talkmagic.co.uk

Just had a quick squint at Magic Week and the following may be of interest:

Thursday July 3rd - Paul Zenon guesting on Channel 5, 11am, Gaby Roslin & Terry Wogan.

Saturday July 5th 7pm ITV2 - Lance Burton Master Magician: Top Secret. It's a repeat but what the hell!

Thursday July 10th - Sky Movies Cinema 2, 1.10pm and 7.10pm - Houdini - Movie. This is the awful and mainly inaccurate one starring Tony Curtis but is worth a look for the sheer comic element of it all. Harry would not have been amused!

Looks like I need sattelite or cable TV...No one told me how expensive magic could be!.

I know I should be spending more time reading the likes of RRTCM and Bobo's - And I know I should be spending more time praticing the simple things let alone the more complex moves/sleights. I know this. Heck I even should be praticing the overhanded shuffle - as i still end up with the odd card on the floor. (I pretend that the clumsy/bumbling persona I portray is all part of the act, but between you and me. It isn't).

And yet - as soon as someone reviews something even half way good, or as soon as one of the on-line stores send details of new stock - I just so much want it. I want it badly. I want it NOW! NOW I SAY!

I think that on-line stores should give all their stuff to me for free - and then I will do a nice review for them, and then they sell lots, so everyone is happy... <- See. We are all happy.

(It's Friday. I needed that)

Blimey. Who rattled your cage???

Fair play, Mr. Mandrake, for giving us something to watch... although I have to agree about the Houdini movie (but at least it's a lesson for the ignorant - Whodini???)

Great idea about the 'reviewing tricks for free'. Although I think Laurence may have something to say about it...

a) Now Bananafish needs a holiday! Why not have a word with Thos.Cook and see if you can 'review' a freebie holiday for them?

b) She Who Must Be Obeyed has just announced our weekend activities (don't be dirty!) and, as you may have guessed, I won't be in to watch the Lance Burton thing. This means I will have to dig out the instructions for the video recorder and try, for the 3 millionth time, to set it to record a programme I want rather than something else or nothing at all. Your deep and sincere thoughts would be appreciated at this time. If it works (ho, bloody ho - I'll tell you on Sunday or Monday) and anyone wants to borrow the tape, just let me know and I can post to you. Or send it by registered Aardvark. Or something.

Indeed, my weekend antics start this evening also - so I too will be working out how to interface the SkyDigital box with the video to record ITV2. Although, I'm sure we won't be leaving 'till after 7, so a blank tape, channel set and hit record will dutifully record the show and it's following pap.

I will be keeping an eye on it for two or three minutes, too, to make sure everything is tickety-boo before turning off the TV... Nothing worse than coming home from a long days work to the following scenario:

1: Dig out tape you recorded last week of not-to-be-missed show on TV
2: Put in VCR, fire up the TV and slip into kitchen
3: Get food from adoring missus, who's gassing on the blower
4: Take food on tray into living room - shut door to isolate rabbiting missus
5: Sit down, kick shoes off, tuck into food
6: Grab remote - hit play
7: Expect 1 hour's solitude and relaxation (before opening bills, hearing about needing new washing machine, Irene's husband leaving her, etc.etc.)
8: Cry into your steak as you realise you've got two episodes of Coronation street followed by the Bill to watch

Oh, yes... not to mention trying to fit a 1 hour show onto 32 minutes of tape...

And on the topic of domestic appliances, SWMBO's just phoned to say that the fridge repair man has this afternoon read the last rites over our fridge freezer so it's a nice little tour of Comet/Curry's/Powerhouse etc tomorrow. This will dent the credit card to the extent that online orders for further magic supplies will be seriously delayed!! She then told me that another geezer will be checking the slightly not working stove next Friday as well!

Well, folks, I'd like you all congratulate me on successfully managing to record Lance Burton's Show on Saturday. I'd like you to but you can't as I only managed to record the second half! Don't ask me why or how but, as far as I was concerned, the show started with the Mugs & Balls routine. Was the earlier part any good?

Can't help you there...

