Magic has never been more popular than it is right now. With shows like Penn and Teller’s Fool Us on its ninth season, America’s Got Talent in its seventeenth (with three magicians winning in the past nine seasons), and Justin Willman’s smash hit Magic for Humans on Netflix; it’s easier than ever to see magic on TV. But magic specials aren’t new (after all, David Copperfield’s first special was in 1977).
So, what characters are you likely to encounter on magic television?
1. The Playful Trickster
Carbonaro and Willman have perfectly threaded the needle between prank and unforgettable trick. While Carbonaro’s viewers don’t know they’re seeing magic (his show The Carbonaro Effect uses hidden cameras to capture Carbonaro doing magic tricks in real life, like selling people self-tying shoelaces in a shoe store or convincing people that a paper phone actually makes calls at Best Buy).
While Willman’s audiences know they’re seeing magic, he themes each episode around a central idea like “Self-Control” or “Terrifying Tech” and uses interesting locations like a marijuana dispensary or a nudist pool to capture people’s attention. Carbonaro and Willman are experts at coming across as likeable while also being highly fooling, which is much harder than it sounds.
Finally, while currently known for their hit show “Fool Us,” Penn and Teller consistently push the envelope on memorable, cheeky magic with a message. They famously revealed the cups and balls, one of the oldest magic tricks in history, by performing the trick with clear plastic cups. They’ve burned American flags, made a cell phone appear in a fish, and once did a trick on Saturday Night Live while they hung upside down from their ankles. For Penn and Teller, artfully revealing a trick, and then later fooling the audience with it, is part of their tongue-in-cheek style. Their utmost respect for their audience's intelligence sets them apart from most magicians.
2. The Stunt Person
Often characterized by responses like “Did he really do that?” And “It’s cool, but I think it’s fake,” these magicians truly take magic (and their bodies) to the next level.
David Blaine has set the tone for physical stunts in the two decades. In 2017, he performed a real bullet catch where he caught a bullet in a specially-made metal cup lodged in his jaw. The bullet struck his mouth so hard, he actually thought he died. The stunt prompted prominent members of his team, like Asi Wind, to threaten to stop working for him unless he stopped performing the stunt.
Derren Brown is also known for high-stakes but primarily psychological stunts, like predicting the lottery. But he’s also flirted with danger, like when he played Russian Roulette on live television, or convinced someone to kill a cat.
Finally, Criss Angel has consistently pushed the boundaries of TV magic, performing stunts like escaping from a straight jacket in Times Square, sawing himself in half, and walking on water.
