The Magicians - New BBC Show
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by boogybass » Jan 2nd, '11, 20:31
Im new to this forum, but not new to magic as Im a huge life long enthusiast and performer of over 15 years. This first show of The Magician's dissapointed me because as discussed here it lacked passion and showmanship.
To me it was a bunch of illusion props that were just Demonstrated rather than performed with any flair. Its clear that the The Celebrity pairings were just rushed together with limited pre rehersal and us such the format comes out as being rushed, clunky and awkward. Different celebs every week means we are going to get much of the same throughout this five show run.
If they had done this in a proper budgeted 3 month ala "strictly come dancing" Or "Dancing on Ice" style with a pairing being voted off each week I am sure we would have got a better and improving format.
Instead we have something that just doesnt really make a lot of sense, and is lack lustre which I feel is bad for a show that is hoping to put Magic back in the public eye on a favourable level.
Its a shame that they couldnt have been more informative and taken time to put some history behind the effects being performed. For example in this show we had an adaption/evolution of the Sawing in Half illusion and as 2011 marks the 90th anniversary of the first ever public performance of this illusion, it would have been a nice touch to have had a couple minutes prior to the performance to have explained its history rather than have focussed on the ramblings of the "celeb" who seemed to be just there to promote themselves.
If this team get a chance at a second series, which is going to be a miracle in itself I reckon after the pasting this will get from the critics, then it would be wise to ditch the celeb guests. Like ive read on another review if you are going down this game show route with a magic show, it would be more entertaining and interesting to take audience members or applications from members of the public to be the assistants.
To me it was a bunch of illusion props that were just Demonstrated rather than performed with any flair. Its clear that the The Celebrity pairings were just rushed together with limited pre rehersal and us such the format comes out as being rushed, clunky and awkward. Different celebs every week means we are going to get much of the same throughout this five show run.
If they had done this in a proper budgeted 3 month ala "strictly come dancing" Or "Dancing on Ice" style with a pairing being voted off each week I am sure we would have got a better and improving format.
Instead we have something that just doesnt really make a lot of sense, and is lack lustre which I feel is bad for a show that is hoping to put Magic back in the public eye on a favourable level.
Its a shame that they couldnt have been more informative and taken time to put some history behind the effects being performed. For example in this show we had an adaption/evolution of the Sawing in Half illusion and as 2011 marks the 90th anniversary of the first ever public performance of this illusion, it would have been a nice touch to have had a couple minutes prior to the performance to have explained its history rather than have focussed on the ramblings of the "celeb" who seemed to be just there to promote themselves.
If this team get a chance at a second series, which is going to be a miracle in itself I reckon after the pasting this will get from the critics, then it would be wise to ditch the celeb guests. Like ive read on another review if you are going down this game show route with a magic show, it would be more entertaining and interesting to take audience members or applications from members of the public to be the assistants.
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by rvoice100 » Jan 2nd, '11, 20:40
Sorry gents but your never going to be happy with a magic show ever again I'm afraid. A lot of people are talking about the old formats and Paul daniels etc. Do you think if that was still popular and getting viewers excited BBC would ever have cancelled it? They would have cancelled it because it had less viewers and people not enjoying it as much. I have a great deal of respect for the guy but if you mention Paul to anyone you will stir up images of a cheesy old magician pulling rabbits out of a hat. Like it or not that's what people think. You think that would be a raging success in 2011 tv? Sorry guys but things need to move on, things that worked in the past are great but they stop for a reason.
Did I enjoy this show? No, not really but...... I can see why they chose the format they did. People like cells (even z listers) look at every single show these days, look at magazines cells get viewers. You may not like it (i dont) but that's what people want that's what they get. As magicians we all think we know what's best for our craft, we even think we know what's best for OUR audience but for an audience that has little interest in magic you need to add something that they will like watching.... cells and a competition element. I'm sorry guys but magic is cheesy, magic is trickery, magic is immature. These are things I hear quite often. Magic is not the hippest thing these days and magic on tv often needs gimmicks to get viewers.
Imagine how many viewers it would get if the blurb said:
3 unknown but great magicians will spend an hour showing tricks on tv for your entertainment.
Sure we all would be all over it but magic on tv is like porn for us lil but Joe public don't want to see people they don't know doing tricks on tv. Nuff said.
At least we still have darren! I respect that man more and more each time I see more crappy magic.
Did I enjoy this show? No, not really but...... I can see why they chose the format they did. People like cells (even z listers) look at every single show these days, look at magazines cells get viewers. You may not like it (i dont) but that's what people want that's what they get. As magicians we all think we know what's best for our craft, we even think we know what's best for OUR audience but for an audience that has little interest in magic you need to add something that they will like watching.... cells and a competition element. I'm sorry guys but magic is cheesy, magic is trickery, magic is immature. These are things I hear quite often. Magic is not the hippest thing these days and magic on tv often needs gimmicks to get viewers.
Imagine how many viewers it would get if the blurb said:
3 unknown but great magicians will spend an hour showing tricks on tv for your entertainment.