Went out early on Saturday (about 2pm) playing golf, and returned at 8pm - missing the show entirely.

I knew it was not meant to be!

And the really irritating part is that there's another one on next Saturday at about 4.30 on ITV2 but it's the one I've seen hundreds of times (well, three times at least!), where they're all on the Tour Bus travelling around the USA and Lance finally makes the bus disappear. The best routine is where he levitates a nice young lady but on a beach in full view of all & sundry.

I know the one - that's the one with the dancing hanky routine???

Excellent! I've only seen that one about 5 and a half times!!!

That's the one!

It's a bit like watching some of the classic movies where you know the script so well you're reciting it as the film unfolds ('You expect me to talk Goldfinger?' 'No, Mr.Bond, I expect you to die!' plus all that stuff from Casablanca). OK, so I'm a saddo but I'm happy that way!

...and the awesome 'locking hands' beach performance.... priceless on wine-saturated friends...

Oh yes, it's all coming back to me...

According to Magicweek, there are one or two events of interest on the way!


2.8.03 Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (Rpt) 5.35pm on Saturday 2nd August (50 minutes) on ITV2. (Yawn - on no, not again, and it was on yesterday!)

2.8.03 Secrets of Magic 8.35pm on Saturday 2nd August (55 minutes) on BBC1. "Magical panel game. Nick Knowles challenges a celebrity panel to uncover the secrets behind the illusions created by a team of magicians." (The other write up on same site suggest that the team of illusionists build an effect and then tell everyone how it's done.). This is the prog that caused a bit of fuss earlier in the year when the Beeb said they were commissioning it and many magi were not happy at yet another revelations show.

2.8.03 Robert Gallup: Extreme Magic - Live on Tour (Rpt)
9pm on Saturday 2nd August (1 hour) on Bravo (and again at 10pm on Bravo Plus 1).

3.8.03 Robert Gallup: Extreme Magic - Live on Tour (Rpt)
0.30am on Sunday 3rd August (1 hour) on Bravo (and again at 1.30am on Bravo Plus 1).

3.8.03 Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (Rpt) 12.25pm on Sunday 3rd August (50 minutes) on ITV2.

3.8.03 Breaking the Magician's Code: More of Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (Rpt) 1.15pm on Sunday 3rd August (55 minutes) on ITV2.

(That last one seems to be a repeat immediately after the first showing - will need to get my TV magazine and double check this!!)

3.8.03 Just Like That (Rpt) 8.30pm on Sunday 3rd August (30 minutes) on BBC Radio Four. "Milton Jones celebrates the comic genius of Tommy Cooper, the 'unattractive young man' once rejected by the BBC for his 'poor diction and unpleasant manner.'"

Checking the Magic Week forthcoming events on TV shows:

The War Illusionist 8pm on Friday 5th September on History Channel. "The astonishing story of Jasper Maskelyne, the stage magician who played a vital part in the North African campaign in WWII. An accomplished illusionist, Maskelyne used extraordinary lighting effects to camouflage the Suez Canal to prevent aerial attacks and create mirages of British tank squadrons in empty desert." Also repeated at 9.00pm on History Plus 1 then again at 11.00AM on Saturday 6th and at 12.00 on History Plus 1. I managed to miss this every time when it was shown last time so I'm doing everything I can to make sure I see one of these broadcasts!

Secrets of Street Magicians Finally Revealed 5.05pm on Saturday 6th September on ITV2. A masked magician reveals how street performers create tricks and illusions. Again!

8pm on Saturday 6th September on Sky One Mix. Something about a Geezer going into a Tupperware box. Sadly I'll have to miss this as I really must go watch some paint dry. Or some traffic lights change. Or something. Anything.

For the exclusive benefit of The Mog and Mistress of Magic: Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 4.05pm on Sunday 7th September on ITV1 Border (Scottish).

8pm on Sunday 7th September on Sky One. Geezer up a pole. He's up the pole again on 8th September at 2.15am and 9pm (on Sky Mix).

10pm on Monday 8th September on Channel 4. Geezer in a Tupperware box. Again.