Original subtitles

Since the early days of television it's had us enthralled...

A big heave. Come around this side.

..with jaw dropping moments

that have left us on the edge of our sofas.

More than any other form of entertainment...

Makes you thirsty, this. Ooh, look at that!

..magic has the power to leave us truly spellbound.

'I'm Stephen Mulhern and ever since I learned my first trick

at the age of 11 I've been a magic fanatic.

And over the next hour I'm going on a journey...'

Go!

'..through 60 years of sensational TV trickery.'

How high were you when you levitated?

1,016 feet. Wow.

'I'll meet my magic heroes.'

One, two...! You're all right.

You'll like this trick. Not a lot, but you'll like it.

'I'll try my hand at tricks that made TV history.'

Oh, yes!

I've got to say, I've always wanted to do this.

'And I'll uncover the stories...'

People thought he had magic powers.

'..behind the moments that hit the headlines.'

Tributes have continued this morning for comedian Tommy Cooper.

He died on stage, which was where he loved.

'It's the amazing tale of how magic has continuously reached new heights

on our TV screens.'

Now THAT's magic!

'The London Palladium,

13th November, 2014.'

Here we go.

Today's the day.

Wowee.

'In just a few hours I'll be taking to the stage

in front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

at the all star studded Royal Variety Performance.'

Wow.

The Royal box is very close.

'It's going to be a very special moment for me.

Not just because I'm performing for royalty...'

Look straight up.

'..but also because I'm doing something I love:

Magic.'

Magic was really my life until about the age of 19 or 20.

My dad taught me from a very young age.

I've got two brothers and a sister.

What he would do, rather than telling us a story

before we went to bed, he would do a magic trick.

Making coins disappear behind our ears and stuff

and I was just fascinated by it. I just loved it.

All I do is ten, nine, eight, seven...

'And it wasn't long before I was doing tricks of my own,

first as a Butlins Redcoat.

It may not be what I'm best known for now...'

Very good!

'..but my first taste of TV stardom was as a magician.'

Please welcome the big, big talent of magician, Stephen Mulhern.

Watch, you're gonna love this.

She's just gonna use her mind.

She's just...gonna use her head.

The thing about magic is that

it's one of the art forms that people are just intrigued by

cos you make the impossible possible.

And her head, there she is!

And that's why... that's why I love it.

And I love it a lot.

'You can see how I got on performing in front of royalty

later in the programme but first I want to find out

how magic became so popular.'

'When Darcy Oake took to the stage in front

of the Britain's Got Talent judges, and 11 million viewers at home...'

How is he doing it?

'..his incredible illusions reminded us just how exciting and entertaining

magic can be.

So what I want to know is

how did these magicians become some of our most popular TV stars?

And how much has magic really changed over the decades?

My journey into magic history can only start with one man.

A magician who I believe, more than any other,

has come to define magic on British television.'

This is a very exciting moment for me.

I'm just about to meet one of my childhood heroes.

He brought magic to the masses on prime-time Saturday night telly

and it was the biggest TV magic show EVER in this country.

And you know what? I loved it.

Ladies and gentlemen,

rabbit from a hat!

Oh, I'm sorry.

That's not supposed to be off there,

That's supposed to be on a hook around the back.

Then I'm supposed to produce a rabbit from a hat, like that.

Really.

He had everything, really.

He had the comedy, he had the laughs.

Uproarious laughs.

(LAUGHTER)

And he had very cheeky magic tricks.

When you cover the glass it becomes a bottle.

When you cover the bottle it becomes a glass.

But to do that you must use this extra bottle.

Daniels is the man.

His sleight of hand was genius.

If the ball isn't in my hand it's under the cup.

If it's under the cup it isn't in my hand at all.

If it was up there it couldn't be down there or in the pocket.

It can't be up there when it's under the cup.

He does it so fast you're going,

"The ball's there... right where's the ball?

In the cup? No, the ball's..." And you're like, "I've got no idea."

If the ball and the cup are together...

You're not following this, are you?

He's fast, he's sharp.

He's shrewd.

And Debbie, perfect marriage.

There's Debbie McGee totally and utterly impaled.

Paul's also responsible for a whole generation of magicians

that bought his magic sets, you know? I had one.

'And I was another of those kids who bought a Paul Daniels Magic set.

Now I'm about to meet the man himself and the lovely Debbie

to find out how Paul became the biggest magician on the box.'

