He seemed to be very kind guy. He took a pay cut when he heard CBS was going to fire the actor who played the reporter during thr 3rd season of the Hulk. Bill cut his salary to keep others working. He was crushed by his sons death during Hulk but carried on. He directed a lot of shows ( like Sledge Hammer ) and died too young
Agreed cookie monster so believable in any role he's ever done. Definitely could have been one of our biggest film stars if tv didn't make him one of the greatest TV stars first 🦝👍😎
@@shel0016 I never thought of Bill Bixby that way before, but you’re right. Kind of like what might’ve happened to Tom Selleck’s acting career if he’d gotten to play Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark instead of being contractually obligated by Universal to play Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I.
My dad worked on this. My dad would bring home Magician branded magic tricks that were routinely passed out to the crew. And, yes. My dad worked on the first 4 years of Mission Impossible. The titles using “The Illusion of…” harkens back to the Wild Wild West’s “The Night of…” after all Bruce Lansbury worked on that series too.
I refuse to accept that 1973 is fifty years ago. Probably because I was born in 1974. No, we all know that the '70s were just thirty years ago, dammit.
As someone born in '76, I also refuse to accept. What really annoys me is that Dazed and Confused was released in 1993, and set 17 years earlier. In four years, twice as many years will have elapsed since the film's release.
This was my favorite show when it originally aired. It was quite different from the crapstorm that was typical early 70s prime time fare. If I thought I was peeved when they got rid of the jet, I learned what peeved REALLY meant when they canceled the show!
I was 10 years old when The Magician aired. I loved it and watched it faithfully. I dreamed of one day having a white Corvette. Thanks for the pleasant memories.
So did i (including thé dream of having a white C3 Corvette)😎 Unfortunately hère in France only half of épisodes were ever broadcasted between 1975 and 1979...
And FWIW, if you reviewed "Barney Miller", I would be thrilled! A cop show that has no car chases, no forensics, no street-shootouts - and it managed to run for eight seasons!
@@l.a.gothro3999 I once read that actual police officers called it the most accurate depiction of police work on TV (outside of the holding cell being in the squad room).
One of my all time favorite shows. I was 14 when it came out. I think it was a great show overall, but being a car crazed teenager, I never got over that Corvette. I bought a white 1976 Corvette more than 20 years ago and still have it.
I LOVED "The Magician!" Bill Bixby was the PERFECT choice to play Magician Anthony Blake! He made the character believable and the fact that Bill Bixby was a Magician himself, made it even MORE believable. The show is available on DVD, so you CAN get it if you want it! The OTHER TV shows that Bill Bixby starred in BESIDES "The Magician" were: My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Goodnight Beantown, and, of course, The Incredible Hulk
A very cool series that I think I only found out about years after it was over and done with but was lucky enough to see on the Sci-Fi channel ons year. Bixby always brought heart and sensitivity to his characters, so even though this seems like just a a blend of It Takes a Thief and the Leonard Nemoy's Mission Impossible magician, he makes it an entirely one of a kind show. And that he did all the magic and for real, is icing on the cake.
When i was aged seven, my aunt was working at the Paramount lot on a group of productions. She had my mom and me there for lunch and I saw the white Corvette and went to look at it and Bill Bixby walked out. I don't know if they were re-shooting something for syndication or if it was the actual show. I was too young to understand any of that, but I thought the car was cool and Bixby was really nice. That day I also met James Garner, Florence Henderson and a technical guy for the 60s Star Trek who was updating the set for some kid of footage of the ship for something. Nothing like that happened for me again, but because I saw so much in one day, I went through my childhood thinking that was a normal experience for kids in Hollywood. In my late Teens i was taken to the Magic Castle, Majji Kass Hole, for a celebratory dinner. It was absolutely cool.
Another blue chip review from the ever reliable Stam Fine. I remember this show being repeated during the 1980's and being really impressed with how it had a lot of the action adventure beats associated with that genre of TV whilst being very distinctive. It's a real shame it didn't get the network backing I personally felt it deserved and probably would have ultimately justified. But then, we may not have had the same 'Incredible Hulk' show as a consequence. Really enjoyed the warmth and appreciation for the show that you've reflected in this review. Nice one Stam Fine!
