Netflix intrigued and excited avid reality television watchers when it debuted the social-media-centric reality show The Circle in early 2020. On the show, eight to 12 participants were made to live in the same apartment complex but weren’t allowed to see each other physically or speak to each other directly.
The only means of communication between the players was AI and an in-house social network where they could update their statuses, profile pictures, and have individual or group chats with one another. The catch was that this allowed players to catfish one another if they felt like, leaving the others to guess who was real and who wasn’t. Despite generating a slew of unpopular opinions online, The Circle developed a rabid audience in the U.S. The franchise has found success internationally too, with several different versions in different countries.
The Circle UK: Currently Not Available For Streaming
Some viewers may not know that The Circle US isn’t the original version of the reality show; it’s actually The Circle UK. The first series of The Circle UK premiered in 2018 on Channel 4, with the same concept of social media interaction between contestants and the system of rating players to determine weekly winners, the big winner being determined during the finale. The winner of the first season was an internet comedian named Alex Hobern, who catfished as 25-year-old Kate by using his real-life partner’s photos. The prize money was £50,000 at first, which was then increased to £70,000 and £100,000 subsequently.
The first season of Britain’s version was produced in London, after which they moved to another apartment complex in Salford, England, which became the permanent residence of all iterations of The Circle. An old college building opposite the complex became the control room for producers and directors. The original show ran for three seasons but was cancelled by the network after that. However, the creators are in talks with Netflix to produce the next season.
The Circle US: Available On Netflix
The show that brought global recognition to the franchise, The Circle US was a sensation, and season 1 players like Joey, Shubham, and Sammie became household names overnight. Just like its British counterpart, the show was fully filmed in the Salford building, despite being an American show. Since the debut season, there have been two seasons, with a third set to premiere in September 2021. It has also been renewed for fourth and fifth seasons.
Joey Sasso got the top honor in the first series, with a prize money of $100,000. This amount has stayed consistent in the following seasons of the show. The second season of The Circle US featured a familiar reality TV face, namely Chloe Veitch from Too Hot To Handle. Ironically, Chloe is English, not American, but was one of the most popular players on The Circle season 2.
The Circle Brazil: Available On Netflix
The Brazilian version of The Circle also aired on Netflix in March 2020, and it was the first reality TV show from Brazil to make an appearance on the streaming giant. Often compared to The Circle US the Brazilian version followed the same premise as the original show as well as the same rules. The winner of The Circle Brazil won a cash prize of R$300,000.
There were about 25 players who were selected for the show, but only 14 main players and 14 hopefuls on standby. The familiar apartment building with the giant LED ring on the outside was used in the Brazilian version too. The participants played fun minigames to guess each other’s horoscopes based on the personality portrayed on their Circle Apps, and even competed in team trivia games to win a pizza party. Marina Gregory from Rio De Janeiro won the first season.
The Circle France: Available On Netflix
The Circle France gave reality TV lovers a diverse cast of French players with the familiar setting and rules. This rendition also featured games that bonded players remoately and helped them get to know each other, and even divisive games that created some delicious controversy. Players ranged from young adults to senior citizens, just to keep things spicy and unpredictable. The prize for The Circle France was a big one: a cool €100,000, which was bagged by Romain Ben.
Romain won the show by being his authentic self. French versions of the games and contests on this version of the show featured names like “D’accord, pas d’accord?”, “Tague le Joueur” and “Le Plus Beau Portrait Gâteau.” Unlike the other Netflix versions of The Circle, which were released over the course of several week, all 12 episodes of this iteration were released in one go.
The Celebrity Circle: Currently Not Available For Streaming
In a cool twist to the social-media-only interaction and ratings premise of the show, The Circle UK producers created a more glitzy show, The Celebrity Circle as a benefit for Stand Up For Cancer. Unlike the other chapters, this one featured known faces in the competition, like Lady Leshurr, Baga Chipz, Nadia Sawalha, Duncan James, and Denise van Outen, to name a few. Since these celebs were famous, they could make a profile of themselves or impersonate another celebrity on the Circle App.
The six episodes were hugely entertaining, and Lady Leshurr took the crown by impersonating Big Narstie. Emma Willis delivered messages on video to the all-star cast instead of the disembodied voices in the other games. Released in March 2021, The Circle featured shocking twists, some strategic moves and alliances, which led to ratings, blocking, and the ultimate influencers in the game. This version of the show aired on the U.K.’s Channel 4 and can’t be streamed in the United States.
