The Magician is one of those shows with a notoriety that endured well beyond its
brief run.
Just 22 episodes aired from
1973-1974, but 40 years later the series could be found on many classic TV
fans’ “most wanted” lists for a DVD release. Those wishes were finally granted
last year.
I recently completed my
journey through the set. Here are a few random thoughts.
New Missions
If you’re a credits-watcher
as most classic TV fans are, you’ll notice a lot of producers, writers and
directors associated with The Magician
that used to work for Mission: Impossible,
including Paul Playdon, Bruce Lansbury, Reza Badiyi, Stephen Kandel, Laurence
Heath, Barry Crane, and Sutton Roley. Perhaps it’s not all that surprising,
since for a time M:I also featured a
magician character (Leonard Nimoy as The Great Paris). Seeing those names
raised my expectations for the series, as they are the television equivalent of
The Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
The Pilot – Not So Magical
As is typical of a TV movie
that doubles as a pilot, “The Magician” delivers a more ambitious story and
bigger-budget action sequences to help secure a series order. It’s an adequate
introduction to Anthony Dorian (prudently changed to Anthony Blake for the
series), a successful, wealthy magician compelled to help people in need, even
at the risk of his own life. His friend, journalist Max Pomeroy (Keene Curtis)
provides the backstory; Tony was once arrested on a false charge and sentenced
to prison in South America. That ordeal transformed him into a crusader for
truth and justice.
Chase scenes with
helicopters and speedboats and Tony’s (very sweet) Corvette Stingray provided
sequences that would play during the opening credits for the entire season. But
the meandering, bloated story is not emblematic of the much better series that
would follow.
Bill Bixby
The series works because of
Bill Bixby. He was so intrinsic to my enjoyment of every episode that I can’t
imagine anyone else as Blake.
Bixby was already a
familiar and well-liked TV presence after The
Courtship of Eddie’s Father, and I wonder if it seemed a stretch at the
time to cast the sensitive, sentimental father figure into a role that required
more than a dash of James Bond cool. But he pulls it off. No other actor could
intone such a wide range of responses into a simple “Yes” as an answer to a
question. Sometimes he’s imparting empathy, sometimes resolution, and other
times, said with a wry smile, it clearly means, “I’m not buying any of your
crap.”
Real Magic (Maybe)
One of the show’s selling
points was that every illusion, from simple card tricks to elaborate feats of
prestidigitation, was achieved without film editing or special effects. Bill
Bixby was a magic fan and a talented amateur magician, who likely received additional
pointers from frequent series guest Mark Wilson. But there were some
potentially dangerous sequences, including an underwater stunt in “The Illusion
of The Evil Spikes,” that I can’t imagine would be trusted to a series star to
perform solo.
The First Season is Better Than the Second
While there are standout
episodes from both seasons, I liked the first year’s shows better because of
its supporting cast – the aforementioned Keene Curtis as Max Pomeroy, Todd
Crespi as Max’s son Dennis, and Jim Watkins as Tony’s pilot Jerry Anderson. Why
did Tony need a pilot? Because in season one he lived on his own plane, which
was a great set in the episodes where the interior is seen. But in season two
Curtis and Crespi are gone along with the plane, and Tony takes up residence in
L.A.’s Magic Castle. Jerry is still around but rarely gets anything to do, and
I didn’t care much for new regular Joe Sirola as club owner Dominick.
Familiar Faces
As with many series from
this era, The Magician earns bonus
points from me for its guest casts, including Comfort TV favorites Carl Betz,
Brooke Bundy, Lynda Day George, William Shatner, Anthony Zerbe, Susan Oliver,
Yvonne Craig and Joseph Campanella.
Best Stories
From the first season I
particularly enjoyed “The Vanishing Lady,” filmed on location in Las Vegas, the
twists and turns in “Lady In a Trap,” and the elaborate heist Tony foils in
“Nightmare in Steel.” Season two highlights include “The Illusion of Black
Gold,” with Eric Braeden as a particularly charismatic villain (who doesn’t
find Tony’s tricks at all amusing), and “The Illusion of the Cat’s Eye,” which
opens with a stunning museum theft, with a clever solution that would have not
been out of place on Mission: Impossible.
The Verdict
Purchase or pass? This was
an easy purchase decision for me. The
Magician has the re-watchability I require for any series that takes up
permanent residence in my DVD collection.
If you have checked it out or plan
to, let me know your thoughts.