I'm gonna like this.

(AS PAUL) A lot!

Here we are. DEBBIE: Yeah. Hey, Stevie, baby.

(LAUGHTER) What a welcome!

I normally greet everybody like this.

Welcome to my world.

Novelty act of the year, 1975.

Showbiz personality of the year, 1981. Lovely.

They're great for doorstops.

Holding Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee's rabbit.

Yep.

Now, poop.

'Born Newton Edward Daniels,

Paul discovered magic at the age of 11 and honed his craft

performing in the pubs and clubs of his native north-east.'

Now look through there. What can you see besides wax?

10 of clubs. The 10 of clubs is absolutely correct.

Amazing.

(APPLAUSE)

'It was here that he developed the quickfire style of magic

that would become his trademark.'

Watch the ball. One, two, three!

Don't worry, you'll be all right.

'Like his classic Electric Chair routine.'

One, two... Don't worry, it'll be all right.

Did the working men's clubs help you a lot?

Yes. No 'if'.

They were mostly rough places.

These people could see four, five, six acts a night.

Seven nights a week.

They'd seen it all.

You had to get out there, you had to attack.

I would go on and pow, pow, pow.

I was a one line king, you know?

You wearing that sweater for a laugh?

Are you?

Or does your mum make you wear it?

Now, you'll like this. Not a lot, but you'll like it.

And that's magic.

Where did the catchphrases come from?

I was heckled in a club in Bradford and this guy shouted out,

"Now then, I don't like thar suit."

And I turned around and said,

"Oh, that's a shame. I like yours. Not a lot, but I like it."

And it's, "Yes"!

The audience tittered.

So a bit later on I went to pick up a trick

and I actually said, as I always did,

"Now, you'll like this trick."

And I thought, "Wow, not a lot, but you'll like it."

And by the end of that show I had a catchphrase.

Oh, yes, you'll like this.

Not a lot, but you'll like it.

'By the late 70s Paul was a regular guest

on the biggest variety shows on the box

but bigger things were to come.

Now teamed up with future wife, Debbie McGee,

the BBC decided the time was right to give Paul his own series,

bringing magic to prime-time Saturday night telly.

For the first time ever.'

# He's the man who excels

# Paul Daniels #

'Magic was now battling it out in the TV ratings war

with big gameshows and comedy.'

You see, this kettle will pour out any drink the audience asks for.

'And more often than not, coming out on top.'

Now that's what I would call a measure of gin.

One of our Christmas specials was the first show

to knock Morecambe and Wise off the number one slot.

I can remember saying to Paul,

"And look, look! Can you believe this?!"

'As well as big Christmas shows there were Halloween specials too,

including, in 1987,

a moment that scared the living daylights out of me.

And millions of others.'

I have to warn you, this can go wrong.

I'd come up with the Iron Maiden illusion,

which is the Iron Maiden of Nuremberg,

this big, horrible torture.

The spikes themselves, there's 110 of them,

and they're all metal.

OK?

But I made mine so the door would slam shut.

Now, what I've got to try to do

is escape from this before the weight drops.

'Then as the clock counted down,

and with Paul still trying to escape,

this happened.'

Ladies and gentlemen,

please leave the room in an orderly fashion.

What happened, apparently,

is I died.

But that's how it left the viewer.

I was going...

"What's happened?"

'I wasn't the only one.

Thousands of viewers called the BBC switchboard to check if Paul was OK.

It was a great stunt

but his bosses at the Beeb didn't see the funny side.'

The proverbial poop hit the fan

and then, of course,

"You've got us all into trouble" and this, that and the other.

The BBC Board of Governors special meeting

over all these phone calls.

For a couple of years afterwards people talked about it

but they all said, "Oh, you really got us that time."

You know, people like things like that.

'But all good things come to an end and in 1994,

after 15 years and more than 1,000 tricks,

the Paul Daniels Magic Show ran its course.

He may not be on our screens quite so much these days

but Paul's legacy to TV magic remains unparalleled.'

In your 15 years is there one trick that you've done together

that you go, "That was our best."

Yeah, we can't talk about that on here!

Listen, how dare you (!)

Is he ever off? No.

Magic has given both of us the most amazing life.

We like people and our life is full of all different kinds of people,

mostly because of magic.

'Of course I couldn't leave without seeing a trick.'