This is one I've been looking forward to for a long time, and you did not disappoint. I appreciate the level of respect you pay to these oft-forgotten shows while still bringing your particular brand of humor to the analysis. A kind of retro-respect, if you will. Thank you so much!
Bill Bixby was by far one the coolest 😎 actors ever along with Jack Klugman . He helped make the first half of my life memorable. Miss this guy alot 😢 💔
Okay, see if you can envision being a little kid and waking up when your dad comes in from work late at night. Then picture snuggling into a blanket and watching The Magician as Dad turns the lamp off and settles into his recliner. That's about as safe and secure as a kid can ever feel. 1970s syndication magic!
It was a very good show with an incredible backstory, it should have worked but the studio wouldn't back it properly Bixby was far more than just an "amateur magician", he was a very good and qualified magician
This is one of my all time favorite 25 TV shows. I really enjoyed trying to stay up (past my bedtime) each week and watch this when it aired on network TV. While almost nobody that, I know remembers this TV show. As a young teen, it was so cool seeing someone with their own private jet and sports car with of all things not a CB radio, but a working telephone (smile...smile).
I’ve never heard of this show. It’s like every other 70s show of actors from the 70s put into a blender. Hi, John Colocos of Battlestar Galactica. Did I see Anne Lockhart?
Great commentary against a great show. It was too good to last. Niche audience during the era where Irwin Allen ruled, surgically separating and sterilizing both right and left brain hemispheres with 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'...
I watched this show when I was 11 years old and never missed an ep. The piccolo trumpet music in the opening intro was the coolest thing! Bill Bixby was a great actor and I can say I grew up watching all of his shows, but the Magician was my jam. Rest In Heaven Mr. Bixby, and thank you.
Great underrated show I loved, love these '70s crime dramas Columbo, Harry O, Kojak, Cannon, Barnaby Jones and The Streets of San Francisco are my favorites. Good to see The Magician finally getting a DVD release a few years back, would love to see O'Hara United States Treasury (1971-72) and Owen Marshall Counselor at Law (1971-74) released as well.
After THE INCREDIBLE HULK, Bill should have rebooted and introduced this series to a new audience. I also think that Denzel Washington would have been A GOOD FIT to portray a reboot on the big screen!!!! I believe that Bill would have given Denzel his endorsement.
The jet suffered from the bogus energy crisis of the mid-70s. The producers felt the audience wouldn't watch some rich guy who owned a jet if they couldn't get gas for their own vehicles. Hence, the apartment above the Magic Castle so Tony could be like everyone else.
Back in the early seventies I used to watch this. My mom got an invite to that Magic Castle, and we went there for lunch. You had to go to the opening and get let in. Open Sesame and the bookcase opened up. There were all kinds of props set up in there, like a skeleton playing the piano. I was really sorry to see that show end. I did not remember that Bill did his own stunts though, that is cool. I was on the opening season of the Gong Show when I was 17, and he was one of the judges. I lost by one point to Oingo Boingo. Bill gave me the lowest score, saying I needed more staging. He was like a nicer version of Simon Cowel.
There’s an animated series called the Magician too. It’s my favorite series. Bill Bixby is my favorite actor. I think he would have made cameos in the MCU today considering he played David Bruce Banner in the Hulk series.
Loved this show (for the brief time it was on) when I was a kid. I remember loving the idea of living at the Magic Castle... how cool would that be? LOL.
The writer's strike you referred to happened at the start of the season delaying many new shows by months. That probably would have not made a difference to the Magicna's history as the show also premiered at a time when networks were again facing heat for too much sex and violence so they said, "OK, will pull back on the violence." Many very good shows only lasted one season at a time when you only had three networks and a limited number of timeslots. Still, using your head instead of your fists was also the concept idea for McGiver so may that says something. Great review.
Very entertaining series, it's too bad it was so short lived. The Ellery Queen TV series around the same time ['75] was equally enjoyable, but also only lasted the one season.
As a teenager, this was one of my favorite shows that wasn't a sitcom. Bill always dressed sharp and drove my dream car. His exploits were so, so, but always loved when he used his tricks of the trade to foil the bad guys. Should have lasted longer than one season. Was pissed it got canceled.
