“The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth” will conclude with its eighth season, Showtime announced on Tuesday. The series finale episode is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
Hosted by John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon, and Jennifer Palmieri, the four-time Emmy nominated political docuseries offered viewers a deeper look at the nation’s biggest political stories inside the beltway from Donald Trump’s unexpected presidential victory and his contentious time in office, to the polarizing politics of the pandemic, the 2020 election and ensuing insurrection on Capitol Hill, as well as Biden’s presidency at a time of international turmoil.
“When we started ‘The Circus’ in 2016, we thought it would be a one-and-done deal. Eight seasons and 130 episodes later, we’re still agog that Showtime gave us the trust and support that kept us cranking on this long, strange trip — and let us prove that our idea of doing a weekly, behind-the-scenes, real-time doc series on American politics wasn’t as unhinged as it seemed,” said host and executive producer John Heilemann. “Our belief in the importance of the story we’ve been covering and our eagerness to keep covering it, Circus-style, hasn’t changed. So when people ask what’s next, all we can say is: stay tuned.”
Heilemann, a national affairs analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, is also the host of the “Hell & High Water” podcast and co-author of “Game Change” and “Double Down,” on the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, respectively. The former novel was adapted into a feature film of the same name that went on to win five Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a Peabody Award.
McKinnon previously served as the chief media adviser to five successful presidential primary and general election campaigns. He’s also cofounder of No Labels, an organization dedicated to bipartisanship, civil dialogue and political problem solving. His resume includes work for several high-profile causes and candidates such as President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain, Texas Governor Ann Richards and Bono.
The “Dear Madam President” author, Palmieri was communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and White House communications director for President Barack Obama. She also wrote “She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World.”
In addition to Heilemann, McKinnon, and Palmieri, Banks Tarver, Ken Druckerman, Tom Johnson and Divya Chungi also serve as executive producers. Left/Right backed the series.
