Talk:The Magician (TV series)
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"The Magician" was my favorite show of childhood. It amazes me how much interest and fondness there is for this show on the Web so many years after it originally aired--but perhaps it shouldn't.
From the "Baroque trumpet" opening strains of the theme song, we knew we were in for a fast-paced show (the theme by Pat Williams years later inspired Mark Snow, composer of the X-Files theme).
I remember seeing "The Magician"--or wanting to see it--in reruns, but I could only occasionally--it came on past my bed time! The episodes I did see were full of drama and excitement. They inspired in me a lifelong interest in Magic.
The plot of a magician solving crimes was unique in television history. Its only forerunner was not on TV, but on old-time radio--an old show called "Blackstone, the Magic Detective." "The Magician" did away with the old stereotype of the waxed moustache--Tony Blake drove a fast car, dressed stylishly and was popular with the ladies. The show updated the theme of the magician-detective and brought it to modern audiences.
What was it about the show that was so memorable? Well first, it was the undeniable charm of Bill Bixby, a fan favorite so many years after his passing. A kindly man by all accounts, Bixby brought an authenticity to his character, Tony Blake, that perhaps no one else could.
Authenticity was also one of Bixby's chief concerns. Not willing to settle for the "easy way out" of trick photography, Bixby insisted on legitimately performing all the illusions seen in his show. This made it an inspiration to aspiring magicians everywhere. In fact, in one episode of the show, a television cameraman brags to Blake that he could do with trick photography anything that Blake could do through magic. Blake replies, "Yes, but you have one advantage over me: you can turn the camera off any time you like."
The show was authentic in another way as well: Bixby's character, Tony Blake, did not rely on mystical mumbo-jumbo like the old comic strip character "Mandrake the Magician." Blake's feet were firmly planted in reality: the premise of the show was that Tony accomplished all of his magic through sleight of hand techniques, not through the supernatural. This gave the show a believability that other shows lacked.
The message of the show was that no remarkable powers are necessary; we can succeed in life simply by using our own brain power. In one episode, a tiger was set after Blake by the villains. Blake dashed to a telephone booth. Too late--the tiger leaped inside the booth before he could close the door! But Blake outwitted the tiger by staying OUTSIDE the booth, trapping the tiger inside!
In a sense, this show was also about the triumph of science and technology over evil. Blake used the modern technologies of magic to confuse and eventually defeat the villains. Blake showed that mystical powers are unnecessary to vanquish evil: only human ingenuity and an indomitable spirit.
Another major theme of the show was that of overcoming adversity. Who among us has not suffered a traumatic event at some time in our lives? So did Tony Blake: he was unjustly held in a South American prison for years--and he had the scars to prove it! But Tony triumphed over these challenges and emerged stronger because of them--an object lesson for all of us.
Even more inspiring was the way he dealt with such a trauma: by devoting his life to helping others. Unlike most TV gumshoes, he helped people and solved crimes with no thought of compensation. (And of course, the fact that he was wealthy was no doubt an unconscious wish fulfillment for many viewers.)
Yet another admirable aspect of the show was the notable lack of violence. Tony Blake only held a gun once during the entire series--and that was only for a few moments after he seized it from a bad guy. One later-day reviewer claimed that this made the show less interesting than it might have been. Nonsense! Columbo was non-violent yet its legions of fans will attest to its entertainment value. Like Columbo, Tony Blake used his wits to track down the villains. Watching a detective cunningly solve crimes is one of the most engaging premises in fiction (witness the enduring popularity of Sherlock Holmes). Also "The Magician" regularly featured fast-paced car chases, dramatic rescues from airplanes, and other exciting plot devices. In this age of increasingly violent programming, we can all the more appreciate this daring yet cunning magical sleuth who used his wits rather than his fists to do good.
Though the show didn't get the chance it deserved (it was hampered by a writers' strike and scheduled against crushing competition--first Hawaii 5-O and then Gunsmoke) it earned a new generation of fans when it was rerun on the Sci-fi channel. Today, we have the existing collection of episodes and our own fond memories of it to enjoy.
To Bill Bixby and Tony Blake--thank you for an exciting show--and thank you for showing us what is possible through the magic of our own minds.
2002 by Timothy Arends
[edit] Three articles? or maybe four?
It seems to me that this article should actually be three: The Magician for the novel, The Magician for the film and The Magician for the TV show. Grstain 22:22, 18 Jul 2004 (UTC)
...and a fourth article, The Magician, for the tarot card Grstain 12:10, 15 Aug 2004 (UTC)
