Tonight, 2 shows: Masters of Illusion / Penn & Teller

[Doug Thornton]

Masters of Illusion is on at 9:30pm eastern time - WPIX (the CW) in New York.
Penn & Teller are on The Late Late Show at 12:35am CBS - the interim host is Drew Carey.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Thanks, looks like we have another episode this week of Masters of Illusion

[Terry]

"Masters" of Illusion - outside of Mac King and Dana Daniels - was a complete failure.

Rick Thomas resembles a Wayne Newton knockoff and his performance was lackluster. Not good.

The multiplying chair and Backstage illusions were not represented well either.

Mac King was great. Dana was as well. Two real professionals.

[Dustin Stinett]

My problem with this last Friday's episode of MoI is twofold:

First, they did a "Backstage with the Magician" illusion two weeks in a row. (Last week's was better.)

And the CW's Standards and Practices made the producers butcher Mac King's routine to the point where one of his strongest punch lines, "There's only one other place it can be," make absolutely no sense.

They made Gay & company take out the card (and fig newton) from fly.

The routine is that the signed selection is first found in his coat pocket, then the fly. Then the thumb tie starts up and, when she doesn't find the card in the cost pocket, "There's only one other place it can be."

Gay was not at all happy with the interference of S&P in this instance, but she was given no choice (and I think that she edited as best as it could be under the circumstances). But with all of the sexual innuendo that happens on primetime television these days--including on shows run on the CW--this restriction was absurd as well as unfortunate.

[Bill Mullins]

But with all of the sexual innuendo that happens on primetime television these days--including on shows run on the CW--this restriction was absurd as well as unfortunate.

Do you think that CW is tighter on this show because, being magic, they assume it is a "kiddie" show, and the bar for censorship is lower?

[Jonathan Townsend]

Troy: Street Magic tonight on syfy
??

[Dustin Stinett]

But with all of the sexual innuendo that happens on primetime television these days--including on shows run on the CW--this restriction was absurd as well as unfortunate.

Do you think that CW is tighter on this show because, being magic, they assume it is a "kiddie" show, and the bar for censorship is lower?

Probably. I've never noticed before, but next time its on I will look to see what its "viewer warning" level is. If it's TVG, I suppose its "standards" would be higher. But Mac King does this in front of kids a couple times a day, five days a week.