The Magicians-Episode 1

One of last year's big television programmes, with an audience of over 5 million views, The Magicians returned to our screens today with two new magicians, a new host, and a new live format. But how did it go?

The Host: Darren Mcmullen, in his terrestrial British debut, stayed mostly in the background, allowing the magicians to dominate. Hopefully, his bright, engaging, personality will soon begin to properly show.

The Live Format: The format is as interesting as it was last year, and the tricks are still excellent. I don't mind the use of celebrities, but I would like there to be a reward for the winners (Maybe £10,000 for the winning celebrity's charity), as well as the forfeit for the losers. Furthermore, There should have been maybe a few minutes more to vote after ALL the performances (Voting closed just after the last one, which hindered Pete Firman, the Final performer)

What tricks did the magicians do?

Jason Latimer and Flavia Cacace (Strictly Come Dancing performer)

LIVE GRAND: Latimer performed one of his signature tricks- a routine where he made beams of light from a laser turn solid. it was interesting and original, but not particularly amazing. Maybe because I've seen it before.

STREET CLOSE: Flavia drew a deck of cards on Latimer's arm. latimer made a card chosen by a spectator visibly rise out of this "deck". A very clever effect, and the touch of doing it on the body worked well.

STREET GRAND: Flavia and Latimer did a relay escapology trick, with both handcuffed in boxes on a racing track and a bus hurtling at high speed towards the two. Flavia escaped, but Latimer appeared to be less lucky, as the bus smashed the box he was in before he could escape. However, Latimer was soon revealed to have been the bus driver all along. Charlie Caper did a similar (and equally spectacular) version in the Swedish equivalent of the Magicians, Helt Magiskt , but Latimer's version was fairly unique with the relay element and addition of the bus.

LIVE CLOSE: Latimer did a trick where he made coins pass through a handkerchief. The first part of the trick, where the coins passed through in plain sight,was excellent, but the final part, where it passed through the handkerchief whilst it was twisted and sealed with a ring, was pure amateur magic (it is included in many how-to-do-magic books) and weakened the routine considerably

Barry + Stuart and Tyger Drew-Honey + Daniel Roache (Ben and Jake Brockman from Outnumbered)

LIVE GRAND: Tyger and Daniel Did a version of the Spirit conjuring trick, presented as a "how to be like Barry and Stuart" demonstration. Tyger produced Barry and Stuart under two sheets, the vanished from a box to appear under a third. A very clever and modern version of a clever but old trick.

STREET CLOSE:The four turned various cups of coffee into insects according to which ones the volunteers hated most.Yuck!

STREET GRAND: Barry and Stuart claimed to predict the CD a volunteer would buy, but she didn't- she brought a copy of X-Factor and Popstar-to-Operastar winner Joe Mcelderry 's album "Classic Christmas". But they then revealed, using a portable mirror, that the abstract drawing was a picture of Mcelderry, thus showing they'd predicted her choice, then produced Mcelderry himself from it! A very clever trick indeed.

LIVE CLOSE: Barry and Stuart predicted a card chosen by a randomly chosen Facebook user, which Tyler and Drew had signed. Interesting and interactive.

Pete Firman and Keith Duffy (Former Boyzone singer and Current Corination Street Star)

LIVE GRAND: A version of the "Spiker" trick, Where the assistant gets into a box which the magician pushes a row of spikes through. After showing now empty, he then produces the assistant, and maybe a few others too. Keith Posed as the Magician and Pete the assistant. It was a good performance, but I've seen the trick too many times and there have been better versions

STREET CLOSE: Pete and Keith made a glass bottle and glass jug shatter using the power of the mind. Not one to think about doing in a restaurant!

STREET GRAND: A trick involving Keith Zorbing down Edinburgh's royal mile to predict (and put on) an item of clothing thought of by the spectator.Made good use of the area's steep slopes!

LIVE CLOSE: Pete tore a chosen card into bits and made it appear restored inside a randomly chosen raw pork sausage. Great presentation, but didn't Luis de Matos do a similar trick (except with the card turning up in an orange) last year?

Any Guests?

With the time the votes were being tallied up, Viewers were treated to guest performances by Eric Gilliam and Hiroki Hara, competitors for Teen Magician of the year in 2010. They were part of a documentary called "Make Believe" along with the other finalists. The film fared well with critics in its US run, and will hopefully be released in the UK soon. Eric performed several silk tricks and clothes changes, at one point making his whole top half vanish! Hiroki performed traditional but clever tricks with fans, parasols and cards. I'd love to see "Make Belive" based on this!

The Forfeit

Pete and Keith came last in the vote and had to do the forfeit, which, like last year's was another sideshow staple, as they both ate fire and gargled molten metal.This was a genuinely terrifying forfeit and original too (I'm a little tired of seeing the losers lying on a bed of nails almost every time!)

NEXT WEEK: Stricly's panto villain, Craig Revel Horwood , will be subjecting himself to rough treatment from the performers, as will David Hasselhoff(probably my least favourite celebrity of all time) and Julia Bradbury.