So apparently Reza Borchardt is filming a show about the everyday life of a performer, on and off the stage. I'm really looking forward to this because I really enjoy Reza. What do you guys think about another magic show?
New Magic TV Show
- Thread starter JD
- Start date
I'm impartial. Reality TV magic just doesn't read right on the TV. Sure we all know what it's like to be a starving artist, but I want escapism when I watch TV. I don't want to be reminded of my daily struggles when watching the tube. The major problem Reza is going to have to overcome is creating enough, or providing enough drama to hook the audiences attention, keep them glued to the TV, and returning for more, without putting out too much melodrama.
So far, the only successful formula for a Magic TV show that I've seen is the one or two hour, often one shot, TV specials produced by X Las Vegas name. While there has been other attempts at bringing magic to the TV, they just seem to fall short.
For example, Celebricadabra. Great idea... in theory. Get a bunch of D list celebrities together, teach them magic tricks, include the magic castle, and format the show kind of like American Idol or any of the other talent show down shows out there. The only problem is the cast. I think that would have worked better if they would have gotten better known celebrities to play along.
Then there was Phenomenon. You know the show that teamed up Criss Angel and Uri Geller in an effort to find the next mentalist headliner. Outside of the glaring mistake of working a magician next to a flaming flake the show was insufferably okay. It was just hard to tell of which show hosts ego's were bigger at times.
Of course we can't talk magic TV without mentioning the failed show T.H.E.M. Think of it like street magic meets Punked, with a dash of candid camera mixed in for good measure. You get a team of magicians together who use hidden cameras and set up situations to impress, scare, shock, or amaze innocent bystanders. The show lasted all of 5 episodes before getting the ax. Good concept, but something died on the follow through.
As for with Reza, all I can say is I wish him nothing but the absolute best! I hope he can put something together that works, break the mold, and create a new genre of TV magic. Anything that can introduce our art to newer generations, inspire, and help create imagination is a good thing. God only knows, Angel has had the spot light for far to long. I'll be looking forward to seeing what his show can do.
So far, the only successful formula for a Magic TV show that I've seen is the one or two hour, often one shot, TV specials produced by X Las Vegas name. While there has been other attempts at bringing magic to the TV, they just seem to fall short.
For example, Celebricadabra. Great idea... in theory. Get a bunch of D list celebrities together, teach them magic tricks, include the magic castle, and format the show kind of like American Idol or any of the other talent show down shows out there. The only problem is the cast. I think that would have worked better if they would have gotten better known celebrities to play along.
Then there was Phenomenon. You know the show that teamed up Criss Angel and Uri Geller in an effort to find the next mentalist headliner. Outside of the glaring mistake of working a magician next to a flaming flake the show was insufferably okay. It was just hard to tell of which show hosts ego's were bigger at times.
Of course we can't talk magic TV without mentioning the failed show T.H.E.M. Think of it like street magic meets Punked, with a dash of candid camera mixed in for good measure. You get a team of magicians together who use hidden cameras and set up situations to impress, scare, shock, or amaze innocent bystanders. The show lasted all of 5 episodes before getting the ax. Good concept, but something died on the follow through.
As for with Reza, all I can say is I wish him nothing but the absolute best! I hope he can put something together that works, break the mold, and create a new genre of TV magic. Anything that can introduce our art to newer generations, inspire, and help create imagination is a good thing. God only knows, Angel has had the spot light for far to long. I'll be looking forward to seeing what his show can do.
I agree with you 100% Draven. I really hope Reza can do it. I hope he takes what Criss Angel tried to do and does it. I hope it doesn't flop. God knows whenever I hear the inevitable, "Hey man, I saw Criss Angel do[insert ridiculous effect here]. Can Reza do that? No." that I will have a small spasm in my brain that may cause me to just die instantly.