Penn & Teller: Fool Us

This is wonderful television in the true sense of "wonder". Fool Us! makes for a refreshing change from the usual homogenised mass of formula drama & reality shows. There really is nothing quite like it around.

With the best European illusionists & card masters it is full of interesting people who have incredible skills. There is nothing mean or nasty about this show. Penn doesn't even swear so it is a perfect show for bright kids as well as adults (grown-ups?)

Jonathon Ross (Jonafon Woss??) does a pretty good job as compere. If you haven't seen Fool Us! yet, I recommend you go find it! And that's no BS!

We're massive Penn-Teller fans - my wife "did" the joke-book trick with them in Vegas - and I'd love to give the show a 9 or 10, but the show definitely lost something after moving from the UK after 2 seasons.

Changing hosts didn't help. Jonathon Ross was cheeky and fast on his feet while Alyson Hannigan comes across like a kid selling raffle tickets. However, her blandness is consistent with how the show is now safer and tailored to a middle American audience.

After all, the duo became conjuring superstars by pairing Penn's staggering stage presence with Teller's skills - they were hip and "dangerous" and perfectly fit shows like SNL and early Letterman.

That time has faded. The pair compliment all the acts, as they should, but the whole vibe has softened and been tooled to never tease or offend. That's a shame as the magic is still great but the experience is pure vanilla.

I generally quite like this show as it's just fun to watch. But there are a few things that are starting to really bother me. Yes, it's reality TV and so there is going to be some things left out, but at some point if you know it's all fake it isn't as much fun.

Specifically: they are editing some performances to make them seem impossible; performances that SURELY did not fool them get some made up story about how it really DID fool them so they can get the performer in their Vegas act; they are re-using audience reactions to tricks for multiple episodes/performances; Penn & Teller are hamming up their fake reactions to tricks that don't deserve such a reaction.

Vegas and Hollywood together...I shouldn't be surprised?

I love P&T, and this show is incredible. The show features up-and-coming illusionists who perform in front of the studio audience as well as P&T, and P&T attempt to figure out how the illusion was done. Some of the acts are absolutely incredible, and the production quality of the show is outstanding. Good camera work, not a lot of filler, etc.

My only regret is that it's not available in the US. You can't even WATCH it on ITV's website if you're in the US - bummer! You can, however, watch some clips on Youtube, just enough to give you a real desire to be able to see the show in its entirety. It appears that it is still being produced(?) in July 2011. Maybe Mr. Davey will be approached to produce an American version of the show - I sure hope so!

Penn & Teller aren't strangers to the tube. They've hosted game shows, appeared on reality shows and talk shows, and hosted the long running Showtime series "Bull*hit". However, they are best known for being a magic act in Las Vegas that combines comedy with illusions and some great effects as well. They finally have a show on TV that gives them the platform to do what they do best, but now they've opened it up for other magicians as well on "Fool Us."

The concept is pretty simple. Four magicians from around the globe come to Vegas to perform one act in front of Penn & Teller. The magicians range from masters of card tricks, to mentalists, to prop artists and many more. After the act, Penn & Teller briefly confer and, in traditional magician form, declare they know how the trick is done using code words (like all magicians, they follow the code of not revealing how a trick is done) or admit they have no idea how it's done. If their guess is wrong or they are stumped, they tell the magician that he/she "fooled us" and the magician wins a trophy and is invited back to Vegas to open for Penn & Teller. After four magicians, Penn & Teller perform a trick of their own from their wide array of tricks.

The best part about the show is how unlike other reality shows it is. Penn & Teller are positive, encouraging and very supportive of the magicians, whether they fooled them or not. There seems to be a certain level of respect between the hosts and the contestants that you don't see on many shows these days. Also, there is little "drama" or side stories like some reality shows like to emphasize now. It sticks to magic, the art and love of it, and letting up and coming magicians have the opportunity to display their skills to a wide audience.

It's enjoyable, informational, and even educational. I recommend Fool Us to anyone looking to be awed.