talkmagic.co.uk

Hello to one and all!

With Derren Brown off the Tv scene (apart from his ridiculousness at 30,000 feet, if you dont know what i mean then you're lucky to have missed it!) that leaves us without any kind of Magic on the Tv.

I have some contacts within the Tv industry and I'm thinking about pitching for a show. I'm posting this becuase i believe some of the best ideas are born of collaboration with other experts and enthusiasts. So....what i'd like to ask and I'm hoping many of you'll have some thoughts on this topic is...

what kind of Magic would you like to see on Tv? What do you think would be a good format for a Magic Tv programme? Street Magic has been done, and it defo worked a treat (the low budget aspect clearly appeals to Tv production co.s) but what is the next step? where should we be going from here?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the subject.

Yours Magically,

L

Can I ask what you are paying for this consultation?

the bbc are doing a magic show in 2011. it was in the news about 2weeks ago. i think its going to be on saturday nights...

rikgrimsby wrote:the bbc are doing a magic show in 2011. it was in the news about 2weeks ago. i think its going to be on saturday nights...

Unfortunately, it will suck more than a hoover...

You'll notice this has been edited, the word previous to the hoover replacement, was fairly..... immature.

phillipnorthfield wrote:

rikgrimsby wrote:the bbc are doing a magic show in 2011. it was in the news about 2weeks ago. i think its going to be on saturday nights...

Unfortunately, it will suck more than a hoover...

You'll notice this has been edited, the word previous to the hoover replacement, was fairly..... immature.

Did you just change one letter?

I actually rather liked Hero. Just because you're a magician that doesn't mean you have to do a trick on every f*cking show you do (take note, Paul Daniels)

If you want to pitch a show but you have to ask around for ideas then my advice would be... don't bother. I know it's harsh, but if it's not your idea will you really have the enthusiasm to make the show? Will you have the enthusiasm to make the pitch, will you really be able to make the channel controllers choose to spend their limited programming budget on you - even though it's not really your idea and you just want to be on telly?

Magic on TV isn't in that bad of a state. Apart from Derren's stuff (Enigma is yet to be aired) and the new saturday night show on BBC1 there's the real hustle (which often contains elements of magic), we recently had Magic Numbers and you still see DAvid Blane and the Masked Magician from time to time

I'm not entirely sure why people are knocking the new BBC1 show. You want magic on TV yet even after just the smallest press release everybody is saying it's gonna be rubbish?

kolm wrote:I actually rather liked Hero. Just because you're a magician that doesn't mean you have to do a trick on every f*cking show you do (take note, Paul Daniels)

If you want to pitch a show but you have to ask around for ideas then my advice would be... don't bother. I know it's harsh, but if it's not your idea will you really have the enthusiasm to make the show? Will you have the enthusiasm to make the pitch, will you really be able to make the channel controllers choose to spend their limited programming budget on you - even though it's not really your idea and you just want to be on telly?

Magic on TV isn't in that bad of a state. Apart from Derren's stuff (Enigma is yet to be aired) and the new saturday night show on BBC1 there's the real hustle (which often contains elements of magic), we recently had Magic Numbers and you still see DAvid Blane and the Masked Magician from time to time

I'm not entirely sure why people are knocking the new BBC1 show. You want magic on TV yet even after just the smallest press release everybody is saying it's gonna be rubbish?

I'm not knocking the program's magic value, I think everyone is annoyed at the 'Celebrity Guest' part. Also the fact that they have openly stated that the people will have to do something outside of their niche, just for the sake of it. You don't see David Beckham making christmas dinner do you?

Lol, unfortunately it was a completely different word. I figured it would have got edited anyway...

kolm wrote:Magic on TV isn't in that bad of a state. Apart from Derren's stuff (Enigma is yet to be aired) and the new saturday night show on BBC1 there's the real hustle (which often contains elements of magic), we recently had Magic Numbers and you still see DAvid Blane and the Masked Magician from time to time

I'm not entirely sure why people are knocking the new BBC1 show. You want magic on TV yet even after just the smallest press release everybody is saying it's gonna be rubbish?

I agree entirely with this - Let's not forget 'Tricky TV' which is about to start again this week on CITV. OK, don't get hung up about the fact that it's a kids show, it might be the best way to get Magic on TV

I think the truth is that audiences and TV execs' tastes have changed over the last ten or twenty years. Could you really see Paul Daniels pulling in millions of viewers if he was up against 'The X Factor' every Saturday night? I think it's sad to see such a decline in the quality of priime time entertainment but TV companies are in the business of selling a product - and folks lap up the whole 'X-Factor/Strictly' premise. I honestly can't see a new Saturday night show being commissioned that doesn't involve the viewers texting in or calling a premium rate number. It serves two purposes; it makes the show more 'interactive' for the viewer and makes oodles of cash for the production company!

