When does 'The Circle' season 6 drop to Netflix? Premiere date, schedule, cast and more

Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer

"The Circle," the ultimate popularity contest turned reality competition series, returns to Netflix for season 6 this week. The format remains largely the same, but this time there's one major twist.

As in previous seasons, contestants must use catfishing and other deception techniques entirely on a social media application to win over their fellow contestants' approval and, in the end, $100,000. But this season will see one new kind of competitor: Max, an AI chatbot programmed to blend in with the cast on the show's fake social media platform.

Curated using data from past seasons, Max is a blend of all the show's former participants, displayed as a 26-year-old veterinary intern from the Midwest. The bot's goal is to deceive his fellow contestants and land in their endgame.

Another change this season: The show has relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, departing from its original setting of Manchester, England.

Here's everything you need to know about the season 6 premiere.

"The Circle" returns for season 6 on April 17.
"The Circle" returns for season 6 on April 17.

When is 'The Circle' season 6 premiere?

Season 6 of "The Circle" premieres Wednesday, April 17.

Where to watch 'The Circle'

All episodes of "The Circle" stream on Netflix.

Who is the host of 'The Circle'?

Michelle Buteau hosts "The Circle" on Netflix.
Michelle Buteau hosts "The Circle" on Netflix.

Comedian Michelle Buteau is returning for her sixth season as host of The Circle.

'The Circle' streaming schedule

  • April 17: Episodes 1-4.

  • April 24: Episodes 5-8.

  • May 1: Episode 9-12.

  • May 8: Season finale.

What does it mean to be a catfish on 'The Circle'?

Catfishing is when someone creates or steals an entire online identity to convince someone they're an entirely different person. On "The Circle," contestants typically do it for strategic purposes.

The term is from the 2010 documentary "Catfish," about American TV host Nev Schulman's experiences falling in love online with a 19-year-old woman named Megan, who turned out to be a 40-year-old married housewife. Schulman later created and hosted the MTV reality show "Catfish: The TV Show."

'The Circle' season 6 trailer

'The Circle' season 6 cast

  • Autumn Nielsen, 21, playing as herself.

  • Brandon Baker, 34, catfishing as "Olivia."

  • Caress Russell, 37, catfishing as "Paul."

  • Cassie Saylor, 28, playing as herself.

  • Jordan "Big J" Staff, 24, playing as himself but using photos from before weight loss.

  • Kyle Fuller, 31, playing as himself but has his dog with him.

  • Lauren LaChant, 16, playing as herself.

  • Myles Reed, 29, playing as himself.

  • Quori-Tyler "QT" Bullock, 26, playing as herself.

  • Stephanie "Steffi" Hill, 35, playing as herself.

  • AI Chatbox, no age, playing as "Max."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When will 'The Circle' season 6 be on Netflix? Episode schedule, more

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