Circus
PBS | Release Date: November 3, 2010
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: The three-week, six-hour miniseries introduces a colorful, international cast of characters who live and breathe to create one moment of perfection under the limelight. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyMargaret LyonsDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: Sure, watching a trapeze act slowly take form is fun (really fun, actually), but what's fascinating here is the deeply empathetic storytelling. It turns out what happens outside the ring is the most interesting part of Circus. [5 Nov 2010, p.65]
88
New York PostLinda StasiDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: Don't miss a minute of it. Finally, a reality show that delves into a world of fantasy. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: Apart from a surfeit of split screen effects and some overbearing soundtrack selections, I have no quarrel with this series at all, and wore a lump in my throat through much of it. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: Whether the people here are fifth-generation circus or they ran away to join it, their lives make for a good tale. Read full review
80
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: Circus offers equal treatment to performers, stage crew and management, showing how a circus operates and the conflicts that inevitably erupt when 150 people share such close quarters, living out of trailers for months at a time. Read full review
80
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: This quietly addictive program isn't really about what goes on inside the Big Apple's single ring. It's about the people, both under the lights and behind them, who make those performances possible. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: Circus is a series with an abundance of life, and reality. If you decide to run away from the regular network fare to join this company for the next few weeks, can't say I blame you. Read full review
70
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: The cinematography is beautiful, and there seems to be nowhere around the Big Apple's tents and trailers that the camera won't go. There's just not much in the way of drama here. Read full review
60
Washington PostHank StueverDec 9, 2010
Season 1 Review: Circus has no difficulty finding all the usual, romantically enthralling ideals contained within circus life, which unfortunately causes a lot of the series to feel predictable. Read full review
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 92 The Pitt: Season 2
2 90 The Celebrity Traitors UK: Season 1
3 87 Hacks: Season 5
4 87 Industry: Season 4
5 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...
6 85 The Beatles Anthology
7 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4
8 85 Bait: Season 1
9 84 Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
10 83 Lord of the Flies
11 83 Riot Women: Season 1
12 83 For All Mankind: Season 5
13 81 The Muppet Show (2026)
14 80 Outlander (2014): Season 8
15 80 The Other Bennet Sister: Season 1
16 80 The Mighty Nein: Season 1
17 80 The Comeback: Season 3
18 80 The American Revolution
19 80 One Piece (2023): Season 2
20 80 Dark Winds: Season 4
SEE ALL