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what do you think of this review (from magicweek.co.uk - a great website by the way)
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Secrets of Magic

Objective Productions
BBC1 Saturday 8.35pm 2nd August 2003

Article/Review by Duncan Trillo



Based on the shows dire multiple-choice format, here's one for the producers to ponder.



Secrets of Magic was made because...


A. There's lots of money to be made out of exposing magic on television.

B. Now is the perfect time to cash-in on magic's current popularity.
C. We don't care what magicians think.
D. All of the above.



This is not going to be a straight forward review, it can't be. I really want to try and convey why I thought the programme was so wrong and why it should never have been made.



I think its makers have completely forgotten what magic is all about...

MAGIC


I love watching magic. I've loved it ever since I was a little boy. From seeing the "Chinese Wallet" in the school playground to watching the brilliance of Al Goshman and Richard Ross at Ron's Day, to the spectacle of Siegfried & Roy in Las Vegas, to just the other night at The Magic Circle when Lol said "Duncan come and look at this" as he introduced me to a visiting magician who was performing some amazing sleights with a deck of cards.

And I love performing magic. I've done it for 25 years all over the world. For me magic is very special. I treasure it, and think how lucky I am to be a part of it. I respect "magic" - its creators and performers, past and present, and the very art of magic itself. That's why this type of show leaves me so incensed.

Years ago I used to perform in Covent Garden and battled with angle problems (with a silent act) but managed, just about. Today, when I do an after dinner cabaret, I often come up against those same angle problems, with difficult room layouts and people sitting on either side of me, but I try my very best to minimise the possibilities of anyone seeing something that they shouldn't. I'm not perfect, but...



THE THOUGHT OF EXPOSING MAGIC ON NATIONAL TELEVISION IS ALIEN TO ME and always has been. I just don't get it. I don't understand how anyone who has grown up with magic can do it. Don't they understand that it's not the METHOD that has an impact on an audience - it is the EFFECT! That as soon as you expose method you completely devalue the magic, your performance and your art. No matter how you dress it up, as in this production. And exposing bogus methods, as was sometimes the case, doesn't make it "alright" either (that's just a red herring). Nor does the "sucker trick" argument hold any water - not for a split-second. This wasn't a "sucker trick" with a clever twist in the context of a full performance of magic - this was a series of contrived exposures, packaged, pumped out, and sold as Secrets of Magic.

MAGIC IS SPECIAL

Some of my most vivid early memories are associated with magic. I'll never forget a pre Christmas trip to London and a visit to Harrods toy department when I was about eight years old. There was a magic counter manned by a magician in full get-up: tux, frilly dress shirt, bow tie, the lot! This was the first time I'd seen a real magician. With a flourish I was invited to "pick a card" which I did, and then to "press the button on the back." I pressed on the back of the card, and it changed into a different card! It really did.



It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen! I absolutely loved it!



My parents bought me a deck, not to be opened until Christmas... but I couldn't wait. Somehow these cards could change into other cards… but how? During the long car journey home I had to have a look. I remember my heart sinking when I opened the box and pressed on the back of a card… it didn't change. I tried another card, it didn't change either. I was really disappointed.



It wasn't until I read the instructions and started to practise that I realised just how special these cards really were. The secret was actually quite simple, but the effect was far from simple, the effect was pure magic! I took the cards to school and had great fun showing card tricks to friends, but I never told them the secret.

Eight years old and I knew that it was wrong to reveal the secret - that would spoil the fun.

SECRETS OF MAGIC

Now, years on, and my heart sank again. Secrets of Magic spoilt the fun. Exposing actual and bogus methods left, right and centre. 'Performance' didn't come into the equation, the magicians were the producers 'props' and 'exposure' was the star of the show.



It was as if they'd set out to rip the soul out of magic.



What were executive producers Anthony Owen and Andrew O'Connor, who have been responsible for some excellent productions in the past (Derren Brown: Mind Control, and the award-winning Quick Trick Show) thinking about?

What right do they think they have to dilute something that I, and thousands of others, really care about, reducing it to nothing more than a cheap laugh on a third-rate game show?

Why are magicians producing this programme and why are magicians appearing on it?


