Once upon a time, there was a man named Criss Angel. This man performed the most incredible, controversial, and downright ridiculous magic stunts. Those on-screen antics led to an objectively impressive live-performing career in Las Vegas. Now, he’s back on telly in a show that is nothing if not totally ‘Criss Angel’ through and through.
You might be asking yourself, why didn’t I know about Angel’s new TV show? Well, it’s actually quite hard to find. It’s nearly impossible to source clips on YouTube. How did we at One Ahead hear about it? Well, from Angel himself… via Twitter.
The One Ahead Twitter (@oneaheadclub) only follows one account. That account is the Twitter account of Criss Angel. Yes, we only follow one account, and it’s Criss Angel’s because I thought it would be funny. But then, several weeks ago, I opened our Twitter and saw a video on my timeline of Frankie Muniz rehearsing his illusionist air fist pumps.
Who is Frankie Muniz? Well, he’s the American child star you’ll likely know as Malcolm from the hit sitcom Malcolm In The Middle. I, of course, knew him from the hit teen movie Agent Cody Banks — a film which made a younger version of myself want to be a spy and also want to date Hilary Duff.
Well, Frankie Muniz is all grown up, and now I’m watching him on stage in Vegas getting taught how to fist the air by Criss Angel. Consider my interest piqued.
It turned out that Frankie is a competitor in Angel’s new CW show, Magic With The Stars. I needed to watch an episode.
For readers old enough to recall 1982’s Magic With The Stars, starring David Copperfield and Orson Welles — this show is not that show.
I hope that clears things up.
So, let’s find out if Angel’s new show is a cash-grab, ground-breaking television or nothing but a big fat scam. Will The CW bring it back for a second season? Buckle up, and enjoy today’s story.
Who is a Criss Angel?
I’m British, and as far as I can recall, we never had Angel on British television (UPDATE: his show did air in the UK in 2006). So when I think of him, I go to some of his most controversial moments within the magic world. And he is a controversial figure, Angel, inside and outside of the magic industry.
I might first recall him using his powers to swap the lower halves of a man and a woman in a park. Yes, he really did do that. Perhaps you’ll remember the time he pushed a stranger’s pregnant belly inwards to be totally flat. I first saw these clips as a kid on a low-quality early version of a website called YouTube. The videos are incredibly engaging, and it’s hard to look away.
He’s infamous within the industry for using stooges who are in on the tricks. And when he’s not doing that, his spectators are often giving unrealistically over-the-top reactions to his magic.