Took me a while to realize why you kept enunciating Magic Castle! LOL I don't think I ever watched The Magician. I'll have to go look for it. I did watch Black's Magic, which is a very similar concept and done very well. At least I remember enjoying it. The Mentalist seems like it could have received a lot of inspiration from The Magician, as well.
Ugh... Class looses out to exploitive, bells & whistles and mega smoke & mirrors aka, special effects!!! $hets! This was a great show, ruined by ignorant corporate money MEN!!! If there were a real/non sellout woman running things, more intelligent and exciting shows would have been produced. End of story.
There was only one season of The Magician - just 23 episodes. Around the 12th episode the producer Barry Crane was let go (he produced Mission Impossible, Mannix, and many more) and the show was re-conceived mid-way through the season. Several key characters (series regulars) simply "disappeared" and replacement characters --in completely different roles were introduced. The most significant change (beyond cast) was swapping Tony Blake's home -- his private jet, complete with drive-up loading ramp for his white corvette-- for the Magic Castle as his new home and base of operations. This was all done in order to incorporate more magic into the show with many guest magicians (and of course Tony himself) frequently performing on the various stages. Apparently, the magic segments tested very high with the viewers and this was a way to add more when there wasn't enough magic to force into the storyline as a means to thwart or overcome the bad guys using sleight-of-hand. Some months later the new producer, Alan Armer was also let go (as he, like Barry Crane, just didn't get the "magic" and preferred trick photography or other means) and finally Paul Playdon took the reins and he was great. Unfortunately, the show simply cost Paramount too much-buying out 2 producer contracts, and several cast contracts, completely scrapping the primary set (the Jet Plane), and building the most expensive set in Paramount TV's history - the Magic Castle. So they didn't take a gamble on a season 2. There is a Group on Facebook if your are a fan of this show: Join us: facebook.com/BillBixbyTM
Any chance of getting a *Stam-Fine-Flavoured* docuvideo about _'Cagney & Lacey'_ (incl. the pilot "movie" and the TV movies that came after the show ended)? 🙏🏻
Speaking of Bill Bixby and Columbo…I could never figure out why casting on Columbo never had Bill Bixby as the murderer the one Columbo cleverly goes after to me, that would have been a great episode with Bill Bixby guest starring and of course Peter Falk as Columbo
I’ve seen the episode Lightning on a Dry Day mostly bc I’ve been searching up Mark Hamill’s pre- Star Wars roles, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The practical magic tricks honestly were pretty impressive.
Wait, I don't think I heard you clearly. Did you say The Magic Castle? I think I first saw Bill Bixby in the Magician, and then later in The Hulk. But my memory is a little fuzzy on the point. As a detective story fan, I certainly liked the idea of a magician/detective, but as you say, it was really more of a hybrid, and the focus wasn't strictly on his detective work like, say the Ellery Queen series was. But then the show disappeared, like a bad magic trick, to never return, not even in re-runs.
Your precise pronunciation of “Magic Castle” reminds me of a similar joke from _Arrested Development_ 😂 Not sure if this was intentional, but it’s hilarious nonetheless, and if you know, you know 😋
The Magician is one of my most favorite series, I'm 51 and I remember watching it when I was around 10 years old. The comparison you make with the British series makes a lot of sense: Bixby had the exact charm for the role, as well as Curtis and Moore, the type of actors that we hardly find today. I'm from Argentina, and I don't find many of my generation who remember this serie, that I think belongs to the golden age of TV series. And the music is another reason why this series is my favorite. Something that I will always ask myself is: in which South American country has Tony Blake been imprisoned? Greetings from Argentina!
Bill Bixby the magician TV show series episodes NBC and Hal Linden as Blake's magic TV show series episodes Mark Wilson Greg Wilson Mike Wilson Nanni Darnell Mark Wilson course in magic book and videos
I remember this from my childhood, the was on TH-cam for a short while, but stored the pilot for future viewing. Thought it was very interesting… But the failure as with a few other short lived projects… they were at a loss for ideas, or just decided to cancel (for whatever reasons).
