Lenny Henry + actual sorcery + celebrity panic = British TV gold.
Season 2 • Episode 6
LatestThe Magicians returns with more mind-bending magic. Twisted tricksters Barry and Stuart are joined by comedian Ed Byrne; comedy magician Pete Firman is paired with actor and presenter Joe Swash; and world champion of magic, Latimer, is with street dancer, Britain's Got Talent winner and Waterloo Road actor, George Sampson. Each celebrity and their magical mentor perform four spectacular illusions, two of which are live. With the viewers at home voting for their favorite act, the teams must do all they can to impress; the act with the fewest votes faces a death-defying live forfeit. Plus, Dutch illusionist Hans Klok attempts to perform a record-breaking number of tricks in just five minutes.
The Magicians was a British family entertainment television show, first broadcast throughout January 2011 on BBC One. The show features magicians performing a number of magic tricks with guest celebrities, to decide which pair will face a forfeit trick at the end of the episode. In the first series, this was decided through audience participation, however, for the second series, a phone vote was introduced. The first series was hosted by Lenny Henry, and featured magicians Luis de Matos, Barry and Stuart and Chris Korn. At the end of series 1, Luis de Matos was deemed series champion.
Practical Effects
Real stage magic, zero camera tricks—pure sleight-of-hand excellence.
Production
Glitzy BBC One budget making close-up magic feel like arena rock.
Writing
Celebrity banter that actually lands between impossible stunts.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jason Latimer joined Series 2 after winning 'FISM', essentially the Olympics of magic—bringing genuine world champion cred to BBC primetime.
The show arrived during a brief British variety revival (2010-2012), when BBC desperately chased the 'Strictly Come Dancing' family audience with anything involving sequins and danger.
GB
