The show's setting was the T & T Circus in the late 1800s in the American Southwest. Colonel Casey Thompson, played by Chill Wills, and Ben Travis, played by John Derek, were the co-owners. Richard Jaeckel portrayed Tony Gentry, the circus's scout.
Episodes depicted interactions of circus personnel with each other and with outsiders whom they encountered as they traveled from one town to another via wagon train. (The TV series Wagon Train provided inspiration for Frontier Circus.)
Interior shots were filmed on the back lot at Revue's studio. Exterior scenes were filmed at a variety of sites in Nevada and California.
Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 509. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-0-307-48320-1
McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 307. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8. 0-14-02-4916-8
Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 509. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-0-307-48320-1
McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 307. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8. 0-14-02-4916-8
Vagg, Stephen (November 5, 2024). "The Cinema of John Derek, Movie Star". Filmink. Retrieved November 5, 2024. https://www.filmink.com.au/the-cinema-of-john-derek-movie-star/
Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 509. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-0-307-48320-1
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Adams, Val (October 16, 1961). "Irene Dunne gets role in TV drama". The New York Times. p. 59. Retrieved April 11, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/1961/10/16/archives/irene-dunne-gets-role-in-tv-drama-she-will-portray-physician-in-cbs.html
"Tuesday, December 7". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. December 4, 1961. p. 49-B. Retrieved April 12, 2023. https://archive.org/details/rossreportstele94ross/page/n27/mode/1up
"Thursday, November 16". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. November 13, 1961. p. 46-B. Retrieved April 12, 2023. https://archive.org/details/rossreportstele94ross/page/n3/mode/1up
Meyer, Janet L. (August 13, 2015). Sydney Pollack: A Critical Filmography. McFarland. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-4766-0979-9. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-0979-9
"Frontier Circus". Variety. October 11, 1961. p. 36. Retrieved April 12, 2023. https://archive.org/details/variety-1961-10/page/n123/mode/1up
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Meyer, Janet L. (August 13, 2015). Sydney Pollack: A Critical Filmography. McFarland. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-4766-0979-9. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-0979-9
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
"Tuesday, December 7". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. December 4, 1961. p. 49-B. Retrieved April 12, 2023. https://archive.org/details/rossreportstele94ross/page/n27/mode/1up
"Tuesday, December 7". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. December 4, 1961. p. 49-B. Retrieved April 12, 2023. https://archive.org/details/rossreportstele94ross/page/n27/mode/1up
Meyer, Janet L. (August 13, 2015). Sydney Pollack: A Critical Filmography. McFarland. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-4766-0979-9. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-0979-9
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Meyer, Janet L. (August 13, 2015). Sydney Pollack: A Critical Filmography. McFarland. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-4766-0979-9. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-0979-9
Capua, Michelangelo (March 20, 2020). John Derek: Actor, Director, Photographer. McFarland. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4766-7588-6. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-1-4766-7588-6
Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 509. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved April 11, 2023. 978-0-307-48320-1
"'Frontier Circus' Seen". The New York Times. October 6, 1961. p. 71. Retrieved April 11, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/1961/10/06/archives/frontier-circus-seen.html
"'Frontier Circus' Seen". The New York Times. October 6, 1961. p. 71. Retrieved April 11, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/1961/10/06/archives/frontier-circus-seen.html
"Frontier Circus". Variety. October 11, 1961. p. 36. Retrieved April 12, 2023. https://archive.org/details/variety-1961-10/page/n123/mode/1up
"Frontier Circus". Variety. October 11, 1961. p. 36. Retrieved April 12, 2023. https://archive.org/details/variety-1961-10/page/n123/mode/1up
"Frontier Circus - The Complete Series". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20100831041548/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Frontier-Circus-Complete-Series/9848