| Genre: | Drama |
| Story: | Larry Grusin |
| Screenplay: | Larry Grusin |
| Director: | Boris Sagal |
| Starring: | Elizabeth Montgomery Christopher Plummer Eileen Brennan |
| Theme Music Composer: | Charles Gross |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Executive Producer: | Barry Krost |
| Producer: | Robert Halmi Sr. |
| Editor: | Murray Solomon |
| Location: | Savannah, Georgia |
| Cinematography: | Michel Hugo |
| Runtime: | 120 min. |
| Company: | Entheos Unlimited Productions Meteor Films |
| Network: | CBS |
When the Circus Came to Town is a 1981 American made-for-television drama film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Christopher Plummer, and Eileen Brennan. It originally aired on CBS as a "Movie of the Week" on January 20, 1981.
When the Circus Came to Town chronicles the life of Mary Flynn (Montgomery), a woman nearing middle age living in a small town. When the circus comes through town, she realizes nothing will ever change unless she does something different, so she leaves her boring sheltered life to run away and join the circus. While adapting to her new life, she finds herself challenged, and in the end, happy with her new life.