It made me want to be a stage magician, so I did. Worked as a magician in John Bradshays 10 in 1 side show on Gooding's Million Dollar Midway carnival. I wanted to be in show business the worst way, and that was the worst way I could find. +
I watched this religiously back in the day... But I assume every storyline went completely over my head because I cannot recall a single episode plot. All I can recall is the opening theme music. Would love to see these eps now. Bill Bixby is a favorite of mine anyhow. Nice retrospective.
I loved this show. I especially loved The Magic Castle. And the theme song rocked! The Corvette and the vanity license plate "Spirit".... cool! Being a young teen, I dreamed of hanging out and living in The Magic Castle.
Seems like there would be a lot of quality mash ups with scenes from this and the Incredible Hulk to make something cohesive from a crafty video editor.
![[Live] ศึกมหึมันส์มวยไทยสังเวียนเดือด เวทีมวยชั่วคราวสวนสยาม | จันทร์ 30 กันยายน 2567](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pM1k6f7JXUc/mqdefault.jpg)
I miss Bill Bixby. They don’t make actors like that anymore.
He seemed to be very kind guy. He took a pay cut when he heard CBS was going to fire the actor who played the reporter during thr 3rd season of the Hulk. Bill cut his salary to keep others working. He was crushed by his sons death during Hulk but carried on. He directed a lot of shows ( like Sledge Hammer ) and died too young
Eh, I don't think he was made. 😄A great actor though.
So very very true. ❤🌹🙏🏽🕯
Agreed cookie monster so believable in any role he's ever done. Definitely could have been one of our biggest film stars if tv didn't make him one of the greatest TV stars first
🦝👍😎
@@shel0016 I never thought of Bill Bixby that way before, but you’re right. Kind of like what might’ve happened to Tom Selleck’s acting career if he’d gotten to play Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark instead of being contractually obligated by Universal to play Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I.
My dad worked on this. My dad would bring home Magician branded magic tricks that were routinely passed out to the crew. And, yes. My dad worked on the first 4 years of Mission Impossible. The titles using “The Illusion of…” harkens back to the Wild Wild West’s “The Night of…” after all Bruce Lansbury worked on that series too.
Nice!
Woah! That's awesome.
Wow, I envy you.
Keep those wonderfully magical memories👍
Very cool. Would love to see his credits. What's your dad's IMDb?
Extremely cool. Envious
I received this whole series on DVD as a Christmas gift two years ago. It's great stuff.
I refuse to accept that 1973 is fifty years ago. Probably because I was born in 1974. No, we all know that the '70s were just thirty years ago, dammit.
What's scary is that the 90s are ACTUALLY 30 yrs ago. When I was 20 it seemed like 50 yrs. The last 30 yrs seem like 10.
As someone born in '76, I also refuse to accept. What really annoys me is that Dazed and Confused was released in 1993, and set 17 years earlier. In four years, twice as many years will have elapsed since the film's release.
This was my favorite show when it originally aired. It was quite different from the crapstorm that was typical early 70s prime time fare. If I thought I was peeved when they got rid of the jet, I learned what peeved REALLY meant when they canceled the show!
So true!!!
This was an excellent TV show! It deserved to be renewed.
Oh Yeah!!!
Bring it back!
But???....
Who could ever live up to the class and intelligence of Sir Bixby?!?!?
REALLY!!! WHO?!?!?????????
I love that when Ray Walston appeared on the Hulk, he played a magician.
And the episode was called 'My Favourite Magician'
Ray walston gave bill Bixby his big breakthrough picking him for my favourite Martian. Bill Bixby never forgot that and was forever grateful.
If only I didn't hate that series so much.
I think I remember quite liking this TV show!!! Wonder if it's available to buy on blueray? Or dvd even ? If not, why not?? 🤔
I never missed an episode when it originally aired! It was an innovative take on the action hero which deserved a wider, stronger audience.
Loved The Magician. Of course, I had an interest in magic, but Bill Bixby was a real presence on the show.
I was 10 years old when The Magician aired. I loved it and watched it faithfully. I dreamed of one day having a white Corvette. Thanks for the pleasant memories.
So did i (including thé dream of having a white C3 Corvette)😎
Unfortunately hère in France only half of épisodes were ever broadcasted between 1975 and 1979...
Love it! Now do "Blacke's Magic" starring the multi-talented Hal "Barney Miller" Linden!
