As the high-stakes midterm election season heats up across the nation, the Emmy-nominated series The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth returns on Sunday, September 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.
Hosts John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon, and Jennifer Palmieri hit the ground running as they track the unfolding political drama with control of Congress up for grabs, President Biden’s agenda on the line, and the future of American democracy hanging in the balance.
The Circus returns to capture the exhilarating eight-week sprint to Election Day, with Democrats and Republicans facing off in what may be the most consequential midterm election in modern history. With Biden’s approval ratings flagging amid economic headwinds, the GOP aims to seize control of both chambers of Congress and derail the administration’s agenda.
But a historic legislative victory for Democrats and signs of a potent backlash to the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe vs. Wade could bolster the Democratic defense.
And while Republican kingmaker former President Donald Trump weighs a presidential run, multiple investigations are accelerating into his role in fomenting the January 6th insurrection, attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and his handling of classified documents since leaving office.
The Circus will pull back the curtain on this extraordinary and precarious moment for America.
John Heilemann is a co-founder of Recount Media, executive editor of The Recount, and the host of its Hell & High Water podcast. Heilemann is a national affairs analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, where he appears regularly on Morning Joe, Deadline: White House, and The Last Word.
He is the co-author of the No. 1 New York Times bestsellers Game Change and Double Down (See both on Amazon), on the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, respectively. Game Change was adapted into a movie of the same name, which won five Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award.
Mark McKinnon is a political strategist, reform advocate, media columnist, and television producer. He was the chief media adviser to five successful presidential primary and general election campaigns and is cofounder of No Labels, an organization dedicated to bipartisanship, civil dialogue, and political problem-solving.
McKinnon has worked for many causes, companies, and candidates, including President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain, Texas Governor Ann Richards, and Bono.
Jennifer Palmieri was communications director for Hillary Clinton‘s 2016 presidential campaign and White House communications director for President Barack Obama. She is the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller Dear Madam President, as well as She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World.
The Circus is produced by Left/Right for Showtime. John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon, Banks Tarver, Ken Druckerman, Tom Johnson, and Divya Chungi serve as executive producers.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to cover the latest streaming, movie, TV, and game news.