The Magician, the short-lived but long-lasting NBC series starring Bill Bixby as a crime-fighting illusionist, will be the subject of the May 20 edition of Talking Television with Dave White, beginning at 10:30pm ET, 7:30pm PT on Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org. Though its original network tenure was just one season (1973-1974), The Magician has enjoyed a remarkable run in worldwide syndication, leaving its mark on television (the show is part of the X Files mythology) while also inspiring a new wave of real-life stage magicians. Not surprisingly, we were bombarded with emails about The Magician last month in response to our tribute to Bill Bixby; for that reason, we decided to devote an entire hour to this immensely popular show. Frankie Montiforte and I will co-host the program; our guest will be J. Kingston Pierce, senior editor of January Magazine, whose writings on television include articles on The Magician and other popular detective shows of the 1970s. We’ll also play clips from The Magician, and may have a surprise or two up our sleeve. If you’re a fan of Bill Bixby, if you grew up watching The Magician and have a favorite episode, be sure to join us Tuesday, May 20 beginning at 10:30pm ET, 7:30pm PT on KSAV.org. Phone number is (800) 407-KSAV (5728), email address is talk@ksav.org or ed@talkingtelevision.org.
Ed Robertson
Pop Culture Critic and Television Historian
Co-Host, Talking Television with Dave White
Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org
www.edrobertson.com
www.talkingtelevision.org
Tags: bill bixby, january magazine, magician TV series, pop culture critic, television chronicles, television history, the magician, TV shows 1970s
May 20, 2008 at 12:11 pm
“the Magician” was a terrific show! This show has a cult-like following similar to “the Incredible Hulk”, that is hounding the studios to release this show on DVD collector’s box set….to me, that speaks volumes about the staying power of “good” TV. We don’t see enough of it today, and it is missed, as are the key players who brought it to us. Bill Bixby was one of those people…Oddly, his life-long dedication to what is literally the most pwerful medium of the 20th century, has yet to be recognized in the form of an induction into the Emmy Hall of Fame…. let’s change that! Sign the petiton, or send a letter to The ATAS Emmy Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chairman Mark Itkin @ 5220 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601