You just... Any card, just take a card.

Yeah. Tell me when you've got one. Have you got one? Yes, I have.

10 of hearts. Saves time. Yeah, lovely.

Amazing. Yeah.

He can even do it behind his back.

Now THAT'S magic.

Yes!

'Paul Daniels was the magician who had the biggest influence on me,

but there were others.

Next I'll go back to TVs early days

and find out how stars like David Nixon...'

Abracadabra, one, two, three. '..and Tommy Cooper...'

Hi-do-wah!

Hey! How's that, then?

'..played their own vital roles in The Magic Show Story.'

Oh!

'I'm Stephen Mulhern and I'm going on a journey

through the history of TV magic

to find out how it became such a much loved part of the TV schedules.'

Britain's love affair with magic started in music halls and theatres,

just like this place here, back in the late 19th century

an era known as The Golden Age of Magic.

Then in the 20th century

a new kind of technological wizardry took magic from the theatres

right into our living rooms.

'Magic was first televised in Britain in the 1930s

but it was the 50s before this exciting new medium

really brought conjuring to the mass TV audience.

Among the early stars of TV magic

were Robert Harbin.'

A big heave over there.

'Seen here on Sunday night at the Palladium.

And there was the pioneer of mental magic,

Chan Canasta.'

King of diamonds. Yes.

10 of spades. Yes.

And the two of clubs. Yes!

'But to most the man who really cemented magic's place

in our TV schedules was David Nixon.

Having risen to stardom as a panellists on What's My Line?

Nixon was given his own series on the BBC in 1955,

called simply It's Magic.'

Abracadabra, one, two, three.

'This fortnightly half-hour show

featured both Nixon and special guest conjurors.'

Lovely. I could go on like that all night. Where's the jug?

Well, we'll just hold it over the jug and say, "Hey presto."

and the water... (APPLAUSE)

There were lots of magicians in this country at the time

who were better at sleight of hand.

Or had better ideas or clever tricks

and could fool you more quickly

than David Nixon. Didn't matter.

What mattered with David Nixon was his personality.

Right, now, can we have a role on the drums, please?

Thank you!

One, two, three...

There go the eggs.

David was the king of television.

And here is your six of clubs

actually rising out of the card case.

It's a great relief to me because I would have felt a right Charlie

if it had gone wrong. Well, I have another...

He was a charming, gentle man.

Magic wise David Nixon was...

..avuncular, you know.

It was like watching your uncle do it.

One hand.

He was like the man next door.

Everybody liked him. He was popular.

He was relaxed.

He was just very likeable.

Ace on the left and three over here. Which is the ace?

No, no, no. If you remember I said the ace on the left!

Dad was exactly like you saw on the telly.

That's how he was. There was no pretence.

The only time he performed magic at home

was if I had a birthday party

then he would be the children's conjurer.

He used to magic little fairy cakes up and things

and he was just...He was actually a great children's entertainer!

'As well as performing close-up table magic

Nixon also made use of camera trickery to create illusions

that, at the time, were cutting edge.'

Dad had a great love of gadgets and technology

and in the 50s, when he was doing It's Magic,

there was a new technique he became aware of called Overlay.

Some magicians got hot under the collar about it

but the funny thing is that the public were never fooled.

You know, it was never meant to fool anyone.

Ladies and gentlemen, The David Nixon Show.

(APPLAUSE)

'In 1969 Nixon moved to ITV.

Broadcast on Monday night at 6:45

The David Nixon Show was one of the first magic series

to be transmitted in colour.

This was the era of big shiny floor gameshows

like The Generation Game.

Sets were getting bigger and brighter

and magic followed suit.'

Wahey!

'It was also the age of the glamorous assistant.

In David's case, former Carry On star Anita Harris.'

He presented like he was your friend. Yes.

What was he like when the camera was off?

Teasing.

Erm...er...challenging.

"Come on, Nitty, you can do this!"

And loved the creation of the work. That's the thing.

This...ooh! (GRUNTS)

What did you have for lunch?

'In her seven years working with David

Anita was subjected to all manner of torture.

And all in the name of magic.'

Let's give this just a little more. Anita, just relax, darling.

Yes, I'm quite, quite relaxed, David.

I really am very, very relaxed.

When you look at some of the props and the allusions

that you were using then, do you think you'd get away with that now

in terms of health and safety?

