Fans are loving The Circle season 2 every bit as much as they loved season 1, and it makes them want to know more details about their favorite new show. Though the cast is connected through a mock social media network, they are kept separate in their own vibrant apartments. But what about the apartment building? Where did the season 2 cast call home while they were filming the show, and when?
When contestants enter The Circle, it’s all about strategy, and they can decide to play as themselves or a catfish. The cast never gets to meet each other, except when they’ve been blocked and are on their way out. The rest of the time, the cast is sequestered in their own apartments, where they chat up their fellow Circle-mates and form alliances to stay in the game. The Circle is the ultimate COVID-era reality show, and fans are curious about the cast’s quarantine digs.
Hardcore fans of The Circle probably already know that the series originated in the U.K., but they might be surprised to find out that the U.S. version was filmed in the same building as the U.K. version. In fact, every version of the show, even the international ones, are all filmed in an apartment building in the town of Salford in Manchester, England. Although the establishing shots reflect which country the show is in, the cast still resides in the same building, known as the Adelphi Wharf 1.
The show’s creator, Tim Harcourt, told Vulture “we wanted the building to be in a nonspecific location for the U.S. version—the feeling that it could be anywhere,” which is why the show uses establishing shots of Chicago and Milwaukee. Harcourt revealed that production has “about 12 apartments ready to go,” and that when a cast member is blocked and vacates their apartment, the space is redesigned for the next person. It’s set up so the next incoming cast member takes the first empty one.
The Circle seems to mimic what quarantine was like for millions of people across the world, but was it filmed during COVID time? According to Distractify, season 2 and 3 were filmed concurrently and wrapped in November last year. This would place filming right during lockdown. With all of the cast sequestered in their own apartments and crew presumably in a quarantine bubble, The Circle could have been one of the safest reality shows to film during the pandemic.
With a highly-successful U.S. version, as well as several other international versions, The Circle has proven to be a hit with fans across the world. American fans are eagerly consuming new episodes as they’re released every week, and it’s clear that the show is running as a well-oiled machine. The only thing fans want more than new episodes are the apartment decor details. Production methods behind the show may be strange, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
