Circus of the Stars

Circus of the Stars was an annual television special, broadcast by the CBS network in the United States, in which celebrities performed circus-type acts. There were 19 shows in total, the first being broadcast in 1977 and the last in 1994.^[1] Over the years the series featured many leading movie and television stars.

Towards the end of its life the program title was changed slightly. In 1992 it was Circus of the Stars and Sideshow, in 1993 it became Circus of the Stars Gives Kids the World and in 1994 it was Circus of the Stars Goes to Disneyland. Although the show has ceased in the United States, the concept has been emulated in other countries where similar programs continue to be made, notably Stars in der Manege in Germany.^[2]

Other versions and variations

The concept of celebrities turning their hand to circus acts has proved attractive to program makers around the world. The German show Stars in der Manege began in 1959 and continues annually as a charity fundraising special. It is made each winter in the Circus Krone Building in Munich and broadcast on or around Boxing Day.^[3]

Production company Endemol has developed a reality TV format called Celebrity Circus, which takes stars from fields such as entertainment and sport and shows them being trained in circus acts over a period of weeks. A version aired in Australia in 2005 and there was a Portuguese version in 2006. A British version was mooted and there have been announcements that NBC has picked up the format for the American market in 2008. The magazine Variety reported that ABC might be looking to relaunch Circus of the Stars while CBS and Fox are interested in circus concepts as well.^[4]

List of celebrities who appeared on Circus of the Stars

The following list illustrates the range and status of celebrities who appeared on Circus of the Stars over the course of its original run. The list is compiled mainly from entries at the Internet Movie Database verified in many cases through material from official biographies and fansites.

Original transmission details

• Circus of the Stars - 10 January 1977
• Circus of the Stars #2 - 5 December 1977
• Circus of the Stars #3 - 20 June 1979
• Circus of the Stars #4 - 16 December 1979
• Circus of the Stars #5 - 14 December 1980
• Circus of the Stars #6 - 13 December 1981
• Circus of the Stars #7 - 5 December 1982
• Circus of the Stars #8 - 18 December 1983
• Circus of the Stars #9 - 2 December 1984
• Circus of the Stars #10 - 8 December 1985
• Circus of the Stars #11 - 9 December 1986
• Circus of the Stars #12 - 15 December 1987
• Circus of the Stars #13 - 25 November 1988
• Circus of the Stars #14 - 22 November 1989
• Circus of the Stars #15 - 21 November 1990
• Circus of the Stars #16 - 29 November 1991
• Circus of the Stars and Sideshow - 27 November 1992
• Circus of the Stars Gives Kids the World - 26 November 1993
• Circus of the Stars Goes to Disneyland - 16 December 1994

See also

• Battle of the Network Stars
• Star Games

References

1. ↑ "IMDb Title Search "Circus of the Stars"". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-03-27. 
2. ↑ "Vorhang auf für die "Stars in der Manege"!". BR-online. Retrieved 2007-05-17. 
3. ↑ "Vier Jahrzehnte Zirkuszauber (trans: Four decades of circus shows)". BR-online. Retrieved 2008-06-01. 
4. ↑ "NBC Runs Off to the 'Circus'". zap2it.com. Retrieved 2008-02-07. 
5. ↑ Appeared together with her mother Lee Meriwether
6. ↑ Credited as Melissa Anderson
7. ↑ a.k.a. Rebecca Arthur / Rebekah Arthur
8. ↑ "Kristy McNichol on TV". J Wilson. Retrieved 2007-11-21. 

External links

• Circus of the Stars at the Internet Movie Database
• William Shatner recalls his appearance
• Circus of the Stars entry at Jump the Shark
• Review of Circus of the Stars Goes to Disneyland
• Stars in der Manege official website