Because it's - You're not meant to ask those questions!

But it's gone mad, hasn't it?

You see some of the props and you go,

"Wow, that actually does look really dangerous."

Well, I remember lying on the... with the spikes.

Yes.

Now we're going to lower the spiker in.

And the spikes are coming. "Please stop at the right moment!"

That was the thing because it was even slightly wobbly. Yes, exactly!

(BALLOONS POPPING)

The noise of the balloons banging as well!

(APPLAUSE)

It's trust in your fellow performer.

'Well, let's see if Anita has trust in me.

I better not muck this up.'

I'm now gonna attempt the world-famous

Sawing the Lady in Half.

'It's one of the oldest illusions in the business.'

I've got to say, I've always wanted to do this.

'It may be something of a cliche these days but it's probably amazed

more viewers than any other trick in magic history.

There are literally dozens of ways of doing it.'

How many times were you sawn in half, by the way?

Oh, innumerable.

Say again?

(LAUGHTER)

All my laughter was nervous laughter!

OK, let's do this.

'Well, there's a first time for everything.

Needless to say, please don't try this at home.'

Oh!

(LAUGHTER)

Done it. Are you ready? Yes.

Here's the big moment.

Here we go.

And there you have it.

Sawing Anita Harris in half.

'Now I just need to put Anita back together again.'

Amazing. Thank you very much. What a treat, huh? He is lovely.

And I am in... hang on, one piece!

'Phew. That's a relief.

Anita's much loved partnership with David Nixon came to an end in 1977,

a year before his death.

He'll always be remembered as the father of TV magic.'

(APPLAUSE)

'It would be left to Nixon's fellow magicians to take on the mantle.

Among them a comic who was so brilliant

at getting it so wrong.'

This trick starts very slowly.

(LAUGHTER)

Then it gradually peters out.

'If David Nixon was the gentleman of magic

Tommy Cooper was the clown.'

I will now produce a live pigeon.

(LAUGHTER)

He was the first magician that I remember seeing on TV

that really, you know, straddled that line

between comedy and magic. Just so, so funny.

Watch it very closely. Look at that, look.

(LAUGHTER)

There was no doubt about it, he was one of the funniest men

you would ever wish to see.

Ooh, how's that?

There you are!

Tommy Cooper could pick up a beachball and make it hysterical.

He could pick up a saucer, it would be funny.

Hoo-di-di-doo do-do-ba-ba-bah! Hi-do-wah!

Hey, how's that, then?

'Legend has it Cooper started his showbiz career

after the war as a serious magician.

But after one particularly disastrous show he realised

he could get plenty of laughs if he did his act

as a conjuror whose tricks never went to plan.'

Little time. 20 minutes to three.

'His TV breakthrough came on the BBC series, It's Magic,

in the early 50s.

But it was on ITV where Cooper made the show's

that took him to the nation's hearts,

like Life With Cooper in 1966...'

(LAUGHTER)

'..and It's Tommy Cooper in the 70s.'

Hey, look at that!

(LAUGHTER)

'So just how good a magician was Tommy Cooper?'

Here's glass, here's a bottle. Bottle and glass.

'To find out I met up with his friend

and former gag writer, Barry Cryer, at the Museum of Comedy,

where several of Tommy's old magic props are now kept.'

I remember watching this at home. This is the legs, isn't it?

You remember this? Yeah, I do.

He went to move the table and the front two legs fell down. Yes.

But then the two female legs dropped down.

Yes.

Here we go.

Oh!

Bouquet of flowers. Oh, dear.

Ah, you have to work it with your foot.

Down there, that. Go on, you do it.

Here we go. Yes!

Tom was obsessed with props, obviously.

He haunted shops and wanted to know about everything.

He used to go to magic conferences

even if he wasn't appearing or doing anything.

He just loved what he did and couldn't have enough of it.

He was quite obsessed about it.

Three, two, one.

Oh, yes!

Yes!

Makes you thirsty, this. Ooh, look at that!

Oh, brilliant.

Thank you.

I keep hearing, you know, people at magic circles

say that, as a magician, he was actually very good. Yes.

Why, if you're so good at magic, to then go...?

Well, I'll tell you what he said to me,

and I think he said it to a lot of people.

"There's 100 brilliant magicians in this country,

I'm the idiot."

You've got to know how to do the tricks to do them badly

and get them wrong. It's like Les Dawson.

