Season 1: Magical London Town

[Taeolas]

The first trick, with the cards getting back into the deck while in Penn's hands; that was amazing. He seemed really flummuxed by how the 7 of diamonds got into the deck so easily; even when they saw the switch. 

 

For the other tricks, it seemed they were more willing to give away the trick than in other eps. They told the coin trick (which was pretty obvious) with the mentalist they said it out right and of course the rest is just preparation. 

 

The "Cuban" act with the staple gun, they also seemed to give away more than they usually do for the act. It's pretty obvious how it works but still they had more tells than usual. 

 

But that all done, seeing the Daniels on stage was great. I used to watch the magic show on YTV when I was younger here in Canada, and loved his show (or I might be remembering someone else entirely). The illusion/trick was pretty basic itself, but just the respect P&T had for the Daniels was great, some true masters of the arts on stage there, and everyone definitly seemed to be amazed to be with the others. 

 

The bag trick was cute, probably obvious, especially with the flash, but it was fun by the looks of it. :) 

[Amarsir]

The "Cuban" act with the staple gun, they also seemed to give away more than they usually do for the act. It's pretty obvious how it works but still they had more tells than usual.

It's also raises a slight controversy.  That performer (Manuel Martinez) didn't invent that trick.  It was invented by someone else, who makes money by selling the technique to magicians.  (Very common.)  So when P&T revealed the method on television, they were effectively spoiling the secret of a guy who isn't even on the show.  Not the only instance of that, and I guess it's a risk Fool Us takes.  But something to think about.

 

You're right, they gave away the numbered chips pretty thoroughly too.  I consider that a broader kind of technique, comparable to revealing that boxes have mirrors.  But they probably could have been more coy, by saying something like "We bet you didn't really have the number 408, did you?"  Nice trick, though I imagine a ton of people must have wondered "why is that guy wearing sunglasses in the audience"?

 

Daniels was a nice treat, and IMHO they could have ended the show with him instead of doing the helium gag.  But that wasn't a bad trick either.

 

And Farquhar's deck trick was great. I don't love how he had to pull the jokers out.  It screams "covering for something" without actually giving away what it's covering for.  I'd like to think there's a better way to integrate that.  But still, amazing trick and he was so thrilled to have fooled them.

[Quilt Fairy]

And Farquhar's deck trick was great. I don't love how he had to pull the jokers out.  It screams "covering for something" without actually giving away what it's covering for.  I'd like to think there's a better way to integrate that.

 

I must be acquiring a little bit of knowledge from these shows. As soon as I see a hand going into a pocket when it doesn't have to, especially the one away from the audience while the magician's patter continues non-stop, I go 'Switch!'.

[Xantar]

Farquhar was great! Not only was his trick good enough to fool Penn & Teller, but he also had great banter on stage. I did catch the deck switch, but Penn & Teller were right that if they couldn't figure out how he got the deck into the box, then they were fooled. He really deserved to win. Incidentally, I went and looked up that trick on YouTube and was surprised to find that the YouTube version is totally uncensored. It turns out that what they were bleeping out was Penn saying, "Godamn." I didn't realize that was a curse word worthy of censorship on TV. I can only speculate that the producers decided it was funnier to bleep stuff out.

 

The Cuban act was fun and entertaining, but I've always been a little uneasy with performers taking on fake ethnicities.

 

The mentalist act was hugely entertaining, but once he took off the disguise, it was pretty obvious how he did the trick. Nonetheless, he had great showmanship and I was thoroughly entertained even if I wasn't fooled.

 

It's nice that they gave an homage to Daniels and acknowledged that it wasn't trying to fool Penn & Teller. As Taeolas said, it's a pretty basic trick and anyone who has ever learned the secret of levitating an assistant can figure it out. It was still a nice treat, though.

[opus]

 

 

You're right, they gave away the numbered chips pretty thoroughly too.  I consider that a broader kind of technique, comparable to revealing that boxes have mirrors.  But they probably could have been more coy, by saying something like "We bet you didn't really have the number 408, did you?"  Nice trick, though I imagine a ton of people must have wondered "why is that guy wearing sunglasses in the audience"?

 

 

How was he talking to them on the video screen? Twin?

[Xantar]

I'm pretty sure it was a pre-recorded video.

[opus]

I'd have to re-watch, but wasn't there some sort of conversation/dialog? Or how did everything perfectly match up to what was happening on stage?

Edited September 25, 2014 by GaryE

[Taeolas]

There wasn't that much dialog on the stage; it was mainly him outlining what he wanted done and/or interacting with the assistant he sent on the stage (who would be in on the script and can help keep things on track.) I don't think there was much, if any talkback to anyone else.

[Amarsir]

If you watch again, you'll see that when there was a big pause the video cut away from him to Jonathan Ross or to the audience.  It feels like that's the stage director keeping with the action, but it's actually there to let him break it up into several videos so he doesn't have to anticipate timing.  Although now that I think about it, there's still a risk that Ross makes a joke when the magician wasn't expecting it, or something goes wrong in the studio and they need to reshoot.

[SVNBob]

I must be acquiring a little bit of knowledge from these shows. As soon as I see a hand going into a pocket when it doesn't have to, especially the one away from the audience while the magician's patter continues non-stop, I go 'Switch!'.

It's not necessarily a Switch.  It could also be a Ditch or a Steal.  Two more of the principles of magic as explained by Penn and Teller in this routine. 

 

something goes wrong in the studio and they need to reshoot.

Like, for example, there's a closeup of "Leroy" "speaking", saying the number for the prediction, but his lips aren't moving.  Oh wait, they let that through.

[nottopbravo]

Maybe one of the funniest ad-libs I heard in a long time:

 

Magician Shawn Farquhar:  (explaining his trick)  "Most of it takes place in the spectator's hands, and I think magic that takes place in somebody else's hands is so much more powerful than magic that takes place in our own"

 

Johnathan Ross:  "That what I tell my wife all the time"

Edited September 29, 2014 by nottopbravo