And FWIW, if you reviewed "Barney Miller", I would be thrilled! A cop show that has no car chases, no forensics, no street-shootouts - and it managed to run for eight seasons!
@@l.a.gothro3999 I once read that actual police officers called it the most accurate depiction of police work on TV (outside of the holding cell being in the squad room).
Loved The Magician It was too good for the time, and Bix always added to any project. He had great presence.
One of my all time favorite shows. I was 14 when it came out. I think it was a great show overall, but being a car crazed teenager, I never got over that Corvette. I bought a white 1976 Corvette more than 20 years ago and still have it.
I LOVED "The Magician!" Bill Bixby was the PERFECT choice to play Magician Anthony Blake! He made the character believable and the fact that Bill Bixby was a Magician himself, made it even MORE believable. The show is available on DVD, so you CAN get it if you want it! The OTHER TV shows that Bill Bixby starred in BESIDES "The Magician" were: My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Goodnight Beantown, and, of course, The Incredible Hulk
A very cool series that I think I only found out about years after it was over and done with but was lucky enough to see on the Sci-Fi channel ons year. Bixby always brought heart and sensitivity to his characters, so even though this seems like just a a blend of It Takes a Thief and the Leonard Nemoy's Mission Impossible magician, he makes it an entirely one of a kind show. And that he did all the magic and for real, is icing on the cake.
I loved The Magician as a kid, just like Fox Mulder did.
Suggestion for Future Episodes. Kolchak the Night Stalker. You could probably get Three videos out of it.
Yes!!Another Favorite!!
Another winner, Stam! Nicely composed video, handled with clarity, warmth, and humor.
When i was aged seven, my aunt was working at the Paramount lot on a group of productions. She had my mom and me there for lunch and I saw the white Corvette and went to look at it and Bill Bixby walked out. I don't know if they were re-shooting something for syndication or if it was the actual show. I was too young to understand any of that, but I thought the car was cool and Bixby was really nice. That day I also met James Garner, Florence Henderson and a technical guy for the 60s Star Trek who was updating the set for some kid of footage of the ship for something. Nothing like that happened for me again, but because I saw so much in one day, I went through my childhood thinking that was a normal experience for kids in Hollywood. In my late Teens i was taken to the Magic Castle, Majji Kass Hole, for a celebratory dinner. It was absolutely cool.
Another blue chip review from the ever reliable Stam Fine. I remember this show being repeated during the 1980's and being really impressed with how it had a lot of the action adventure beats associated with that genre of TV whilst being very distinctive. It's a real shame it didn't get the network backing I personally felt it deserved and probably would have ultimately justified. But then, we may not have had the same 'Incredible Hulk' show as a consequence. Really enjoyed the warmth and appreciation for the show that you've reflected in this review. Nice one Stam Fine!
This is one I've been looking forward to for a long time, and you did not disappoint. I appreciate the level of respect you pay to these oft-forgotten shows while still bringing your particular brand of humor to the analysis. A kind of retro-respect, if you will.
Thank you so much!
Thank you Stam, another favourite of mine as a kid, Bixby was so charismatic, and boy did I want that corvette!
He and his son Dennis very handsome men😋😘!
I don't care much for the corvette brand butttt, that car and color was so right, cool and chic!
Wow!
This show is pretty cool. Bill Bixby was awesome
Just don’t make him angry. You wouldn’t like when he was angry.
@@gregschell1094 oh yeah. The hulk is an amazing show.
Yes!!
Bill Bixby was by far one the coolest 😎 actors ever along with Jack Klugman . He helped make the first half of my life memorable. Miss this guy alot 😢 💔
Yes!!
I enjoyed this as a child but had almost completely forgotten it, seeing the opening credits sequence again brought it all back.
As watched by Fox Mulder when his sister got abducted.
Okay, see if you can envision being a little kid and waking up when your dad comes in from work late at night. Then picture snuggling into a blanket and watching The Magician as Dad turns the lamp off and settles into his recliner. That's about as safe and secure as a kid can ever feel. 1970s syndication magic!
A wonderful show I watched growing up. Wholesome, clever, well written and the best actors. Still miss this show, the quality was through the roof.
