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I was just watching TV when I see a promo for a new series on NBC called "Phenomenon". It's a competition for mentalists (I sure the winner already knows who s/he is ) hosted by Criss Angel and Uri Geller! It premeires on October 24th.

www.nbc.com wrote:Premieres Wednesday, October 24 8/7c
New LIVE competition that will blow your mind!
PHENOMENON

Mystifier/artist Criss Angel ("Criss Angel MINDFREAK") and famed mentalist Uri Geller will host this mysterious live competition series in which they will conduct an intensive search for the next great mentalist. The series tests 10 hopeful mentalists who must compete each week to demonstrate a wide spectrum of mystifying talents for a panel of weekly celebrity guests and a studio audience. Geller and Angel will assess the contestants but ultimately the winner's fate will be determined by the viewers at home. In addition to voting, each episode will also contain an interactive component to engage the at home audience. WATCH PREVIEW NOW

I was wondering if anyone else had heard of this yet (comments please) . I'm pretty excited for it myself.

I actually haven`t, but it sounds very interesting. I`ll watch it.

i've been reading a thread about this elsewhere, its full of the people who auditioned crowing about how unfair it all is...tsk tsk tsk...

its a thread full of children when you first read it...

abraxus wrote:its a thread full of children when you first read it...

That's exactly what I though, abraxus. It really is quite ridiculous.

Sam, the show should be interesting, to say the least. I'm curious as to who ends up appearing on it.

Harry.

Voted by the public, eh? Knowing Uri it'll be "if you want Brian to win, focus on the box on your screen now and think "select! SELECT!"

Harry Truman wrote:Sam, the show should be interesting, to say the least. I'm curious as to who ends up appearing on it.

From what I understand, it's supposed to be all amateurs. Sounds like it coudl go down in flames if they're not careful.

I had my doubts about this, but the preview vid left me wanting to see it. Criss looked like a douche, Uri looked cool

I can't remember where I heard it from but apparently the likes of Yigal Mesika and Morgan Strebler are auditioning . Strange seeing as they are much more talented than that Angel bloke.

I'm told this follows on from Uri's successful Israeli show to find a successor. It does rather imply that it's the search not the finding one that's important. Still, it's nice to see mentalism with such a high profile.

Wanders off whistling and wondering if they'll try any Naked stuff...

What channel is this gonna be aired on ?

'Phenomenon' aired Wednesday night on NBC. There are a couple of threads about it in the 'Miscellaneous' forum. I put my general impressions of it up. It was okay.

what are the chances that you would ever be successful if you won a "talent" contest?

Blapsing_Beard wrote:what are the chances that you would ever be successful if you won a "talent" contest?

You don't follow too many of these contests do you? Even people that came in at 3rd and 4th place with shows like Star Search, AGT, etc. have broken into major film & recording deals. Terry Fator, a ventriloquist that just won AGT a couple of weeks ago, was getting offers to major Casino dates and corporate deals, less than half-way into the competition.

No, even if you SUCKTHEGRANDWAAZOO being on one of these shows 3+ times in a row is almost a shoe-in for work and at minimum, short term success (as in, lots of work for the next season or two). But then people like 80s comic sensation Sinbad proved you could go even further.

Exceptionally few in the magic world win this sort of show case in that many lay people do not see where magic involves actual talent... not in the same way they view comedy, singing, etc. Magic, puppets and other elements in the Variety Arts are typically looked down on and must work even harder to get any kind of award styled endorsement when the competition lays outside the specialty industry in question and includes ALL modes of what is classified as "talent". There have been a few exceptions here and there, but very few.

Now... saying all this, Opportunity Knocks produced the birth and maturing of LOTS of raw talent...

yeah...we produced two of the funniest men alive!

lenny henry and jim davidson...pffft...

neither are funny for completely different reasons...