talkmagic.co.uk

A couple of potentially interesting TV programmes for those of us here in the UK:

Sunday May 17th 9.00pm on BBC1Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norell. The first of a seven part series, set in early 19th century Britain, this fantasy drama follows the exploits of rival magicians who get up to all sorts of tricks to delight their audiences – mostly those in high society, as well as helping with the war with France.

Friday May 22nd 9.30pm on BBC2 Britain’s Greatest Generation. This one is all about Fergus Anckorn who, at 96, is the oldest member of the Magic Circle. It focusses on his wartime experiences in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp where he used his magic to get extra food and help preserve sanity under dreadful conditions.

Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norell - probably not 'our' kind of magic but certainly an intriguing start, let's hope it continues that way for the remaining 6 episodes. It would be great to see some live magic based on this kind of scenario

I found the first episode of Jonathan Strange a bit flat, but I'll keep going for a while. If I give up, or when I get to the end, I can start reading the book which I've just bought - and I suspect it will be rather better than the TV series (I found I couldn't pick up all the dialogue, for example).

Barry