Tricky TV

Last updated

Tricky TV
Presented by Stephen Mulhern
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes43
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companyThe Foundation
Original release
Network ITV (CITV)
Release5 September 2005 (2005-09-05) 
15 October 2010 (2010-10-15)
Related
The Quick Trick Show

Tricky TV is a British television show that aired on CITV from 2005 to 2010, presented by magician Stephen Mulhern. The show featured street magic, pranks, illusions, and step-by-step how-to guides for magic tricks.

Contents

Format

The show featured magic tricks such as making a tank vanish or making an entire football team appear. The "wicked wind-ups" segment included a gorilla that came to life, a cinema with exploding popcorn, and unstoppable drinks machines. "Beat the Cheat" exposed classic confidence tricks. Each show usually closed with a performance of a classic "grand illusion", such as sawing a woman in half.

Mulhern performing a magic trick to a child at Chessington World of Adventures during filming of the show. Stephen Mulhern 2015.jpg
Mulhern performing a magic trick to a child at Chessington World of Adventures during filming of the show.

In Series 1 and 2, each episode featured one or more special guest celebrities, who often took part in a number of tricks during the show, and sometimes participated in the show's closing illusion. In series 3, the format was redesigned with Mulhern presenting and a 'Tricky Team' of young magicians performing the illusions.

Production

Tricky TV was first broadcast in the 4pm slot on ITV from 5 September 2005.

The show was produced by The Foundation, the same company that produced Finger Tips , Globo Loco and Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown , which also starred Stephen Mulhern.

The show featured frequent appearances by celebrities, and used glamour models and bodybuilders as magician's assistants. It was also noted for featuring viewers or their mothers in tricks. [1]

The creative consultant was Paul Andrews. The show's executive producer was Vanessa Hill for The Foundation. Series 2 was produced by Ian France and directed by Paul Andrews. Series 3 was co-produced, written and directed by Paul Andrews.

Transmissions

SeriesFirst airedLast airedEpisodes
15 September 200513 November 200510
210 March 20062 June 200613
314 September 201015 October 201020

Episodes

Series 1

Series 1 consisted of ten episodes, and ran from 5 September 2005 to 7 November 2005.

EpisodeIn seriesOriginal air dateSpecial guestEpisode details
115 September 2005 Jennifer Ellison A full-sized model gorilla comes to life, and Mulhern causes a school class's teacher to vanish. Ellison is amazed by a card trick, and then cut into three in the "Zigzag Girl".
2212 September 2005In this episode’s big trick, a schoolboy called Josh is flattened like a pancake, in front of his classmates, after being squeezed through a pair of rollers by Stephen in an illusion called the wringer. Mulhern also attempts to make a tank disappear, and then leads a cookery class that descends into chaos.
3319 September 2005 Caprice Mulhern demonstrates the illusion of levitation, customers at an ice-cream van are served a surprise, and in the closing illusion, Caprice participates in a giant card trick.
4426 September 2005 The Cheeky Girls In this episode, the Cheeky Girls help Mulhern perform a trick with playing cards by sitting on them. Mulhern also demonstrates a trick where a handkerchief turns into an egg. Finally, a viewer's mother agrees to be sliced up and sent by post.
553 October 2005 Bradley Walsh In this episode, Bradley Walsh is amazed by a football-related card trick; Mulhern transforms a viewer's old family car; a poster comes to life; a harmless toy terrifies members of the public; and a viewer asks Mulhern to use their mother in a dangerous feat.
6610 October 2005 Rachel Stevens In this episode, magic is involved in a school trip to the cinema, and Mulhern performs a trick involving Rachel Stevens's expensive ring, and then saws her in half while she is standing up. Mulhern also places a bodybuilder on the Table of Death to be impaled by a bed of sharp spikes falling from above.
7717 October 2005 Joe Pasquale In this episode, comedian Joe Pasquale plays a version of Russian roulette, Stephen tries to turn a pack of cub scouts into brownies, and Holly is sent to the guillotine.
8824 October 2005 Peter Andre Singer Peter Andre receives a shock when the presenter attempts a trick using a fork, Mulhern shows the secret to making someone levitate, and there is a big trick with a plane.
9931 October 2005Mulhern visits a sleepover to show a sleeping levitation, rescues a cat with magic, and shows off the secrets of a haunted house.
101017 October 2005 Jack Osbourne and Louise Redknapp Mulhern presents a trick with a box of tissues, guest Jack Osbourne receives some unusual help to overcome his jet-lag, and a bodybuilder volunteers for a dangerous underwater trick.

