing moments.

6 episodes

Series Premiere

2010-11-04T01:00:00Z

1x01 First of May

Series Premiere

1x01 First of May

  • 2010-11-04T01:00:00Z22m

Welcome to Walden, New York, where the 150 performers and crew members of the legendary Big Apple Circus gather from around the world to put together the new show for their annual 350-performance tour. As sets are built, costumes designed and fitted, acts rehearsed and refined, meet the members of the Big Apple family: the veteran clown who plays the circus' most enduring and beloved character, and the slightly neurotic novice whose clowning covers a painful past; the newly assembled trapeze troupe that can't seem to catch a trick; the zany, tightly wound guest director who lives for the circus; and the kids of the rough-and-tumble ring crew, all of whom seem to be looking for a fresh start. But as a bomb threat proves, running away to the circus doesn't always guarantee your troubles won't find you.

2010-11-04T01:00:00Z

1x02 One Ring Family

1x02 One Ring Family

  • 2010-11-04T01:00:00Z22m

Feel the tension mount as rivalries and romances blossom and the circus' first dress rehearsal approaches. The show is nowhere near ready. Despite constant rehearsals, the Flying Neves trapeze members can't pull themselves together, and there's talk in the office about cutting the act. Meanwhile, Glen, the newbie clown, is having a hard time taking direction and he's petrified he'll soon be fired. The fate of the show -- and of more than a few performers -- hangs in the balance.

2010-11-11T02:00:00Z

1x03 Change On!

1x03 Change On!

  • 2010-11-11T02:00:00Z22m

Traveling by trailer caravan, the circus arrives in Virginia and pitches the tent for its first tour stop. On the eve of the first performance, a pivotal act is cut and there's a mad scramble to rework the show. Making matters worse, a seasoned company regular is diagnosed with cancer and must relinquish his act. Lackluster ticket sales only ratchet up the pressure.

2010-11-11T02:00:00Z

1x04 Survival of the Fittest

1x04 Survival of the Fittest

  • 2010-11-11T02:00:00Z22m

Squeeze into a tiny lot at New York's Lincoln Center with the entire Big Apple Circus -- tent, trailers, performers, crew and animals. It's the holiday season and shows are packed, but snow and ice are collecting on the big top and the hoses that run water to the trailers are frozen solid. A beloved miniature pony dies suddenly from colic. Cast and crew are sick and exhausted, but the show goes on. Some members of the Big Apple family -- a crewman, a trapeze artist, even the artistic director -- contemplate leaving the circus world behind.

2010-11-18T02:00:00Z

1x05 Born to be Circus

1x05 Born to be Circus

  • 2010-11-18T02:00:00Z22m

Big Apple's founder and its newly installed artistic director embark on their annual trip to the renowned Monte Carlo circus festival -- a kind of international circus family reunion -- to scout fresh talent. Back in the U.S., the performers and the crew put on two shows a day and travel from Georgia to New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York. The Anastasinis, a seventh-generation circus family, wonder if their young sons will be content to carry on the family legacy.

2010-11-18T02:00:00Z

1x06 Down the Road

1x06 Down the Road

  • 2010-11-18T02:00:00Z22m

Emotions run high as the circus season winds down. Many members of the cast and crew won't be going back to Big Apple next season -- some are heading to Europe; others are still trying to figure out what's next. Some of the younger performers who have grown up in the circus consider leaving circus life. The night before the final shows, the crew puts on a traditional spoof called "Midnight Clowns" for the performers. The laughter is infectious and the partings bittersweet. As the trailers pull out of the lot and the tent comes down for the last time, we join in the time-honored circus farewell: not "goodbye," but "see you down the road."

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