It was a very good show with an incredible backstory, it should have worked but the studio wouldn't back it properly
Bixby was far more than just an "amateur magician", he was a very good and qualified magician
Bill Bixby was the perfect TV star.
I remember watching this with my daddy...Good Times!
_"Don't make me abra. You wouldn't like me when I cadabra"_
The show looks cool. Like an American _Persuaders._
I blame my lifelong love of the Corvette Stingray on this show....
This is one of my all time favorite 25 TV shows. I really enjoyed trying to stay up (past my bedtime) each week and watch this when it aired on network TV. While almost nobody that, I know remembers this TV show. As a young teen, it was so cool seeing someone with their own private jet and sports car with of all things not a CB radio, but a working telephone (smile...smile).
I’ve never heard of this show. It’s like every other 70s show of actors from the 70s put into a blender.
Hi, John Colocos of Battlestar Galactica. Did I see Anne Lockhart?
Great commentary against a great show. It was too good to last. Niche audience during the era where Irwin Allen ruled, surgically separating and sterilizing both right and left brain hemispheres with 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'...
Fox Mulder's favorite boyhood show.
I watched this show when I was 11 years old and never missed an ep. The piccolo trumpet music in the opening intro was the coolest thing! Bill Bixby was a great actor and I can say I grew up watching all of his shows, but the Magician was my jam.
Rest In Heaven Mr. Bixby, and thank you.
I missed that reference in Quantum Leap! Great for it to have been provided here.
Magic Castle. Two words, the second beginning with the letter C. Appreciate your attention to that point...
Great underrated show I loved, love these '70s crime dramas Columbo, Harry O, Kojak, Cannon, Barnaby Jones and The Streets of San Francisco are my favorites. Good to see The Magician finally getting a DVD release a few years back, would love to see O'Hara United States Treasury (1971-72) and Owen Marshall Counselor at Law (1971-74) released as well.
After THE INCREDIBLE HULK, Bill should have rebooted and introduced this series to a new audience.
I also think that Denzel Washington would have been A GOOD FIT to portray a reboot on the big screen!!!!
I believe that Bill would have given Denzel his endorsement.
How did this not keep going? I mean this is PERFECT!
I wondered that too but figured those eps must've been pretty expensive to produce ?
Working through the DVD box set now. Surprisingly very big production for a TV show.
R.I.P Bill Bixby
SCI-FI CHANNEL aired this sometime in the early 90's. Not a bad show... potential.
These 70s crime crossover shows are wonderful in so many ways.
Hell yeah!
Booyah!
Just saying the first battery powered car ! Was 1914 !!! 😆
The jet suffered from the bogus energy crisis of the mid-70s. The producers felt the audience wouldn't watch some rich guy who owned a jet if they couldn't get gas for their own vehicles. Hence, the apartment above the Magic Castle so Tony could be like everyone else.
Back in the early seventies I used to watch this. My mom got an invite to that Magic Castle, and we went there for lunch. You had to go to the opening and get let in. Open Sesame and the bookcase opened up. There were all kinds of props set up in there, like a skeleton playing the piano. I was really sorry to see that show end. I did not remember that Bill did his own stunts though, that is cool. I was on the opening season of the Gong Show when I was 17, and he was one of the judges. I lost by one point to Oingo Boingo. Bill gave me the lowest score, saying I needed more staging. He was like a nicer version of Simon Cowel.
Dear Mr. Fine do you recall a series from about 1973 called "Search" starring Burgess Meredith? Another favourite of mine as a kid.
its only something i know of from trawling Amazon for DVDs
@@StamFine I see, I think it only ran for one season.
Mister Eddie's Father brought legitimacy to every role he portrayed.
Bixby was an icon of the era.
And Elvis movie Clam bake and Bill Bixby hosted in search of Houdini and a episode TV CBS specials the magic of David Copperfield
Don't make him angry, you wouldn't like him when he's angry 😤
If they did a live action Iron Man, Bixby would have been a natural as Tony Stark.
There’s an animated series called the Magician too. It’s my favorite series. Bill Bixby is my favorite actor. I think he would have made cameos in the MCU today considering he played David Bruce Banner in the Hulk series.
Liked the Magician but if it had been a hit The Incredible Hulk wouldn't have happened
Interesting to see Bill Bixby in fight scenes where he doesn't Hulk out.
