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I was waiting to see if anyone raised this as a topic and was wondering if anyone watch this last Tuesday night on ITV1 at 8pm?

For those that don't know, it's a show where anyone can go before a panel of millionaire judges and ask for a sum of money that they want or need to achieve a dream, desire or whatever. if they put a good case forward and get a majority vote then they get the cash.

Anyway, up pop two magicians who claim to be the only identical wtin magicians in the Country and they are after £15K to develop a new stage act by buying a few illusions. They pull a set of inflatable step ladders from a thin suitcase and that's it. Thye say a few words about themselves being trained actors and that they have work as magicias coming out of their ears. They've worked on cruises, holiday camps etc.

I sat thinking that they wouldn't get much for £15K when they were talking about buying levitations, zig-zag cabinets, vanishing trunks etc. and their answers to a number of questions seemed too vagueto me

The point is that when a judge asked them to perform a second trick, neither of them could do ANYTHING, had no back up, not even a deck of cards, an ID, a TT - NOTHING!

I was both surprised and shocked that they hadn't prepared anything as a back up considering the claims about how much experience they had as professional performers.

Needless to say, they didn't get the money and EVERYONE was surprised that they were not in the Magic Circle, it was expected by the lay audience to be a pre-requisite.

Did anyone else see the programme and what were your views?

I saw this dat, I loved the line "We are illusionests not magicians" talk about give the art a bad name.

Argh! Missed it! I usually watch it as well.

Yeah, that is pretty ridiculous. When you make such big claims and have only performed something which isn't even really magic (and has been on almost every magic special in some form or another) it's kind of a given that they'll ask to see something more substantial.

I don't think it's fair however that they expect people who do these things to be a part of the Magic Circle... after all there are many excellent magicians out there who are not a part of the Circle. But I guess we're more informed on that matter seeing as many performers as we do so it's not fair to criticise the audience for making that assumption.

I don't think it's fair however that they expect people who do these things to be a part of the Magic Circle... after all there are many excellent magicians out there who are not a part of the Circle. But I guess we're more informed on that matter seeing as many performers as we do so it's not fair to criticise the audience for making that assumption.

Yes, I agree as a magician but none the less, I found it an interesting assumption that lay people perceive that a good magician and magic circle membership go hand in hand. I wasn't criticising the audience but viewed this particular assumption as more of a point of interest.

Overall, it was the magicians that I was criticising. One of the judges gave the impression that he was or had been a bit of an amateur magician. And offered to lend them some coins, hankie etc. They refused and tried to argue reasons why they couldn't do more which only got the audiences back up. They were not far from being booed off stage in the end after only three or four minutes.

I saw it as a bit of a lesson in how to become instantly unpopular as well as a lesson in the need to always be prepared. I would suspect that everyonehere would be prepared with a couple of back up tricks for a simple night out at the local pub, let alone being on National TV asking for £15K.

It was embarrasing and I actually didn't want them to get the money.

I missed it this week as i was at my magic society but this programme slightly cheesed me off really as one of the judges (Simon Jordon) is the chairman of a football club (crystal palace) and hes giving money to all these people when he could be investing it the club. Ok i understand them giving it away to good causes but some of them people on there they are give in it to well it makes me wonder. Slightly off topic i know but i needed somewhere to have a rant about it. Obviously i support them and yes i know there poor i get it every day but we cant help who we support.

dat8962 wrote:

I don't think it's fair however that they expect people who do these things to be a part of the Magic Circle... after all there are many excellent magicians out there who are not a part of the Circle. But I guess we're more informed on that matter seeing as many performers as we do so it's not fair to criticise the audience for making that assumption.

Yes, I agree as a magician but none the less, I found it an interesting assumption that lay people perceive that a good magician and magic circle membership go hand in hand. I wasn't criticising the audience but viewed this particular assumption as more of a point of interest.

Oh no, I wasn't saying you were criticising them, I meant what I said about the assumption the audience made could be seen as me being unfairly critical... just talking to me self

Crikey, that's even worse if they were offered some items to perform with!

I took it in exactly the way that you meant it

If they were Palace supporters to boot, then I would have given them the money! Just how unfortunate could that be

I mean, fancy being deprived of good football, let alone good magic (only kidding)!