Playing the piano, it's a very similar thing.

Tom very shrewdly thought,

"Well, there's so many brilliant people around.

I'll be the other one.

I'll be the idiot who can't get it right."

Cor, it was dark in there.

Shall we do this? I would be honoured.

Cos if we didn't it would be madness. I'm getting a warm glow.

Are you ready for this?

(AS TOMMY COOPER) Just like that.

No, go on. Start.

'By 1984 Tommy Cooper had been on our screens

for more than 30 years

and he was about to leave viewers laughing up till the very end.'

It was on this very spot in Her Majesty's Theatre,

in front of a packed audience and 12 million people watching on live TV

that Tommy Cooper performed his final trick.

(BELL RINGING)

(LAUGHTER)

(LAUGHTER)

(BELL RINGING)

'Tommy's act was all going to plan.

There was no hint of the tragedy that was about to unfold.'

I did put his cloak round him

and do up the front.

Within seconds he fell to the ground

and the audience thought it was part of his act.

Erm...

As I went and continued to walk to the wings

our choreographer said, "You need to cut to commercial break,

there's something wrong."

Tommy Cooper, one of Britain's best loved funnymen,

last night collapsed on stage at London's Her Majesty's Theatre.

Tributes have continued this morning for comedian Tommy Cooper

who died last night after collapsing on stage

during a live television show.

He died on stage, which was where he loved,

in front of an audience that were in raptures of laughter.

'In the decades that have followed

that laughter has never faded.

Tommy Cooper remains, quite simply,

one of the funniest men ever to grace our screens.'

(LAUGHTER)

And like that!

(APPLAUSE)

He was a total one-off.

When it comes to mixing comedy with magic

nobody has ever come close to the genius

of Tommy Cooper.'

(APPLAUSE) Oh, thank you!

Thank you very much.

'Next, from Penn and Teller...'

Argh!

This is unlike anything that I'd ever seen before.

'..to David Blaine...'

People thought he had magic powers.

'..I'll find out how the biggest magician from across the Atlantic

ushered in an exciting new era in TV magic.'

Is that your card?

The three of clubs?

By the late 70s stars like Paul Daniels and Tommy Cooper

were helping make magic become a vital part

of our Saturday night viewing.

But we've also been introduced to some of the biggest stars

from across the Atlantic.

A brand of magic that was bigger and more theatrical

than anything we'd seen before.

'We might have sent homegrown popstars like The Beatles

and film stars like Michael Caine to wow audiences across the pond

but our magicians failed to cast anywhere near as big a spell.

But the American superstars of magic

had no such problems over here.

And in the late 70s and early 80s

they bought a touch of Las Vegas glitz and glamour

to our Saturday night TV.

Like the brilliant Lance Burton,

The Pendragons

and the superstar of magic himself, David Copperfield.

Copperfield transformed TV magic with a series of spectacular illusions.

None more theatrical than his classic flying routine.'

David Copperfield flying?

I mean, that would be on, I would say,

the majority of people's number one Copperfield moments.

(APPLAUSE)

There was the illusion, which was unexplainable.

There was the story with wanting to fly

and there was the fact he gets this woman up from the audience

and flies around with her.

It added a romantic layer to it.

(APPLAUSE)

The flying routine is so brilliantly executed.

Not only in the movement and choreography

but as an illusion, as opposed to a dance,

you have to show that you're not on wires.

You're not on posts or anything.

So you have to pass hoops around the flying figure.

I still think it's one of the great stage illusions.

Copperfield's ambitious performances bring contrast

to our homegrown British musicians

who honed their skills on the pub and club circuit.'

That's...magic.

(APPLAUSE)

'With Paul Daniels leading the way this was the era

when magic was very much aimed at a family audience.'

We watch you all the time, don't we? I'm honoured. Who is it?

'I was one of the millions of kids

who tuned in to watch The Sooty Show...'

Just touch you on the finger like that.

He just touched me on the finger just like...no!

'..The Great Soprendo on Crackerjack...'

You see there is the newspaper!

There is the page of the newspaper!

'..and the brilliant Wayne Dobson.'

This is an invisible magic wand.

(HIGH PITCHED) Thank you. Good.

It's very special, do you know why? No.

Well, it makes things bigger. (DEEP VOICE) Can I try it?

No, it's for him.