There were many exposure sequences in the show, here is one of them: A young woman from the audience joined magician Etienne Pradier at his table. He showed her three coins and an empty metal goblet which was covered with a silk. He placed the first coin into his pocket, magically it travelled to the goblet (invisibly) landing with an audible "clink." The second coin vanished from within the folds of a small piece of paper, and it too could be heard "arriving" in the goblet. "That's amazing" said the spectator. Finally the third coin just disappeared - one moment it was in his hands, the next - gone! The goblet was uncovered and there, inside, were the three coins. Magic! It looked very good and by this time the woman was clearly enchanted - she loved it! This was good magic performed by an excellent magician (a recent Card Magic 3rd place FISM winner). Job done, or so you would have thought...

The trick was then thrown over to three "TV personalities" to dissect before they were invited to select method A, B, C, or D from a 4-way multiple choice list. Then the studio audience were invited to vote A, B, C, or D as well. This really was dreadful stuff.



"Three years at drama school for this" eyes rolling skyward, said panelist Lesley Grantham, clearly embarrassed.

Then Etienne exposed the method, in this case half bogus and half actual, but all very plausible (either way that's irrelevant of course), then he repeated the whole thing again, using different methods to "fool" everyone. So what! You could carry on all night doing that. The whole concept is so flawed.



Why are they making an exposure show in the first place? Why are they prostituting magic?

Up popped John Lenahan. The last time I saw John on TV he was exposing a mind-reading trick on ITV's How Do They Do That? years ago. This time he was walking along a platform on Waterloo Station in a grey suit (he looked like a ticket inspector - I thought he must be going through a bad patch) trying to round-up a few passers-by to show a card trick to, before explaining how it's all done of course. Magically the 'card behind train window' (later exposed) was far stronger than the shoe trick seen in the "fooled you" sequence that followed (that wasn't exposed), but none of the production team spotted that because they were so focused on exposing methods as opposed to presenting effects (i.e. from a lay viewpoint: picking a card is "fair and square" and its appearance on an incoming train's window "magic" but making someone's shoe appear on board a train that was drawing into a platform, nominated by the spectator, in the hands of another magician, is instantly dismissed as being too impossible and therefore "stooged"). Three key magic methods were exposed in the card/train sequence.

Danny Buckler exposed a switch that is used by some of the world's top illusionists, convincingly, every day of the year, all over the world, and so it went on...



This programme shouldn't have been made. It showed a total lack of respect for both the magic community and the viewing public. Throughout the entire production there was an underlying arrogance that was palpable. No one likes a smug magician - even less a smug producer.


The viewing figures were poor (Summer slump hits BBC1) but I understand that six more shows are in the pipeline (it's common knowledge that the BBC have been clutching at straws recently, and doesn't it just show).



As I was writing this I thought "should I let them have their say" to balance things out - and then I thought "no, they had their say on Saturday night, now it's my turn."



Sorry guys, but it's just not on.



© Duncan Trillo MIMC. 9th August 2003

Secrets of Magic Hosted by: Nick Knowles. With: Simone Bienne, Danny Buckler, John Lenahan and Etienne Pradier. Special Guests: Leslie Grantham, Ulrika Jonsson, Donal MacIntyre. The Voice of: Howard Hughes. Magic Designer: Richard Pinner. Make Up: Estelle Horder, Lynne Short. Wardrobe: Helen Woolfenden. Consultant Producers: David Britland, Andy Nyman. Music: Julian Ronnie. Graphic Design: Bill Wilson. Techniacal Facilities: Fountain Studios, The Farm. Location Director: Jeremy Wooding. Floor Manager: Alan Conley. Production Secretary: Emily Senior. Production Accountant: Nigel Woods. Vision Supervisor: Simon Atkinson. Video Tape Editors: Steve Andrews, Stefan Stuckert. Dubbing Mixer: Nigel Edwards. Vision Mixer: Simon Sanders. Camera Supervisor: Phil Piotrowsky. Sound Supervisor: Bob Owens. Script Supervisor: Sue Davis. Head of Production: Barry Read. Production Manager: Kat Taylor. Lighting Director: Al Gurdon. Designer: Julian Healy. Researcher: Sophie Chandler. Celebrity Booker: Emma McDonald. Assistant Producer: Caroline Bloch. Commisioning Editor for the BBC: Jonathan Beazley. Executive Producers: Anthony Owen, Andrew O'Connor. Director: Simon Staffurth. Objective Productions for BBC 2003.

couldnt agree more.

i've been saying this for years but why cant they just show repeats of the paul daniels magic show......so much cheaper than their currently produced c*** (not the best)....and infinitely more entertaining.

