50 Greatest Magic Tricks is a one-off list show that was produced by Objective Productions for Channel 4. The programme counted down the fifty greatest magic tricks, as voted for by members of The Magic Circle.[1] The illusion at number one was Death Saw by David Copperfield.[2] The show was presented by British comedy duo Adam and Joe, who also wrote and narrated the programme.[3] The show was first broadcast on Channel 4 on 6 May 2002.[4]
In a review of the programme, magician Ian Rowland praised the production of the show, saying that its content was "almost uniformly superb" and that it was a "golden credit to its makers". He was considerably more critical of Adam and Joe's presenting, calling the pair "dismal" and their contributions "an unmitigated disaster". Rowland also questioned the final list – he bemoaned the lack of close-up magic tricks in favour of large illusions on stage.[4]
Legacy
The special was featured in a 2018 episode of the BBC One show Pointless Celebrities. One hundred members of the public had been given 100 seconds to name, from memory, as many magicians on the list as possible. The episode's finalists, Robert Lindsay and his daughter Sydney Stevenson, then had to name any magician who had not been listed by the 100 people. Paul Daniels, David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, David Blaine, Tommy Cooper, Derren Brown and The Great Soprendo were the only magicians to be named by the 100 people.[5]