It was very family friendly and had an element of fun.

It was very inoffensive

and very, very mainstream.

I mean, it was the epitome of light entertainment, really.

'But as the 80s wore on

magic's popularity began to wane.

There was still some fantastic magicians around

but it was all starting to look very old-fashioned.

Comedy had gone alternative and our TV game shows have gone high-tech

but magic still seemed to be stuck in the 70s.'

It was shiny tuxedos.

It was boxes, cheesy music.

Our coolest character was Paul Daniels at that point.

They all liked to dance

and all the illusionists, they danced about.

Basically they're gonna get in a box.

Before they get in the box they think it's a really good idea

just to dance around the box.

I thought that the spangly suits

and all the silly gestures

and all that was all a bit stupid.

And I remember thinking, "This has got to change.

It can't go on like this any longer."

'But TV magic as we knew it was about to change.

In 1994, the same year that Paul Daniels' Magic show came to an end,

a new series came along that completely broke the mould.'

Welcome to The Unpleasant World of Penn and Teller.

I remember being 16 or 17

and discovering The Unpleasant World of Penn and Teller on Channel 4.

'Magic was moving out of the mainstream

and finding a new home on late night Channel 4.'

Hold the rice there right in your hands.

A little paper hat over it

and presto!

Maggots!

This was unlike anything that I'd ever seen before.

Argh!

Penn and Teller, they were the alternative, the rock 'n' roll.

Is that your card?

The three of clubs?

'It's time to meet the bad boys of magic themselves.

They are here in the UK recording for a show

at ITV's London studios.'

Penn and Teller changed everything.

They were shocking, they were clever and they were very, very funny.

But not everyone was happy with their unique brand of magic.

Now, the first rule of magic is

you never tell an audience how a trick is being done.

So we're gonna tell you exactly how the trick is being done.

'Penn and Teller ripped up the rulebook

by letting the audience in on their secrets.

Their cup and ball routine was done with see-through cups.'

We take the first ball, pretend to place it in our hand

having already snuck it underneath the first cup.

Take the second ball, simultaneously secreted beneath the cup,

placed in our hand and show it. Take the third and final ball...

'It was a controversial move

but it opened up magic to an audience who were ready for something new.'

Now this should be interesting cos Teller, the shorter one of the two,

never talks, when he's on stage or when he's on the telly.

So...er...let's hope Penn is up for a chat

otherwise this is gonna be a very short interview.

And here they are. Oh, how you doing, man?

How are you? Good to see you.

Let's take a seat. This is an absolute pleasure.

An honour. A pleasure for us too.

How do you feel about being labelled, if you like,

as the bad boys of magic?

Well, we kind of did that label because,

at the time we were doing that, way back in the 80s,

people had this image of magic as just a greasy guy in a tux.

A lot of birds, torturing women in front of mylar

to bad rip-off Motown music. We know them.

And that's a fine form of magic, you know?

But it wasn't what we wanted to do.

We wanted to do something that was a little bit more...

A little bit more, I guess, intellectual.

Teller, show 'em your rising card.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

We also wanted very much to get away from the separation

there is from magician and audience.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

What was the reaction when you did start giving away secrets?

There were some, mostly amateur magicians, who didn't get it

and thought we were just horribly destroying things.

But all of the real pros, I mean, if you want to talk Paul Daniels

or you want to talk David Copperfield,

they all understood it completely.

That we were only giving away tricks

that we had, in some sense, invented.

And also only giving away tricks

that the trip was interesting.

'But for every trick Penn and Teller revealed

there were also those that left us scratching our heads.'

(GASPING AND APPLAUSE)

'But it wasn't just Penn and Teller who were breaking new ground.

By the mid-90s the entire television landscape was changing.

It was the age of reality TV and docusoap

and the use of new lightweight cameras was making it easier

to take shows out of the studio and onto the street.

It was a trend magic would follow, and once more it was a magician

from across the Atlantic who led the way

with a laid-back deadpan style of his own.'

What I want you to do is, from in this deck,

I want you to try to see one card.

Look closely, try to see one inside.

Did you get one? I'll do it again.

A little bit too quick.

Try and see a card inside.

Did you see one?

You think you did? Don't say it. Just hold it in your mind.

This is not it but visualise your card right here.

I think the most significant magic show

that I can remember is David Blaine's Street Magic.