As this show seemed to be a one-off (thank the Lord), we'll not be seeing another Magic show until either

A: Mandrake finds one and posts it's details in the Misc section
B: The head of light programming at the Beeb accidentally selects an entire 3 month block of Paul Daniels shows from the archives instead of that awful 'Fame Acruddemy' dross (unlikely, but we can hope)
C: David Blaine (spit) gives BBC2 the exclusive rights to his new 2-part 1-hour Fox Easter Specials - "David Blaine - Crucified" with the concluding part the following 'good' Friday... (Hmmm... seige - that was a bit too edgy???)

or

D: We group together and buy a chunk of airtime, and create the "Late Night Talk-Magic Show" - where we all discuss magic and perform - a grand idea!

Come on - with all of the rubbish in our TV schedules of late, I'm sure there's plenty of room for Magic. It is, after all, the staple diet of Bank Holidays and seasonal programming with which we all grew up (Aside from Bond movies, the Wizard of Oz, and the Morecambe and Wise Xmas Extravaganza).

Please?

I watched this dross whilst on holiday and, if nothing else, it made certain that the rest of my holiday would be great in comparison - even if it poured down with acid rain at the same time as we had an earthquake so thanks the the Beeb for that at least.

OK, the 'performers' were largely unknown and show every sign of remaining in that happy state. The first 'versions' of the illusions were mainly awful, the second versions were slightly better but, if I may quote from the Master, not a lot. The choice of so-called celebrities really gave the game away inasmuch as they were all taking the Mickey out of things to cover their own embarrassment. Apart from Ulrika who seems to thrive on appearing on such 'shows'. Leslie Grantham looked as though he was only there as a big favour to someone and I fully expected him to slope off to the pub half way through - along with most of the TV audience I suspect.

The card in train window was over elaborate - why use a picture messaging phone when a simple phone call/Text message would have done the same thing? Perhaps the trick was sponsored by one of the phone suppliers on the quiet? The shoe on train was gaudy to the point of stupidity and, as previously mentioned, there are several ways this could have been achieved. The rattle trick was unbelievably awful, the rattler trick was, frankly, an abuse of an animal and I really, really hoped the little bu**er would bite that soppy tart but sadly it didn't happen - or was edited out. The French geezer wasn't too bad and the foil coins were perhaps the highlight of the show for me. The daft guy chucking himself off a huge pile of crates was a right failure - he should have aimed himself a bit better, hit the concrete and stayed there. The swap for the first effort was so obvious as the stunt man was very unlike the performer.

No, I wasn't impressed and I hope the idea now disappears to that graveyard in broadcasting land along with Eldorado and other total Beeb failures.

Final comment - I was watching this with my ever-loving (who is well impressed with my ID routine and therefore knows a bit about Magic and has very good taste!) and when Simone was on all she said was, ' It's easy to see why there aren't many women in Magic - they're cr*p'

Perhaps a bit harsh but who am I to argue?

I completely agree!(apart from that thing about female magicians being cr*p ) After I read that reveiw on magicweek I thought I would e-mail the BBC and tell them my opinion but surprise, surprise! I ended up going round in circles on there website and finally gave up. That show should never have even been made and reduced magic to something so boring not even a battery hen could stand it! Anyway I'm currantly writing a letter to theBBC and the idiots who produced it but I'm afraid I won't get a reply until I'm too old to be able to read it.

Hi and welcome to this particular nuthouse! I'm assuming that you are of the female gender - I'm very quick to spot the clues so no applause, please!

For some time now I've been asking where the ladies are and, so far, no response so a double welcome in that respect. Actually, I'm glad it was my better half who made the comment about Secrets of Magic so I'm sort of in the clear. To be honest, Simone wasn't very good at all but she was certainly on a par with the rest of the programme so I won't criticize any further.

Anyway, we'd certainly appreciate your point of view on all matters magical - don't be afraid of speaking your mind (as long as it's legal, decent and truthful) we'd like to have your opinions.

I hate to say this but the word is that there are 6 more shows lined up in the new series of Secrets of Magic.

As in lined up for the firing squad? No, I thought not.

Thanks Jon, I was having a great weekend until I read that bit of news!

Why oh why can't they just do a proper magic show? Bunch of Beeb plonkers!!

Danny Buckley/Buttler?, one of 'them' off the show works in international magic on fridays. If anyone is around you could pass on some constructive criticism for the producers.