Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Reveled | |
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Starring |
Val Valentino (Masked Magician) Mitch Pileggi (host) Mark Thompson (announcer) Sybil Azur Michelle Berube Denise Holland Jennifer Lee Keyes |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 18 (List of episodes) |
Production | |
Running time | 1 hour |
Production company(s) |
Fox Nash Entertainment Don Weiner Productions Alfred Haber Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | AXN |
Original release | November 24, 1997 May 15, 2002 October 2, 2008 – February 21, 2009 |
- October 29, 1998
Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed is a series of television shows in which the methods behind magic tricks and illusions are explained. In its original incarnation there were four shows in 1997-1998 and a special in 2002 broadcast on the Fox network in the United States, and on Sky and ITV in the United Kingdom. In 2008-2009, a new series of thirteen shows was broadcast by MyNetworkTV in the United States and ITV4 in the United Kingdom. On May 1, 2012, reruns of the first season began airing on BIO in the United States.
The first four specials and the full series featured incognito magician Val Valentino as the Masked Magician performing large-scale illusions and a few smaller-scale close up magic tricks before revealing the secrets of the tricks. The Masked Magician was promoted as a well-known magician who wore a mask to avoid recrimination from fellow magicians. He revealed his identity in the fourth episode. His assistants are also left unidentified and uncredited. They are Michelle Berube, Denise Holland, Jennifer Lee Keyes, and Sybil Azur. The fifth special featured a second unidentified Masked Magician, whose assistants were Kelly Cooper, Kimi Bateman, Kadee Sweeney, and Noelle Naone.
The series is made by production company Nash Entertainment. The title alluded to the magician's code: the promise by working magicians not to reveal the basis of their tricks, or else risk getting blackballed by fellow magicians. Fox returned on May 15, 2002, with Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 5. A new magician was wearing a new mask with artificial hair, and a purple glistening outfit. It was never revealed who portrayed the magician in this episode.