Sure we all would be all over it but magic on tv is like porn for us lil but Joe public don't want to see people they don't know doing tricks on tv. Nuff said.
At least we still have darren! I respect that man more and more each time I see more crappy magic.
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by rvoice100 » Jan 2nd, '11, 20:45
This is what I mean..... were saying its a bad tv show then saying it would be better to show a few minutes of the history of an illusion?!? who would want to see that except a magician? We just want a program that we would love, that's never going to happen because it would bore a normal audience!
No disrespect BTW
No disrespect BTW
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by Gary Dickson » Jan 2nd, '11, 21:38
Klangster, the Conditional Acceptance ended with the debt bandit dropping their claim as they could not verify or validate the debt, and in pressing the claim without such validation they were perpetrating fraud according to sections 2,3 and 4 of the Fraud Act 2006. It was passed back to HBOS, whom we have not heard from since. Given that the law of agent and principal was applied in all the notices (where service upon one is service upon the other), my guess is that we won't hear from them again.
Iain, I do not take 'stuff' for free unless it has been freely offered.
With regards to the credit card debt, I settled using a lawful specie of money, of which there is more than one type. Check out the Bills of Exchange Act 1882, the Debtors and Bankruptcy Act 1869, the Gold Standards Act 1931 and the HBOS Reorganisation Act 2006 for further details.
As I'm sure you can appreciate, given that I feel I have settled the debt using a lawful specie of money (just as lawful as the promissory notes issued by the Bank of England) then there is no conflict with my Buddhist practice. If you have some evidence that the remittance is not a lawful specie of money that may be used to credit/offset the balance of an account I would like to see it.
To be honest, I don't really see the need to go over all this again. I appreciate that you disagree with my actions, as is your prerogative. However, to avoid derailing this thread, and any other thread I may post on, can I suggest that you keep your snidey little comments to yourself? Otherwise threads such as this will just become locked when there is no need. If you really feel the need to make them, perhaps you could do it by PM, that way we wouldn't spoil the fun for others.
Iain, I do not take 'stuff' for free unless it has been freely offered.
With regards to the credit card debt, I settled using a lawful specie of money, of which there is more than one type. Check out the Bills of Exchange Act 1882, the Debtors and Bankruptcy Act 1869, the Gold Standards Act 1931 and the HBOS Reorganisation Act 2006 for further details.
As I'm sure you can appreciate, given that I feel I have settled the debt using a lawful specie of money (just as lawful as the promissory notes issued by the Bank of England) then there is no conflict with my Buddhist practice. If you have some evidence that the remittance is not a lawful specie of money that may be used to credit/offset the balance of an account I would like to see it.
To be honest, I don't really see the need to go over all this again. I appreciate that you disagree with my actions, as is your prerogative. However, to avoid derailing this thread, and any other thread I may post on, can I suggest that you keep your snidey little comments to yourself? Otherwise threads such as this will just become locked when there is no need. If you really feel the need to make them, perhaps you could do it by PM, that way we wouldn't spoil the fun for others.
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Gary Dickson - Senior Member
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by The_Monsoon » Jan 2nd, '11, 21:53
rvoice100 wrote: It would be better to show a few minutes of the history of an illusion?!? who would want to see that except a magician? We just want a program that we would love, that's never going to happen because it would bore a normal audience!
No disrespect BTW
To counter that, who would want to watch a Documentary on the history of a specific type of aircraft? It's not just Pilots who watch it, otherwise they wouldn't get made.
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The_Monsoon - Junior Member
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by rvoice100 » Jan 2nd, '11, 22:23
No, but it is people who are interested in aircraft, the intended audience for magic is shifting people who want to be entertAined not just watch tricks.
What channel is that airplane documentary on? I'll try to avoid it lol jk
What channel is that airplane documentary on? I'll try to avoid it lol jk
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by Petitbonhomme » Jan 2nd, '11, 23:04
Hello !
I'm looking for somebody who speaks French to react to this first broadcast The Magicians BBC.
It's for a interview for my webradio Le Petitzebulon :
you can listen the interviews, in french, here :
http://lepetitzebulon.artblog.fr/
A web radio about magic and magicians !
I would like to record, in french, yours good or bad opinions
after the first The Magicians BBC.
If you speak french and if you are interested,
you can contact me by e-mail :
jeanyves.loes@neuf.fr
See you soon !
PS : sorry for my english,
i hope your french is better !
I'm looking for somebody who speaks French to react to this first broadcast The Magicians BBC.
It's for a interview for my webradio Le Petitzebulon :
you can listen the interviews, in french, here :
http://lepetitzebulon.artblog.fr/
A web radio about magic and magicians !
I would like to record, in french, yours good or bad opinions
after the first The Magicians BBC.
If you speak french and if you are interested,
you can contact me by e-mail :
jeanyves.loes@neuf.fr
See you soon !
PS : sorry for my english,
i hope your french is better !