It was very simple. You know, obviously it's on the street.

Everything is pared down. It's a real situation.

He's borrowing the coin from someone.

(SCREAMING)

Oh my God!

Mm, mm. Watch, look.

(SCREAMING)

People thought he had magic powers

and it was shot like, one camera, him just walking around the streets.

There was that really raw, real vibe to it

that hadn't been seen before.

'The days of a man in a tuxedo pulling rabbits out of a hat

were well and truly over.'

Now watch this. Watch this.

'Whilst over here our magicians

were also taking their tricks direct to the people, like Paul Zenon,

and his series of street magic special in 1999.

And in recent years a new wave of young, hip magicians

have brought street magic to a new generation.'

Squeeze it, squeeze.

Open your hand.

(SCREAMING)

The shrieks and the screams...

Oh my God!

..and the astonishment of the people who are watching amazing things

happen in front of their very own eyes.

The camera showed their reaction. Bingo!

I want you both just to focus on the bottle.

'So what do magic's elder statement feel about this TV trend?'

The big advantage to television of street magic is...

..you don't have to pay that the studio,

you don't have to pay for the scenery.

You don't have to pay for the costumes, you don't have to pay...

It's a very cheap thing. We used to call it busking.

That ring. Yeah, yeah. Can I borrow that ring?

Cheers.

If you can stand on the street with nothing but a deck of cards

and still pull in the crowds that these big theatre productions could

there's something in that.

Name a colour. Purple.

Purple? Purple.

Yeah, it might be cheaper to make,

but the fact is it really resonated with people.

People love it.

Oh my gosh, no way!

'Next I bring the magic show story right up to date...'

Ladies and gentlemen, my prediction for the lottery numbers this week.

'..as I look at how the 21st-century saw TV magic

grab the headlines and reach dizzy new heights.'

How high were you when you levitated?

1,016 feet. Wow.

'As magic moved into the 21st century

magicians and illusionists look for inspiration

to stand out in a competitive multichannel era.

Throughout history the most successful magicians

have been those who've harnessed the power of the media

and created big events that have got the whole nation talking.'

And Harry Houdini, master of magic,

is about to try one of his most difficult stunts.

'It's a style synonymous with one man,

a true pioneer whose legacy to magic lives on:

Harry Houdini.'

This is amazing footage.

Look at the people's faces in the crowd, look.

They just can't believe what they're seeing in front of their very eyes.

'His very public stunts not only drew huge crowds,

they made front-page news.'

And that's why, long before television or the Internet,

Houdini became one of our first ever global celebrities.

'100 years on magician still know the value

of the big publicity stunt.'

David Blaine would spend 44 days suspended in this glass box

without food and drinking just pure water.

'In the early 2000s

David Blaine baffled and enthralled in equal measure

with a series of Houdini style feats.'

It definitely did what he intended, you know.

It got people talking about him, about his magic.

It intrigued people.

I think that the man is completely mad but there we go.

He pushed his body to the limit.

No one thought it was possible he could survive

that many days or nights without food or drink.

I'm gonna be encased in six tonnes of ice

in Times Square.

You're left going, this guy is absolutely out of his mind

and crazy.

But it's one of those things you can't look away from.

'But it wasn't just Blaine who was turning magic into headline news.'

Tonight I shall play Russian Roulette

live in this barn behind me.

One gun, one bullet

and every intention of being alive at the end of the show.

'Here in Britain illusionist Derren Brown

made a name for himself with a series of ambitious,

and often controversial, TV specials.'

One of the things that Derren Brown did as his career progressed

is the return of live magic on TV.

One of his most famous stunts was predicting the national lottery.

Tonight I'm gonna try and predict at least five

of the six lottery numbers you win...

You need to win the jackpot.

'This was event television at its best.

Even those with no interest in magic tune in just to see

what was gonna happen.'

Ladies and gentlemen, my prediction for the lottery numbers this week

are two, 11...

'Now that's one trick we all wish we could do.'

Derren hasn't been afraid to break certain boundaries

in television and, you know, create material

that people are clearly absolutely fascinated and engaged by.

'In recent years a new TV star has grabbed the headlines.

A young magician who burst onto our screens

with a series of showstopping illusions.'

Whoa!

'His name is Dynamo.'

(SCREAMING)

'A Paul Daniels for the YouTube generation.

Born Steven Frayne he was raised by his grandparents

on a tough Bradford council estate.'

