ABC’s getting into the circus act, judging by the sound of the drama they’ve ordered from Mitch Kapner and The Ghost Whisperer’s Sander/Moses. If you are or were ever a fan of Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey’s circus, this series might be for you.?
According to Deadline, ABC ordered the drama Bazirkus, written by Kapner and Sander/Moses. The pilot, which is descriped by Deadline as a soap, is loosely based on Nicole Feld, Ringling Bros.’ first female producer in the company’s history. The series is both a family and workplace drama focusing on “unfulfilled dreams and great expectations in the circus world where everyone is pushing the limits, personally and professionally, to reinvent temselves as they reinvent the world.
Circuses are supposed to be dramatic, funny, and exciting, with acrobats and trained animals performing tricks for huge crowds of people. My own memories of the circus don’t quite fit that description, however. As a child, I went to a Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus with my family, in the hopes of seeing a unicorn as advertised. Apparently, unicorns don’t exist. Not even at the circus. Mingled with the disappointment of that revelation, which is fixed in my mind, is the memory of choking on popcorn, resulting in a fear of the snack that lasted all the way to early adulthood.
My own bad circus memories aside, Bazirkus actually sounds like a really cool premise for a series. It could even be the greatest show on earth. Or it could turn out to be a virtual goat with a horn strapped to its head posing as a unicorn. Either way, I’ll be interested to hear more news on this project’s progress.