Bill bixby was way underrated actor. A brilliant actor which didn’t get the recognition that he deserved.
In the "Wonderful World of TH-cam" two kinds of actors : the underrated ones and the overatted ones.
Do BJ and the Bear at some point, christ it was bloody awful.
I'll see your BJ and the Bear and raise you a Hardcastle and McCormick.
@@ohmightyzeus6135 No Chimpanzee in Hardcastle and McCormick, although the opening credits song was kick ass.
An Underated Show : episodes have great written, better than some of the 70's !
The Magician with Bill Bixby should get a Blu-Ray release. This series was canceled too soon
Yes!!
Did you ever get to see a Canadian series called ‘Seeing Things’?
Loved this show (for the brief time it was on) when I was a kid. I remember loving the idea of living at the Magic Castle... how cool would that be? LOL.
I love the theme song and opening credits. So 70s.
The writer's strike you referred to happened at the start of the season delaying many new shows by months. That probably would have not made a difference to the Magicna's history as the show also premiered at a time when networks were again facing heat for too much sex and violence so they said, "OK, will pull back on the violence." Many very good shows only lasted one season at a time when you only had three networks and a limited number of timeslots. Still, using your head instead of your fists was also the concept idea for McGiver so may that says something.
Great review.
Very entertaining series, it's too bad it was so short lived.
The Ellery Queen TV series around the same time ['75] was equally enjoyable, but also only lasted the one season.
I guess the closest we got to a The Magician successor is The Mentalist with Simon Baker.
Excellent as always, Stam. Thank you.
I wanted to be him and drive that white corvette!!! Loved it!!!
As a teenager, this was one of my favorite shows that wasn't a sitcom. Bill always dressed sharp and drove my dream car. His exploits were so, so, but always loved when he used his tricks of the trade to foil the bad guys. Should have lasted longer than one season. Was pissed it got canceled.
Took me a while to realize why you kept enunciating Magic Castle! LOL
I don't think I ever watched The Magician. I'll have to go look for it. I did watch Black's Magic, which is a very similar concept and done very well. At least I remember enjoying it. The Mentalist seems like it could have received a lot of inspiration from The Magician, as well.
I well recall the show from its 1970s UK run. Thanks for dredging up a few good memories.
Didn't get your "I said Bobbies" pun from one of your excellent Dr. Who reviews, but "Magic Castle" landed, thank you. I'm getting there 😁
People Remember Late Great Bill Bixby My Favorite Martian and the magician 🎩 Roll forever be Remember The Incredible Hulk That My Show Love ❤️ 70's
Turning up to help people. Sounds like The Incredible Hulk, David always helping someone on his travels.
Don't make the Magician angry! You wouldn't like the Magician when he's angry!
I was 14 in 1973 and don't remember this show at all. However i loved him in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" and "The Incredible Hulk"
Ugh...
Class looses out to exploitive, bells & whistles and mega smoke & mirrors aka, special effects!!!
$hets! This was a great show, ruined by ignorant corporate money MEN!!! If there were a real/non sellout woman running things, more intelligent and exciting shows would have been produced.
End of story.
There was only one season of The Magician - just 23 episodes. Around the 12th episode the producer Barry Crane was let go (he produced Mission Impossible, Mannix, and many more) and the show was re-conceived mid-way through the season. Several key characters (series regulars) simply "disappeared" and replacement characters --in completely different roles were introduced. The most significant change (beyond cast) was swapping Tony Blake's home -- his private jet, complete with drive-up loading ramp for his white corvette-- for the Magic Castle as his new home and base of operations.
This was all done in order to incorporate more magic into the show with many guest magicians (and of course Tony himself) frequently performing on the various stages. Apparently, the magic segments tested very high with the viewers and this was a way to add more when there wasn't enough magic to force into the storyline as a means to thwart or overcome the bad guys using sleight-of-hand.
Some months later the new producer, Alan Armer was also let go (as he, like Barry Crane, just didn't get the "magic" and preferred trick photography or other means) and finally Paul Playdon took the reins and he was great. Unfortunately, the show simply cost Paramount too much-buying out 2 producer contracts, and several cast contracts, completely scrapping the primary set (the Jet Plane), and building the most expensive set in Paramount TV's history - the Magic Castle. So they didn't take a gamble on a season 2.
