Hello there. Here in England there is never much magic on TV but in the last two months there has been loads. There were some people called THEM, can anybody tell me things about them? Names of effects they used or similar effects? There are too many to discribe. Please, please, this program is new to me and very exciting. Thank you.

Only thing I know is that they were great!!

Best regards tom

So far as I know, THEM was a pilot for NBC in America. Only two were made as the show was not picked up by the network. Sky TV in the UK bought the shows and showed them over Christmas.

If you like this kind of magic, watch out for MAX MAGIC coming up on Sky TV next month in the uk. According to magicweek.co.uk it'll include hidden camera magic stunts as well as more traditional magic.

Can't wait!

Excellent! I'll check out Sky.

Where can I find out more info on THEM?

I have this on tape from when it was broadcast on Sky. There's some good magic on it, but it is really let down by some horribly staged managed reactions (even by street magic standards) from the "unsuspecting bystanders" who all look like they've stepped out of the offices of central casting. After the third or forth "ooh nooo, that's amaaaziing!!" I had to go for a lie down.

The problem with hidden camera magic (and hidden camera shows in general for that matter) is that as soon as anyone suspects there's a camera on them (for example because the bizarre theatrical character in front of them has just started making the coffee mugs float around the room) they start mugging, and since use of reaction footage became so much a part of the Blaine specials I suspect TV producers have become a little carried away with their use of that aspect.

The Max Magic hidden camera slots are more in the vein of Trigger Happy TV in terms of having bizarre costumed characters doing magic without any pretence of people not realising it's a performance. This being England though people tend to be more downbeat in their reactions anyway (a stock busking line here to get composed, apathetic audiences to react is "forget you're English!"); in one of the Max Magic shows, the giant rabbit and midget duo enter a laundrette with a large sack which contains a variety of magic props which they load into a tumble drier as each one is produced. Sat next to them is a woman who looks up at this performance with a bored "whatever" expression and goes back to reading her book.