Circus of the Stars
Circus of the Stars | |
---|---|
Genre | Variety show |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 19 |
Production | |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 45–48 minutes |
Release | |
Original network | CBS |
Picture format | NTSC |
Audio format | Monaural |
Original release | January 10, 1977 – December 16, 1994 |
Circus of the Stars is 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. The concept has been emulated in other countries, notably Stars in der Manege (1959-2008) 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 continued annually as a charity fundraising special until 2008. It was 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 were announcements that NBC had 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.
- Kyle Aletter (show 9)[5]
- Kristian Alfonso (show 14)
- Marty Allen (shows 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8)
- Harry Anderson (shows 17 & 19)
- Loni Anderson (shows 4 & 17)
- Melissa Sue Anderson (show 14)[6]
- Susan Anton (show 16)
- Lucie Arnaz (shows 2 & 10)
- Bea Arthur (shows 10 & 13)
- Rebeca Arthur (shows 13, 14, & 15)[7]
- Ed Asner (show 1)
- Lauren Bacall (show 3)
- Scott Baio (shows 5, 7 & 19)
- Lucille Ball (show 2)
- Bob Barker (show 5)
- Barbi Benton (shows 4, 5 & 7)
- Jane Birkin (show 1)
- Karen Black (show 14)
- Linda Blair (shows 7, 8 & 15)
- Lindsay Bloom (shows 7 & 9)
- Lloyd Bridges (show 5)
- Todd Bridges (shows 6 & 7)
- Danielle Brisebois (show 6, 7, and 10)
- Morgan Brittany (show 15)
- Downtown Julie Brown (show 17)
- Claudia Cardinale (show 1)
- Dixie Carter (show 16)
- Lynda Carter (shows 1 & 2)
- Nell Carter (show 10)
- Carol Channing (show 12)
- Candy Clark (shows 4, 10 & 12)
- Dick Clark (shows 10, 11, & 15)
- Julie Condra (show 16)
- Cathy Lee Crosby (shows 3, 4, & 10)
- Adam Curry (show 18)
- Jamie Lee Curtis (show 2)
- Tony Curtis (show 8)
- Beverly D'Angelo (show 8)
- Sammy Davis Jr (show 3)
- Phyllis Diller (show 8, 10 & 19)
- Shannen Doherty (shows 10 & 11)
- Debbe Dunning (show 19)
- Patrick Duffy (show 17)
- Barbara Eden (show 11)
- Nicole Eggert (shows 11 & 12)
- Britt Ekland (shows 6 & 11)
- Erika Eleniak (show 7)
- Erik Estrada (show 4)
- Douglas Fairbanks Jr (show 4)
- Morgan Fairchild (show 7)
- Jamie Farr (shows 3, 4, 6, 8, & 9)
- Maureen Flannigan (show 14)
- Peter Fonda (shows 1 & 2)
- Glenn Ford (show 12)
- Ami Foster (show 10)
- Jennie Garth (show 14)
- Gil Gerard (show 5)
- Tracey Gold (show 8)
- Whoopi Goldberg (show 15)
- Marjoe Gortner (shows 4,5,6,7 & 12)
- Louis Gossett Jr. (show 8)
- Andre Gower (show 8)
- Linda Gray (show 5)
- Sylver Gregory (show 17)
- Merv Griffin (shows 9, 10, 11, & 12)
- Scott Grimes (show 11)
- Deidre Hall (shows 10, 14 & 18)
- Dorothy Hamill (show 11)
- George Hamilton (show 1)
- Mary Hart (shows 10, 11 & 13)
- Joey Heatherton (show 1)
- Lauri Hendler (show 10)
- Christopher Hewett (show 13)
- Hulk Hogan (show 18)
- Telma Hopkins (shows 10 & 14)
- Rock Hudson (show 5)
- Vanilla Ice (show 16)
- David Janssen (show 1)
- Ann Jillian (shows 8 & 15)
- James Earl Jones (show 2)
- William Katt (show 16)
- Stacy Keach (show 14)
- Sally Kellerman (show 6)
- Richard Kiel (show 4)
- Sally Kirkland (show 17)
- Burt Lancaster (show 10)
- Judy Landers (show 7)
- Heather Langenkamp (show 13)
- A. J. Langer (show 19)
- Angela Lansbury (show 5)
- Michele Lee (shows 5 & 8)
- Janet Leigh (show 1)
- Jerry Lewis (show 3)
- Mario López (show 14)
- Jamie Luner (show 14)
- Carol Lynley (show 3)
- Julie McCullough (show 14)
- Barbara Mandrell (show 14)
- Lee Meriwether (shows 2, 3, 4 & 9)
- Kari Michaelson (show 8)
- Lara Jill Miller (show 10)
- Mary Ann Mobley (shows 2, 3, & 4)
- Pat Morita (shows 1 & 12)
