"The Magician" (1973) TV series 1973-1974

Directors:

Jack Arnold
Bill Bixby

Writer:

Larry Brody (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

2 October 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Plot:

Anthony Blake is a very compassionate and wealthy magician, who uses his talents as an illusionist and escape artist to help people in trouble...

Plot Keywords:

Magic

Cast

Bill Bixby

...

Anthony Blake / ... (22 episodes, 1973-1974)

Runtime:

60 min (24 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

B 'n' B Pictures Corp.

Trivia:

Bill Bixby actually learned how to do the magic tricks for this role, so for most of the magic there was no trick photography used at all. Some magic did use the frame of the camera or edits to allow effects that would not have been possible otherwise.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The X Files: Paper Hearts (#4.10)" (1996)

Classic 70's Crime drama, with a twist!

I vaguely remember really enjoying this show as a kid. I was always fascinated with Magic and it was fun to see magic used to defeat bad guys. Now in my 30's I have finally been able to view this series again (thanks to the Sci-Fi channel and insomnia) to see how well it holds up. I've always been a fan of Bill Bixby and his portrayal of Anthony Blake is still marvelous. He's cool, collected and always seems to get wrapped up with people who get in trouble (ala Hart to Hart). The one aspect where Bixby really shines though is his "I'm too cool" attitude towards the bad guys. Blake gets into some tense situations but always seems to have the one up on them and always has a trick up his sleeve (sometimes literally) as he slip out of handcuffs, makes guns vanish and throws flash powder in attacker's eyes. He likes to torment, ridicule and expose the enemy. Also he has some cool stuff like his Corvette, tons of magical gimics and an airplaine which he lives in! Apparently Bixby trained as an actual magician and vowed that all the tricks shown on the program were authentic, this lead to the famous Magician Blackstone offically recognizing the show. Sure you have the wide ties, huge lapells and bell bottoms and at times this show can get a little cheezy with "future starlets" singing, people overcoming emotional problems, etc. But this is a fun show, and the magic adds a special twist to the plot. If you were a fan of Maninix, Streets of San Francisco, Knight Rider or any of the crime shows with a "twist" from the 70's such as David McCallum's Invisible Man or Gemini Man, this series is worth a look (if you can find it that is).