Tricky TV

Tricky TV is a British television show that airs on CITV. Presented by children's presenter and magician Stephen Mulhern, the show features magic on the street, "wicked wind-ups", illusions, and teaches a number of tricks step-by-step.

Tricky TV
StarringStephen Mulhern
No. of series3
No. of episodes43
Production
ProducerThe Foundation
Running timeless than 30 minutes
Release
Original networkCITV
Original releaseSeptember 5, 2005 (2005-09-05) 
October 15, 2010 (2010-10-15)
Chronology
Preceded byThe Quick Trick Show

Format

The show featured magic tricks ranging from making a tank vanish to making an entire football team appear. The "wicked wind-ups" included a gorilla that came to life and a cinema with exploding popcorn and unstoppable drinks machines. Classic con tricks were also exposed in "Beat the Cheat". 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.

In Series 1 and 2, Mulhern was joined each week by 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 dramatically redesigned as Stephen Mulhern presents more in the background and allows a 'Tricky Team' of young magicians to perform the illusions.

Production

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

Tricky TV was first broadcast in the 4pm slot on ITV from 5 September 2005. 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 and has sold to over 100 countries.

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 2005Jennifer EllisonA full-sized model gorilla comes to life, Stephen makes a dream come true for a class of schoolkids - by causing their teachers to vanish. Jennifer Ellison is amazed by a card trick, and then cut into three in the "Zigzag Girl".
2212 September 2005A school trip to the Kent Museum of Life takes a turn when a schoolboy called Josh is flattened after being put through a wringer, Stephen also attempts to make a tank disappear, and then leads a cookery class that gets out of hand.
3319 September 2005CapriceStephen demonstrates the illusion of levitation, customers at an ice-cream van are served up a surprise, and in the closing illusion, Caprice is left feeling a little cut up in a giant card trick.
4426 September 2005The Cheeky GirlsIn this episode, the Cheeky Girls help Stephen perform a trick with playing cards - by sitting on them. Plus Stephen demonstrates a trick where a handkerchief turns into an egg with a touch of magic. Finally, the Cheeky Girls help Stephen with another trick where he saws them both in half and switches their lower halves.
553 October 2005Bradley WalshIn this episode, Bradley Walsh is amazed by a card trick with a football link; Stephen transforms a viewer's old family car; a poster comes to life; a harmless toy terrifies members of the public; and a viewer asks Stephen to use their mother in a dangerous feat.
6610 October 2005Rachel StevensIn this episode, magical mayhem abounds on a school trip to the cinema, and singer Rachel Stevens is amazed when Stephen performs a mind-boggling trick with her expensive ring, and then saws her in half while she's standing up. Plus, Stephen sends a bodybuilder to the Table of Death to be impaled by a bed of sharp spikes falling from above.
7717 October 2005Joe PasqualeIn this episode, comedian Joe Pasquale plays a version of Russian roulette, and Stephen tries to turn a pack of cub scouts into brownies.
8824 October 2005Peter AndreSinger Peter Andre receives a shock when the presenter attempts a trick using a fearsome fork, Stephen shows a secret to make a person levitate, and a big trick with a plane.
9931 October 2005Stephen visits a sleepover to show a sleeping levitation, rescues a cat with magic, and shows off the secrets of a haunted house.
101017 October 2005Jack OsbourneStephen presents a baffling 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 2006Stephen visits Blackpool beach; Holly appears from nowhere, and then uses a magical changing room to put on her bikini. In the closing illusion, Stephen uses a bodybuilder to demonstrate the "Beach BBQ".
12217 March 2006We find out how magicians make ice cream; and a donkey gets a ride for once. In the closing illusion, a bodybuilder goes to pieces in the 'Bikini Blocks'.
13324 March 2006David BeckhamIn this episode, Stephen 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 2006Nikki SandersonStephen takes a knight to pieces in a suit of armour, amazes Nikki with a trick with a bottle, and brings some magic to a library.
1557 April 2006Philip SchofieldStephen amazes Philip 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, Stephen borrows an Aunty - then makes her 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 2006In "The Disembodied Princess", Stephen makes a gymnastics coach's body disappear, leaving just her head and legs.
18828 April 2006Stephen 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 2006Stephen introduces Holly to his idea of "Modern Art" when he saws her in half while she's standing up.
201012 May 2006Stephen 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, Stephen performs Bodybuilder Bisection, using a buzzsaw to slice the man in half.
211119 May 2006Stephen gets right to the point with 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 2006Stephen surprises a viewer's mother with some conjuring, and helps her dress the part, before she takes to the high seas for an illusion with pirates. Plus, magic tips for viewers in the Secret Circle, and Stephen's volunteer assistant being cut into nine in an illusion called "The Slicer".
23132 June 2006In "Girl Through Glass", Stephen 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.[1]

EpisodeIn seriesOriginal airdateSpecial guestEpisode details
24114 September 2010Girls AloudGirls Aloud join Stephen at the seaside, and take part in some magic. Stephen's apprentices demonstrate their skills
25215 September 2010Nell McAndrewSporty 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 which has a duration of 5 minutes. Series 1 had 10 episodes, while series 2 had 15 episodes.

The Quick Trick Show

The Quick Trick Show was a British children's television series. It was presented by Stephen Mulhern, and like its sister show Tricky TV, the show featured magic tricks, "wicked wind-ups", illusions, and taught a number of tricks step-by-step. Five series in total 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 broadcast

Tricky TV was aired in Southeast Asia on Cartoon Network Asia, in Germany on Super RTL, in the Arab World on MBC 4, in 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.

References

  1. "IMDB: Tricky TV". TV Database. IMDB an Amazon Company. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
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