The World's Greatest Magic

The World's Greatest Magic was a series of American television specials showcasing magic acts. The first of five shows was broadcast by NBC in 1994, and continued with annual editions through 1998. These shows were most often first telecast during the Thanksgiving holidays when special programming would occur. These specials reran occasionally on ABC Family from October 1996 to early 2002. The first episode was hosted by Robert Urich, the second by Alan Thicke, and the final three episodes by John Ritter. Before each commercial break of every episode, in a segment known as the Mac King School of Magic, Mac King showed viewers a simple magic trick, and would break its steps down after the commercial break so that the audience could perform the same trick for family and friends. Here's a list of the closing illusions for each of the five shows, and the magicians that performed them: ⁕World's Greatest Magic I: Franz Harary - Space Shuttle vanish ⁕World's Greatest Magic II: Penn and Teller - Magic bullet catch ⁕World's Greatest Magic III: The Pendragons - Disappearance of 25 Vegas showgirls ⁕World's Greatest Magic IV: Lance Burton - Jaws of Death escape

Directed by Gary Ouellet, The World's Greatest Magic leans on a strong ensemble — — — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1994.