Hi, everybody. Welcome to Steven Frayne's world of magic.

'As a teenager he would post videos of himself

doing tricks on the Internet.'

He was very small, used to got bullied a lot,

and magic for him was a way of, kind of, escaping that situation.

'In 2011 Steven was given his own fly-on-the-wall TV series

which followed him performing tricks around the world.'

That show was structured around an inspirational message

of being able to accomplish amazing things

even though you've come from unfavourable circumstances.

(GASPING)

Dynamo has been great for magic over the last few years.

He's got a whole new generation of kids into magic.

I mean, he doesn't worry about a script or dialogue,

he just gets to the point. He goes, "You see this?"

Bang. Your phone's in a bottle."

So I've got this phone and the bottle.

Watch.

Oh...(BLEEP).

'One of Dynamo's most famous stunts

was levitating above Britain's tallest building,

The Shard.

Rather him than me.

I arranged to meet him there

to find out how he has taken TV magic

to a whole new level.'

And here he is. Hey, how you doing?

Yeah, I'm brilliant. Nice to see you.

Listen, the reason I wanted to bring you to The Shard,

obviously this is the scene of one of your most famous illusions.

What's it like to be back?

I kind of love it up here, you know. It brings back amazing memories.

And what's really interesting is that, not only did I

do The Shard levitation above The Shard right here where we are

but from here you can see the River Thames, which I walked across.

My first ever, kind of, major stunt that I've done.

Big Ben over that way where I, kind of, floated alongside a bus.

This really is the best view in the city.

See I don't like it, that's why I keep holding onto this.

I think this is wobbly.

It's...it's not nice looking down there.

How high were you when you levitated?

It was actually 1,016 feet above ground level.

Wow.

How do you come up with these ideas?

Cos these are big, major stunts.

I always used to hear about these big, crazy stunts.

You obviously heard about things that Houdini did back in the day,

you know, before I was even born.

You heard about, you know, David Copperfield in America

and David Blaine doing these incredible things.

No one in this country was doing that type of big, I guess,

big publicity type stunt.

I, kind of, wanted to be the first to bring it back home a little bit.

100 years from now, you know,

hopefully people, you know, when they think of magic

they'll think of, "Oh, when Dynamo walked across the River Thames."

'I couldn't let Dynamo leave without showing me a trick.'

I got some cards. Yeah, OK.

So take it behind your back. Using my back, OK.

Give 'em a cut. OK.

And then when you're happy - Top or the bottom?

Either the top or the bottom. Don't look at it.

Just slide it into your back pocket. Slide it into my back pocket.

Bring the cards out in front of you. Got it.

The idea is I will look through all the cards really quickly

as you flick 'em in front of my eyes

and try and determine which card you have taken out.

And you don't even know what it is yourself. No.

Ready?

Eight of diamonds.

Do you think so? Can I have a look?

Go for it.

If this is the eight of diamonds you'd better give him a big cheer.

Come on!

(APPLAUSE)

'I've been on a magical trip through 60 years of TV trickery.

It's been an amazing experience

and reminded me exactly why I first fell in love with magic

as an 11-year-old boy.

But my journey isn't quite over yet.'

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome to the Royal Variety Performance 2014!

This is it!

'Back at the London Palladium, in front of royalty,

I've got a trick of my own to perform.

I'm gonna be following in the footsteps

of some of the conjuring greats.

Even going back to the likes of David Devant

and The Great Cardini.

No pressure, Stephen.'

The cards are all good. OK, let's do it.

To sprinkle some magic

please welcome Stephen Mulhern!

Now, Wendy, pick a card.

That's it. Now, for a moment you're allowed to lift up your blindfold

and have a look at the card.

OK, and also show the audience as well

so everybody at home can see it. Have you done that? I have.

Put your card back in the back. Good luck, Wendy.

Here's the big moment. Drum roll please!

(DRUMROLL)

Wendy, throw the cards in the air!

After the count of three. Oh.

(LAUGHTER)

What's happened? What's happened?

(APPLAUSE)

Wendy, please name your card.

The four of diamonds. The four of diamonds.

Stand up for me, sir. Slowly show everybody in the theatre.

Is it the four of diamonds?

Come on! (APPLAUSE)

Wendy!

Thank you so much everybody, enjoy the rest of the show.

Bye.

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