Chapter 1 | The Circus

Watch the first ten minutes of THE CIRCUS.
Drawing upon a vast and richly visual archive and featuring a host of performers, historians and aficionados, THE CIRCUS follows the rise and fall of the gigantic, traveling tented railroad circus and brings to life an era when Circus Day would shut down a town and its stars were among the most famous people in the country.
THE CIRCUS premieres across two nights - Monday, October 8 & Tuesday, October 9 at 9/8c on PBS. Learn more at pbs.org/circus

[@nataliapanfichi9933]

Someone needs to put the full documentary on TH-cam.

[@dillonohlemiller9027]

There needs to be another part to this series. It just ends when the circus closed the first time. It needs to keep going all the way up until modern day!!

[@Munchausen45]

I do believe this specifically covers the history of the traditional three ring big tent Circus.

[@nataliefaust7959]

You should check out the full documentary when you can! This is just a clip, not a part in a web series. ♥

[@lucyobillo35]

I believe there was a part 2 and both was shown on Netflix

[@Munchausen45]

When the circus came to town...🐘🐘🐘🐫🤹🏻‍♂️🤹🏻‍♀️🎪 a slice of America.

[@Lilymittens202]

Just saw the circus todayyyy in CT the best show ever sad that the animals got abused but man I would of loved to see the whole story

[@pikeman80]

I suppose if there were only 3 animals in the circus it would be a "Menagerie A Trois".

[@KevinRegalado1117]

french

[@manuelosorioo6993]

Good ! Fantastic wonderful Circus world 😍😍😸😸⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@skepticchic3426]

What a tragic story for so many animals and humans brought here by Barnum.

[@hellodollyseniorvisitsandd4982]

People only know what they know, back then they didn’t know better… It would be different if it was occurring today at this capacity and it is not. You can’t judge people by your standards today you need to judge them by the standards of their day

[@nataliefaust7959]

@@hellodollyseniorvisitsandd4982 Plenty of people knew better back then. While yes it's important to understand the time, the argument precludes the fact that society was never a monolith. There are always different voices and those that oppose or dissent.

[@lisahuynh6301]

Poor animals!!!

[@MichelleRRasmussen]

Historian James W. Cook, you obviously don't know anything about Barnum's repentance and abolitionist efforts from 1854 onward.

[@tripleg2513]

I'll bet they do seeing as how they are a historian

[@yeoldebanjo5470]

​@@tripleg2513 ""He" is a historian". "They" is a plural pronoun.

[@smug8567]

MOOPS

[@KickingIt-In-the-Kitchen]

Hasbullah is that you? 5:40

[@mi4lfaket835]

Pauvres humanité la loi de quelques riches et voilà ce que celà a donner