Le magicien

Like MacGyver but with midgets. David Rappaport (Time Bandits) is really cool climbing on buildings and saving people ala MacGyver. The show was only on for two seasons but it was still one of my favourites when it was on.

One night I was looking for a TV show I could watch with my two small daughters, and found "The Wizard". Simon McKay (David Rappaport) was a small man with a giant heart and immense intelligence, Tillie Russell (Fran Ryan) was his gruff yet kindly housekeeper, and Alex Jagger (Doug Barr) was the FBI agent that had to keep up with them, and protect Simon. Someone else has compared "The Wizard" to "MacGyver", and I suppose that is fairly accurate. Simon had developed weapons for the government, then decided that he couldn't do that any more, and disappeared for several years. Once he returned, he created wonderful toys. Of course, there would always be a bad guy, and Simon would use his toys to defeat him without guns or violence. My daughters and I remember this show with great fondness.

I, too, regret that I never wrote to David Rappaport to tell him how much we enjoyed this lovely, gentle show and the characters they created.

The Wizard was a favorite tv show of mine back when I was about 6. I don't remember much about it, but I do remember that the midget wizard was really cool! He also had candy which made the show MUCH better! I remember being so disappointed when the show went off the air. I guess it didn't help much that my older brother would taunt me by saying, "guess what show is on tonight? The Wizard!" Then after sitting in front of the tv for about 30 minutes and finally realizing that the show was NOT coming on, I would go watch Punky Brewster :) I fell for this scheme everyday for about a year...mean older brother. I am glad that other people have heard of the Wizard, I was beginning to think that maybe my brother had just made up the whole thing to trick me!

I was sure this show was called The Wizard. I had tried to look on the internet before but had no luck. Finally proof of what I had been searching for years for. I watched this when it first aired I was around 5 or going on 6. Loved this and I remember the time I went to watch it and found it gone from it's normal time slot. Never to be seen again. I remember the episode where a car got stuck and the used "Grunt" a ball that turned in to a strong man, as a jack to lift the car out of the mud. I can see it in my mind like it happened yesterday. When will this come to DVD? I guess there is hope as they finally put Phantasam 2 out on Region1 DVD so there is hope.

I was ten years old when "The Wizard" began. It was a favorite new show of mine. I remember it being a show about a little person who makes inventions and has all sorts of adventures. This web site is the only place I have found that has made mention of this show. At least now I know I wasn't imagining "The Wizard". Too bad it didn't last. It was an exciting show that not many people remember.