https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1u66_Kn4Oc

This hefty one-hour documentary is an excellent look into magic’s relationship with television. Featuring interviews with Richard Jones, Penn & Teller, Barry Cryer, David Berglas, among others, and showcasing footage of greats like Cardini and Tommy Cooper, How Magic Changed TV is an engaging look at televised magic from the days of the variety show to the current renaissance on shows like Fool Us and Britain’s Got Talent. It skews more towards UK performers, but it’s a must-watch for anyone interested in magic or entertainment history.

For insight into how magic made it onto American TV, be sure to read “How a bunch of bottlecaps got a magic show on television,” and if you want to know more about the Masked Magician, take a gander at “The Masked Magician’s enduring legacy.”