THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE CRAZIEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH
Showtime, 8:00 p.m. ET
MIDSEASON PREMIERE: Season 5 of this timely political documentary returns with an installment called “The New Abnormal,” and returns the very week the Democrats have solidified their proposed presidential ticket for 2020, with Joe Biden selecting Kamala Harris. But it returns with quite a difference. Until now, The Circus has been distinguished by two elements that, for the short term at least, henceforth will be drastically minimized. One is an exhaustive itinerary of cross-country travel, so that correspondents John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon, and Alex Wagner can attend rallys and press conferences, meet with political heavyweights, and follow and react to the week’s news. This new Circus, I’m certain, will embody a lot less physical travel. And the other element that I suspect will be quite different is the formerly ritualistic meeting at some beloved restaurant in Washington, New York or elsewhere, where the stars of The Circus would set up the week’s presumed major stories and conflicts while consuming food that invariably was photographed, served and consumed with what can only be described as food porn. Actually, I may miss that the most, and I only got to watch it, not taste or smell it….