- Anita Morris (shows 7, 11, & 13)
- Martin Mull (show 13)
- Leslie Nielsen (shows 14, 16, & 19)
- Tracy Nelson (show 9)
- Beth Newfir (Wonder Woman) (show 2)
- Bob Newhart (show 7)
- Anthony Newley (show 3)
- Judy Norton Taylor (shows 8 & 9)
- Ken Norton (show 3)
- LaWanda Page (show 3)
- Holly Robinson Peete (show 18)
- Valerie Perrine (shows 1, 2, 3 & 5)
- Patrick Petersen (show 11)
- Bronson Pinchot (show 12)
- Danny Pintauro (show 16)
- Dana Plato (shows 5 & 6)
- Tom Poston (show 13)
- Vincent Price (show 7)
- Juliet Prowse (show 12)
- Linda Purl (show 17)
- Alan Rachins (show 14)
- Peter Reckell (show 10)
- Lynn Redgrave (shows 8 & 14)
- Oliver Reed (show 2)
- Ernie Reyes Jr. (shows 11, 12 & 18)
- Debbie Reynolds (show 7)
- Lisa Rinna (show 15)
- Alfonso Ribeiro (shows 10, 11, 16, 17 & 18)
- Cathy Rigby (show 13)
- Cheryl Richardson (show 17)
- Joan Rivers (show 5)
- Pernell Roberts (show 10)
- Cesar Romero (show 12)
- Mickey Rooney (show 7)
- Emma Samms (shows 13 & 17)
- Telly Savalas (show 2)
- John Schneider (show 5)
- Peter Scolari (show 7, 8 & 9)
- Rick Schroder (shows 7, 9 & 10)
- Tracy Scoggins (shows 8, 14 & 16)
- George Segal (show 9)
- Connie Sellecca (show 5)
- William Shatner (shows 7 & 9)
- Brooke Shields (shows 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9)
- O. J. Simpson (show 13)
- Elke Sommer (show 4)
- David Soul (show 15)
- Tom Sullivan (show 2)
- Loretta Swit (show 4)
- Krista Tesreau
- Jay Thomas (shows 16 & 18)
- Michelle Thomas (show 18)
- Charlene Tilton (shows 4 & 16)
- Deborah Tranelli (show 13)
- Alex Trebek (show 14)
- Ann Turkel (show 2)[8]
- Lana Turner (show 10)
- Robert Urich (show 15)
- Jerry Van Dyke (show 16)
- Jenna Von Oy (show 19)
- Dee Wallace (show 11)
- Dionne Warwick (show 11)
- J. C. Wendel (show 18)
- Adam West (show 19)
- "Weird Al" Yankovic (show 17)
- Michael York (show 2)
- Cory and Tina Yothers (show 10)
- Pia Zadora (show 8)
- Kim Zimmer (show 10)
Original transmission details
- Circus of the Stars: January 10, 1977
- Circus of the Stars #2: December 5, 1977
- Circus of the Stars #3: December 8, 1978
- Circus of the Stars #4: December 16, 1979
- Circus of the Stars #5: December 14, 1980
- Circus of the Stars #6: December 13, 1981
- Circus of the Stars #7: December 5, 1982
- Circus of the Stars #8: December 18, 1983
- Circus of the Stars #9: December 2, 1984
- Circus of the Stars #10: December 8, 1985
- Circus of the Stars #11: December 9, 1986
- Circus of the Stars #12: December 15, 1987
- Circus of the Stars #13: November 25, 1988
- Circus of the Stars #14: November 22, 1989
- Circus of the Stars #15: November 21, 1990
- Circus of the Stars #16: November 29, 1991
- Circus of the Stars and Sideshow: November 27, 1992
- Circus of the Stars Gives Kids the World: November 26, 1993
- Circus of the Stars Goes to Disneyland: December 16, 1994
See also
References
- ↑ "IMDb Title Search "Circus of the Stars"". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
- ↑ "'"Stars in der Manege:" Schluss der Vorstellung'". Fokus Magazin online. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ↑ "Vier Jahrzehnte Zirkuszauber (trans: Four decades of circus shows)". BR-online. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ↑ "NBC Runs Off to the 'Circus'". zap2it.com. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
- ↑ Appeared together with her mother Lee Meriwether
- ↑ Credited as Melissa Anderson
- ↑ a.k.a. Rebecca Arthur / Rebekah Arthur
- ↑ "Kristy McNichol on TV". J Wilson. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
External links
- Circus of the Stars at the Internet Movie Database
- William Shatner recalls his appearance
- Review of Circus of the Stars Goes to Disneyland
- Stars in der Manege official website