Circus
In a world that offers a dizzying array of amusements and entertainments, there is none quite so enduring or so universal as the circus. Now, over the course of six dramatic and mesmerizing hours, Show of Force will take us away to the circus - not just under the big top, but far beyond it: into what circus folk call "the backyard," the place where the trailers are parked and the real heart of the circus beats. With unprecedented access granted by the Big Apple Circus, the filmmaking team followed this traveling company over the course of an entire season. The series will immerse viewers in a rich collection of human stories, simultaneously compelling our fascination, and appealing to our shared humanity.
- Metascore80
- 2010-2010
- 2 seasons
- PBS
- Documentary, Reality
- TV-PG
In a world that offers a dizzying array of amusements and entertainments, there is none quite so enduring or so universal as the circus. Now, over the course of six dramatic and mesmerizing hours, Show of Force will take us away to the circus - not just under the big top, but far beyond it: into what circus folk call "the backyard," the place where the trailers are parked and the real heart of the circus beats. With unprecedented access granted by the Big Apple Circus, the filmmaking team followed this traveling company over the course of an entire season. The series will immerse viewers in a rich collection of human stories, simultaneously compelling our fascination, and appealing to our shared humanity.
Season 2 Episode Guide
4 Episodes 2010
Episode 3
Change On!
Thu, Sep 10, 2026 55 mins
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.
Episode 4
Survival of the Fittest
Thu, Sep 10, 2026 55 mins
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.
Episode 5
Born to be Circus
Thu, Sep 10, 2026 55 mins
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.
Episode 6
Down the Road
Thu, Sep 10, 2026 55 mins
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."