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Petitbonhomme - New User
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by Miles More Magic » Jan 3rd, '11, 00:21
I agree that it didn't live up to the hype, but feel we all wanted a magic gala show.
However, there are a number of things to think about:
C list clebs maybe, but:
Diversity, Bruno and Sian are known and appeal to different age ranges. If the mix is like that in the other shows, some people will watch BECAUSE of the celebs. There are a number of shows, including game shows, which have stopped using members of the public and just use celebrities. Whether that is a good or bad thing doesn't matter. The PUBLIC watch those shows.
Will the celebrities that appear on this series talk about doing the show, either in private or on TV. You bet. I make that a total of 15 celebrity acts, during the five shows. Magicians will talk about magic, but only people that are interested enough to WATCH the magician doing their act or an interview, will tune in. What the celebrities will do is talk about it at other times. Maybe not much to not many, but it WILL be mentioned in non-magic circles.
At 7.30 on a Saturday night, there will also be people watching that wouldn't if it was on during the week.
Dale has pointed out there are FIVE different magic shows due on TV. When was the last time there was so much magic on TV in the UK and would a lay audience be interested if they were all the same? Whether we like this show or not, this format will be liked by some. If that then means they may watch some more magic shows, great. I agree that it could put some people off, as they wouldn't like the format. Some of those may even watch the other shows, hoping for more magic.
Saturdays show was 1 of 5. I would be more interested in the viewing figures for each show, to see whether the BBC will continue with more magic, even in this format, later in the year.
I didn't like the format and I did find some of it boring and lame. I can honestly say I have felt that way about some of the Gala shows that I have seen at magic Conventions.
I do get that magic is no longer seen as big enough ratings winners for prime time TV, so I am happy that TV companies are trying different formats to try and make it work, as there is more chance that one or two may get good enough viewing figures to get another seires/one off/different show, so magic is seen by more people. None of us on here matter, as we are likely to watch anything with "magic" in the title anyway. THIS ISN'T A SHOW FOR MAGICIANS!!
However, there are a number of things to think about:
C list clebs maybe, but:
Diversity, Bruno and Sian are known and appeal to different age ranges. If the mix is like that in the other shows, some people will watch BECAUSE of the celebs. There are a number of shows, including game shows, which have stopped using members of the public and just use celebrities. Whether that is a good or bad thing doesn't matter. The PUBLIC watch those shows.
Will the celebrities that appear on this series talk about doing the show, either in private or on TV. You bet. I make that a total of 15 celebrity acts, during the five shows. Magicians will talk about magic, but only people that are interested enough to WATCH the magician doing their act or an interview, will tune in. What the celebrities will do is talk about it at other times. Maybe not much to not many, but it WILL be mentioned in non-magic circles.
At 7.30 on a Saturday night, there will also be people watching that wouldn't if it was on during the week.
Dale has pointed out there are FIVE different magic shows due on TV. When was the last time there was so much magic on TV in the UK and would a lay audience be interested if they were all the same? Whether we like this show or not, this format will be liked by some. If that then means they may watch some more magic shows, great. I agree that it could put some people off, as they wouldn't like the format. Some of those may even watch the other shows, hoping for more magic.
Saturdays show was 1 of 5. I would be more interested in the viewing figures for each show, to see whether the BBC will continue with more magic, even in this format, later in the year.
I didn't like the format and I did find some of it boring and lame. I can honestly say I have felt that way about some of the Gala shows that I have seen at magic Conventions.
I do get that magic is no longer seen as big enough ratings winners for prime time TV, so I am happy that TV companies are trying different formats to try and make it work, as there is more chance that one or two may get good enough viewing figures to get another seires/one off/different show, so magic is seen by more people. None of us on here matter, as we are likely to watch anything with "magic" in the title anyway. THIS ISN'T A SHOW FOR MAGICIANS!!
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Miles More Magic - Senior Member
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by Edantes » Jan 3rd, '11, 01:12
I feel sorry for the magicians involved in the show. Chris Korn is one of my favorite close up magicians and watching him "perform" with that Bruno guy made me cringe, could anyone else see Chris's obvious irritation with him during the chainsaw trick?
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by nameless » Jan 3rd, '11, 01:16
kolm wrote:
Oh please. Are you seriously suggesting that you've never watched or used any service whatsoever that BBC either make or are involved with?
Of course I watch the BBC ... I'm paying for it! I could certainly live without it though, if I was allowed to choose.
I don't watch much TV as it is, only two or three programmes on a regular basis, none of them on the BBC. Hand on heart, I do not get £145 of value from the BBC per year.
kolm wrote:Even so, as long as you're not watching it live, you can watch any TV program on the Internet without needing a TV licence. Just throw away your TV and don't watch any channels as live
Personally, I wouldn't take the chance ...
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/n ... aders.html
Back on topic though .... anyone remember that show on Channel 4 a few years back, I think it was called Dirty Tricks, and was on very late at night?
I have to say that was the show that got me interested in magic, because it proved there was more to it than cheesy Butlins-type stuff.
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