There is a Group on Facebook if your are a fan of this show: Join us: facebook.com/BillBixbyTM
Any chance of getting a *Stam-Fine-Flavoured* docuvideo about _'Cagney & Lacey'_ (incl. the pilot "movie" and the TV movies that came after the show ended)? 🙏🏻
Speaking of Bill Bixby and Columbo…I could never figure out why casting on Columbo never had Bill Bixby as the murderer the one Columbo cleverly goes after to me, that would have been a great episode with Bill Bixby guest starring and of course Peter Falk as Columbo
I’ve seen the episode Lightning on a Dry Day mostly bc I’ve been searching up Mark Hamill’s pre- Star Wars roles, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The practical magic tricks honestly were pretty impressive.
Wait, I don't think I heard you clearly. Did you say
The Magic Castle?
I think I first saw Bill Bixby in the Magician, and then later in The Hulk. But my memory is a little fuzzy on the point. As a detective story fan, I certainly liked the idea of a magician/detective, but as you say, it was really more of a hybrid, and the focus wasn't strictly on his detective work like, say the Ellery Queen series was. But then the show disappeared, like a bad magic trick, to never return, not even in re-runs.
Your precise pronunciation of “Magic Castle” reminds me of a similar joke from _Arrested Development_ 😂 Not sure if this was intentional, but it’s hilarious nonetheless, and if you know, you know 😋
Loved The Magician and Ther Persuaders, wish both had longer runs.
The Magician is one of my most favorite series, I'm 51 and I remember watching it when I was around 10 years old. The comparison you make with the British series makes a lot of sense: Bixby had the exact charm for the role, as well as Curtis and Moore, the type of actors that we hardly find today. I'm from Argentina, and I don't find many of my generation who remember this serie, that I think belongs to the golden age of TV series. And the music is another reason why this series is my favorite. Something that I will always ask myself is: in which South American country has Tony Blake been imprisoned? Greetings from Argentina!
Bill Bixby the magician TV show series episodes NBC and Hal Linden as Blake's magic TV show series episodes Mark Wilson Greg Wilson Mike Wilson Nanni Darnell Mark Wilson course in magic book and videos
Between courtship of Eddie’s father and the Incredible Hulk
The Max Pomeroy character was played by Keene Curtis, who would later play the John Alan Hill character on 'Cheers.'
Yes, watched by kids in Australia in the 1970s. I remember it fondly, but have not seen it for nearly fifty years.
I remember this from my childhood, the was on TH-cam for a short while, but stored the pilot for future viewing.
Thought it was very interesting…
But the failure as with a few other short lived projects… they were at a loss for ideas, or just decided to cancel (for whatever reasons).
It made me want to be a stage magician, so I did. Worked as a magician in John Bradshays 10 in 1 side show on Gooding's Million Dollar Midway carnival. I wanted to be in show business the worst way, and that was the worst way I could find.
+
I saw most of this series on TH-cam a few years ago. Now it isn’t on it anymore. Sad 😢
Also the reason it was cancelled? It was too expensive to make,
I watched this religiously back in the day... But I assume every storyline went completely over my head because I cannot recall a single episode plot. All I can recall is the opening theme music. Would love to see these eps now. Bill Bixby is a favorite of mine anyhow. Nice retrospective.
His name was changed after the Pilot, because there was a real Magician named Anthony Dorian who objected.
When I was 9 this was my favourite show. Wow it's fun to think back on this again after all this time. Thanks, this is great :)
I loved this show. I especially loved The Magic Castle. And the theme song rocked!
The Corvette and the vanity license plate "Spirit".... cool!
Being a young teen, I dreamed of hanging out and living in The Magic Castle.
Seems like there would be a lot of quality mash ups with scenes from this and the Incredible Hulk to make something cohesive from a crafty video editor.
5:05 -- He's picking a lock wearing a glove? Don't you have to kind of feel your way when you do that? Doesn't the glove make it ten times harder?
Thanks for the callback to an entertaining series. I also liked "My Favorite Martian" and "The Courtship Of Eddie's Father."