7-DAY TV GUIDE
The chaos of US politics provides plenty of fodder for expert Mark McKinnon, writes Holly Byrnes
IN his natural habitat, Mark McKinnon has been socially distancing for years in a sleepy town of just 800 people, high up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. When he’s called to return to the “human microwave” of US politics this month – as co-host of Stan’s hugely popular documentary series The Circus
– McKinnon will pull on the protection of his signature Stetson hat and head back into the wild and crazy world of Trump’s America.
When Play speaks to McKinnon, the most controversial President in
US history has just given a press conference and flagged his latest chaotic idea – breaking the rules and arbitrarily delaying the November elections.
Of course, it’s not the worst idea or even the dumbest we’ve heard from ‘The Donald’, but McKinnon says it’s just the sort of stupid strategy that has most of the electorate crying out for a return to stable government and comfort politics.
“There’s no question about it,” McKinnon says, “Trump has been called the chaos candidate and the chaos President and I think even people who like Trump and support Trump, a lot of them are a little tired of the chaos; particularly when we’re dealing with race issues and a health crisis affecting the economy.
“They’re like, ‘You know what? How about a little predictability? We’ve been entertained long enough … it was really interesting, but let’s switch gears.”
Still, McKinnon and his co-stars John Heilemann and Alex Wagner have the dramatics of the Trump election to thank for the extended success of their Showtime series – now in its fifth season.
“The Circus was really designed to be one year, covering the campaign in 2016 and that was it,” explains McKinnon, who worked campaigns for George W. Bush and the late John McCain.
“But one week into the [Trump] administration, Showtime called us up and said, ‘Get back out there, the circus hasn’t stopped’.”
Taking their cameras on the road, the series introduces audiences to the many characters behind the scenes in Washington; as well as the party operatives rarely seen, from both sides of the aisle.
Using their extensive contacts as journalists and strategists,
The Circus not only covers the political beat – it explains it and exposes the tricks to gaining and keeping power.
Instead of being more “talking heads” on TV, McKinnon said the show set out to create a more informal way to dissect the issues and probe the personalities – over beers in bars, or burgers in roadside diners.
“Even if we don’t agree,” McKinnon says, “we know we’re not out to screw anybody or stage any gotcha moments. Our goal is to hold up a very authentic mirror to what’s going on.”