Mind you I could see it happening... interactive card tricks!

"Which card should we choose....? For the Ace of Clubs dial 08970 00000001l For the Two of Clubs, dial 08790 00000002, For the Three of Clubs dial......."

Don't laugh - I'm sure an exec has already pitched it somewhere!!

Repeat the old ones please. I missed Paul Daniels, so only really get to see whats on youtube. Would love to see some stuff like that on telly!

i like the old david blaine street magic that was good. i was watching the "mask magician" to day on it4 i think. he showed how to make an elephant appear.

Granted the PD shows wouldn't be as popular now as they were back in the day and the quirky, 'odd angle' type shows really don't do magic proper justice but what kind of TV Magic show do we think would be popular?

The Street Magician has been done almost to death but generated a lot of interest, the mentalist and psychological stuff on TV is really the preserve of Derren Brown, Monkey Magic and similar shows seem to be no longer of interest to producers so, apart from Tricky TV for kids, what's left that can be put on view? Would a David Copperfield type huge production show be worth doing? For some reason in the UK we (aka the media) tend to be more apreciative of foreign magicians and just take the mickey out of our home grown variety. Is there an answer or should we be content that live magic still goes on in clubs and theatres around the country and just might be the best way to view magic?

Mandrake wrote:Granted the PD shows wouldn't be as popular now as they were back in the day and the quirky, 'odd angle' type shows really don't do magic proper justice but what kind of TV Magic show do we think would be popular?

The Street Magician has been done almost to death but generated a lot of interest, the mentalist and psychological stuff on TV is really the preserve of Derren Brown, Monkey Magic and similar shows seem to be no longer of interest to producers so, apart from Tricky TV for kids, what's left that can be put on view? Would a David Copperfield type huge production show be worth doing? For some reason in the UK we (aka the media) tend to be more apreciative of foreign magicians and just take the mickey out of our home grown variety. Is there an answer or should we be content that live magic still goes on in clubs and theatres around the country and just might be the best way to view magic?

I don't think that we should put up with it. Theres always new ideas out there, we just need to take the plunge. It's about time someone stepped up against 'Reality' TV anyway, and I hope someone eventually (not necesarily a magician) gives it a good attempt. As for what would capture the nations attention, and hold it long enough to stop them turning over is where the originality would come in. Also Derren looks like he's slowly phasing out of TV work and focusing on touring, so the gap will become even greater.

phillipnorthfield wrote:I don't think that we should put up with it.

Well I like to think there's a lot of quality TV on at the moment. So I'm happy to put up with it

If you don't like the Strictly type format, that's fine - it's not for everybody. What kind of stuff would you like to see? Personally I would like to see a good variety type show, but recent attempts haven't been successful

kolm wrote:

phillipnorthfield wrote:I don't think that we should put up with it.

Well I like to think there's a lot of quality TV on at the moment. So I'm happy to put up with it

If you don't like the Strictly type format, that's fine - it's not for everybody. What kind of stuff would you like to see? Personally I would like to see a good variety type show, but recent attempts haven't been successful

I think the kinds of shows Wayne Dobson used to do would work well today. An informal environment, which is family friendly and can be shown to everyone. Clean entertainment. A variety show would be great if it was hosted by the right people, and there weren't huge auditions deliberately designed to show the worst people for people to make fun of. Unfortunately, that's the kind of world we live in now.

phillipnorthfield wrote: Unfortunately, that's the kind of world we live in now.

You've hit the proverbial nail on the head there. Maybe the BBC have got it right by including the 'celebrity' angle on the proposed show. Maybe, without the inclusion of easily recognisable faces from the pages of Heat magazine, the Beeb realise that the show wouldn't work.

Today's audiences (particularly at Primtetime) seem to be obsessed with the 'cult' of celebrity. Surely that's why they introduced the Strictly Come Dancing format....? I vaguely remember the original Come Dancing program that was a simple Dance Exhibition show. That would never work nowawdays but until it was axed in the 90's, it was the longest running show on British TV.

Can you honestly see the chavs who pick up their mobiles to vote for I'm a Celebrity Chef Wannabe Popstar Learning to Dance In The Jungle sitting through a silent dove act, or a Jeff McBride manip routine?

Sadly, I can't