The first Democratic presidential debate airs tonight on CNN. With only five candidates participating, the event should differ considerably from the recent Republican debates, both of which were circus-like spectacles. The hope is that fewer candidates means more substantive questions, and more time to discuss the issues – but CNN is still cable news, so I don’t want to be overly optimistic.

Most of the attention will focus on the frontrunners, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The bottom three candidates – Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb, and Lincoln Chafee – have yet to break through, so they will likely look to distinguish themselves with headline-grabbing performances (a la Carly Fiorina). Anderson Cooper will moderate the debate, with Dana Bash, Juan Carlos Lopez, and the reliably banal Don Lemon also asking questions.

With tonight’s debate a make-or-break event for some hopefuls, a candidate-by-candidate breakdown of what to expect