14 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :- Classic 70's Crime drama, with a twist!, 26 September 2001
Author:
progrock from Littleton, CO
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).
5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- It was this t.v. show that rekindled my love of magic., 31 October 2004
Author:
stephan_psi
One of the best t.v. series ever done using magic in a drama (better
than Blacke's Magic that came later). It brought magic into the modern
age, while keeping the character believable, and yet, mysterious. Also
an excellent show to inspire young people to take an interest in magic
as a hobby/or even as a profession...it did for me, just when I had
thought about hanging up my wand, this show hit the air and I was
inspired to create an original style. Bill Bixby did a fine job in
every episode, with the excellent coaching of Mark Wilson. I would love
to see this series put onto DVD as a hero for the next generation of
wand wavers. Our magical arts need more films like this one. (Steve
Gathings, Modern Magical Entertainer.)
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14 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Classic 70's Crime drama, with a twist!, 26 September 2001
Author: progrock from Littleton, CO
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).
5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
It was this t.v. show that rekindled my love of magic., 31 October 2004
Author: stephan_psi
One of the best t.v. series ever done using magic in a drama (better than Blacke's Magic that came later). It brought magic into the modern age, while keeping the character believable, and yet, mysterious. Also an excellent show to inspire young people to take an interest in magic as a hobby/or even as a profession...it did for me, just when I had thought about hanging up my wand, this show hit the air and I was inspired to create an original style. Bill Bixby did a fine job in every episode, with the excellent coaching of Mark Wilson. I would love to see this series put onto DVD as a hero for the next generation of wand wavers. Our magical arts need more films like this one. (Steve Gathings, Modern Magical Entertainer.)
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