Series 2

Series 2 ran from 10 March – 2 June 2006

EpisodeIn seriesOriginal airdateSpecial guestEpisode details
11110 March 2006 Jennifer Ellison Mulhern visits Blackpool beach; Holly appears from nowhere, and then uses a magical changing room to put on her bikini. In the closing illusion, Mulhern uses a bodybuilder to demonstrate the "Beach BBQ" to Holly.
12217 March 2006 Jennifer Ellison It is revealed how magicians make ice cream; and a donkey gets a ride. In the closing illusion, Holly and Jennifer go to pieces in the 'Bikini Blocks'.
13324 March 2006 David Beckham In this episode, Mulhern makes Holly's wedding ring vanish from inside her closed hand and then reappear inside a rose. He also brings a David Beckham waxwork to life, and then makes a horse disappear.
14431 March 2006 Nikki Sanderson Mulhern takes a knight to pieces in a suit of armour, amazes Nikki Sanderson with a trick with a bottle, and brings some magic to a library.
1557 April 2006 Phillip Schofield Mulhern amazes Phillip Schofield with a close up magic trick, shows off his magic picnic basket, and then makes a viewer's mother float high in the air above London.
16614 April 2006On Blackpool beach, Mulhern makes someone's aunt vanish. A card trick becomes a donkey trick. Aunty Linsey reappears in a tank of water. Beat the Cheat shares another secret. Aunty Linsey is penetrated by light-bulbs.
17721 April 2006A bodybuilder is squeezed through a tiny hole, heavy weights become weightless, and a gymnastics coach's body disappears, leaving just her head and legs.
18828 April 2006Mulhern uses a small tree house for a Big Trick and teaches magic in the Secret Circle. He also visits a gym and stretches and squashes a bodybuilder to impossible sizes in "The Stretcher".
1995 May 2006Mulhern introduces Holly to his idea of "Modern Art" when he saws her in half while she is standing up.
201012 May 2006Mulhern attends a school in Denbigh and puts a schoolgirl called Sophie through an illusion called the Wringer where she is flattened. At a gym in London, he performs Bodybuilder Bisection, using a buzzsaw to slice the man in half.
211119 May 2006Mulhern pushes javelins through a gym teacher, a classic confidence trick is exposed in Beat the Cheat, and a French lesson is cut short by a guillotine.
221226 May 2006Mulhern surprises a viewer's mother with some conjuring, and helps her dress the part, before she participates in an illusion with pirates. There are magic tips for viewers in the Secret Circle, and Mulhern's volunteer assistant is cut into nine in an illusion called "The Slicer".
23132 June 2006In "Girl Through Glass", Mulhern pushes Holly through a solid pane of glass, and also cuts her in half.

Series 3

Series 3 consisted of twenty episodes, and ran from 14 September – 15 October 2010. Episodes 1-14 were presented by Stephen Williams. [2]

EpisodeIn seriesOriginal airdateSpecial guestEpisode details
24114 September 2010 Girls Aloud Girls Aloud join Mulhern at the seaside, and take part in some magic. Mulhern's apprentices demonstrate their skills.
25215 September 2010 Nell McAndrew Sporty magic with special guest Nell McAndrew
26316 September 2010
27417 September 2010
28521 September 2010
29622 September 2010
30723 September 2010
31824 September 2010
32928 September 2010
331029 September 2010
341130 September 2010
35121 October 2010
36135 October 2010
37146 October 2010
38157 October 2010
39168 October 2010
401712 October 2010
411813 October 2010
421914 October 2010
432015 October 2010

Tricky Quickies

Tricky Quickies was a cut-down version of the show with a duration of five minutes. Series 1 had 10 episodes, while series 2 had 15 episodes.

The Quick Trick Show

The Quick Trick Show was the predecessor to Tricky TV, also presented by Mulhern, and also featuring magic tricks, "wicked wind-ups", illusions, and step-by-step guides to tricks. Five series were produced and aired on CITV between 1999 and 2002.

Series Guide

SeriesPremiereLast in seriesEpisodes
113 April 199918 May 19996
223 February 20005 April 20007
327 February 200120 March 200113
424 September 200111 October 200113
516 October 200218 December 200210

International broadcasts

Tricky TV was aired in Southeast Asia on Cartoon Network Asia, in Germany on Super RTL, in the Arab World on MBC 4, MBC Action, MBC+ Variety, Space Power TV in Iran on MBC Persia, Iceland on Stöð 2, in Norway on NRK Super, in Canada on VRAK.TV, in India on Nickelodeon, in Hong Kong on ATV World and in Japan on Disney XD.

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References

  1. "Watch Tricky TV | Prime Video". Amazon UK.
  2. "IMDB: Tricky TV". TV Database. IMDB an Amazon Company. Retrieved 21 December 2012.