The World's Greatest Magic was a series of American television specials showcasing magic acts. The first of five shows was broadcast by NBC in 1994, and continued with annual editions through 1998. These shows were most often first telecast during the Thanksgiving holidays when special programming would occur. These specials reran occasionally on ABC Family from October 1996 to early 2002.
The first episode was hosted by Robert Urich, the second by Alan Thicke, and the final three episodes by John Ritter. Before each commercial break of every episode, in a segment known as the Mac King School of Magic, Mac King showed viewers a simple magic trick, and would break its steps down after the commercial break so that the audience could perform the same trick for family and friends.
Here's a list of the closing illusions for each of the five shows, and the magicians that performed them:
⁕World's Greatest Magic I: Franz Harary - Space Shuttle vanish
⁕World's Greatest Magic II: Penn and Teller - Magic bullet catch
⁕World's Greatest Magic III: The Pendragons - Disappearance of 25 Vegas showgirls
⁕World's Greatest Magic IV: Lance Burton - Jaws of Death escape
Ended
The World's Greatest Magic
November 14, 1994
November 25, 1998
1
5
English
John Gabriel - Wireframe Magic Unlimited - The three magicians are 15, 16 and 17 year's old Hans Klok - Through the fan Harry Anderson - Paper to a $20, and interactive Masked Magician Mike Caveney - Comedy scissors through the jacket Mac King - Teach-a-Trick Dimmare - Classic Magic, doves, canes, silks, etc. Michael Ammar - Cups & Balls, and card tricks The Majestix - Pass through solid steel, and the Puzzler Phelston Jones - Pyro magic, masks, and more The Evasons - Psychics John Gabriel - Levitation Jim Passe - Paradox Sphere, twists a lady in half Peter Gossamer & Hayley Taylor - Comedy Psychics (Mental Tele-pathetic) Goldfinger and Dove - Stage Monte Brett Daniels - Grand Canyon
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