Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed

Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed
Title card from the first episode. Subsequent episodes had a number after "REVEALED."
Format	Reality Documentary
Starring	Mitch Pileggi (narrator) Val Valentino (Masked Magician) Mark Thompson (announcer)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	13 + 5 specials
Production
Running time	1 hour
Broadcast
Original channel	Fox, MyNetworkTV
Original run	November 24, 1997 (1997-11-24) - October 29, 1998 (1998-10-29) May 15, 2002 (2002-05-15) October 2, 2008 (2008-10-02) – February 21, 2009 (2009-02-21)

Breaking the Magicians' 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 broadcast in 1997-1998 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.

The Original Specials

The series is made by production company Nash Entertainment. The first four specials featured incognito magician Val Valentino as the Masked Magician, who performed 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.

Based upon the books written by Herbert L. Becker, Breaking the Magicians' Code brought Becker's books to life.

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.

List of Grand Illusions Revealed
Show One November 24, 1997	Lady to Tiger Chinese Lantern Levitation Exploding Packing Crate Zig Zag Girl Metamorphosis Sawing a Woman in Half (Selbit's Sawing) Sword Basket Vanishing Elephant
Show Two March 3, 1998	Crusher Teleportation Lady of Steel Walking Through a Solid Brick Wall Suit of Armor Shooting an Arrow Through a Woman Switching Places Box of Pain Water Torture Escape Woman in the Painting*
Show Three May 5, 1998	Table of Death Stretcher Knife Throwing Haunted House Bullet Catch Mismade Girl Vanishing Tank Noah's Ark*
Show Four - Unmasking the Magician: The Final Reveal October 29, 1998	Car Crusher Escape Cremation Spike Torture Guillotine Buried Alive Death Trap The Cannon and the Crate*
This list covers only large-scale illusions. Other smaller tricks were exposed in between those listed above.
* Denotes illusions only shown on the VHS release.

2002 special

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 is unknown who portrayed the magician in this episode.

List of Grand Illusions Revealed
Show Five - Escape From The Ice May 15, 2002	Sawing Through a Woman with a Buzz Saw Making an Assistant Disappear Broom Suspension Going Through the Portal Disappearing Dumptruck (With Spectators) Spike Torture Escape Making a Table Float without Strings or Magnets Frozen Alive
This list covers only large-scale illusions. Other smaller tricks were exposed in between those listed above.

2008 series revival

MyNetworkTV bought thirteen new episodes for broadcast in the U.S. starting in the fall of 2008, with the first episode shown on October 2. They were shot at a secret location somewhere in the U.S. during the summer of 2008. The assistants learned the illusion the same day they shot it and filmed 4 - 6 illusions per day. These specials were also shown on TVB Pearl in Hong Kong, with the first episode shown on June 13, 2010.^[1] Val Valentino was credited as a producer and Mitch Pileggi returned as narrator, although he did not appear on camera. The show also aired in the UK on ITV4, and in Australia on 7Two with new narration by Grant Denyer. WWE Divas Maria Kanellis and Eve Torres appeared in the first episode.

List of Grand Illusions Revealed
Show One October 2, 2008 (US) June 13, 2010 (HK)	Death Saw De Kolta Chair Turning a Bentley into a Lamborghini Making a String Quartet Disappear Passing Through a Steel Wall
Show Two October 6, 2008 (US) June 20, 2010 (HK)	Making a Girl Vanish from a Table Levitating a Girl on a Floating Table Dismemberment Making a Girl Appear from a Set of Clothing Making an Elephant Appear in an Empty Parking Lot (surrounded by spectators)
Show Three October 13, 2008 (US) June 27, 2010 (HK)	Head Being Cut off by a Guillotine Making a Girl Appear/Disappear from a Cabinet Houdini Milk Can Escape Making Dancers Disappear from a Stage Chain Through Neck Levitating from Building to Building
Show Four October 20, 2008 (US) July 11, 2010 (HK)	Making a Bomb Squad Car Disappear Assistant's Revenge Sawing a Girl in Half in a Torture Device Sticking a Rose Through a Girl Passing Through a Turbofan
Show Five November 3, 2008 (US) July 18, 2010 (HK)	Making a Woman Disappear From a Cabinet and Reappear Somewhere Else Passing Through a Steel Plate The Twister Impaling a Woman With a Sword Surviving Being Cut Up in a Wood Chipper
Show Six November 10, 2008 (US) July 25, 2010 (HK)	Teleporting From One Oil Drum to Another Topsy-Turvy (Flipping a Box But Not the Girl Inside It) Magically Writing On a Slate Board Cutting a Girl In Three Teleportation
Show Seven November 17, 2008 (US) August 1, 2010 (HK)	Levitating a Girl on a Table Making Girls Appear in a Crystal Cylinder "Twilight Zone" Door Disembodied Princess (Removing the Magician's Torso) Impaling a Girl on a Spike
Show Eight November 24, 2008 (US) August 8, 2010 (HK)	Houdini's Magic Trunk Making a Girl's Middle Disappear Evil Spirit Pyramid - Conjuring Spirits Catching a Selected Card in the Air with a Sword Escaping the Blades of Death
Show Nine February 7, 2009 (UK) August 15, 2010 (HK)	Magic Barrel (Through the Eye of a Needle) Houdini's Fish Bowl Playing Card Through Street Window Asrah levitation Making Girls Appear In Mid Air Holding Breath Under Water For 18 Minutes
Show Ten February 9, 2009 (UK) April 27, 2009 (US) August 22, 2010 (HK)	Making a 1200cc Motorbike Disappear in Mid Air Spinning a Girl Upside Down Spirit Room with Disappearing Medium Levitating a Foot off the Floor Making a 5 Ton Military Vehicle Appear From Nowhere (In an Empty Parking Lot)
Show Eleven February 14, 2009 (UK) May 4, 2009 (US) August 29, 2010 (HK)	Woman Vanishes From Steel Plate In Mid Air Crushing A Woman With A Steel Plunger Transformation Of Skeleton To Dummy To A Girl Floating Through A Solid Steel Frame (No Wires) Penetrating A Plate Glass Window Without Shattering It
Show Twelve February 16, 2009 (UK) May 11, 2009 (US) September 3, 2010 (HK)	Producing Girls From Within Triangle Screen Making Live Birds Appear And Vanish From Boxes Crushing A Woman And Putting Tube Through Her Body 16 Ton Trolley Car Levitates And Disappears
Show Thirteen February 21, 2009 (UK) May 18, 2009 (US) September 12, 2010 (HK)	Making A Girl Vanish In A Giant Game Of Three Card Monte Creating A Woman From A Cloud Of Smoke Hand Being Cut Off In Guillotine Dividing A Woman In Three And Head Over Heels Walking On Water (Surrounded By Spectators)

This list covers only large-scale illusions. Other smaller tricks were exposed in between those listed above.

Australian Version

Breaking the Magicians' Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed
Format	Reality Documentary
Starring	Grant Denyer/Mitch Pileggi(narrator/announcer) Val Valentino (Masked Magician)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	12
Production
Running time	1 hour (with adverts)
Broadcast
Original channel	Seven Network, Fox8
Original run	June 14, 2010 – September 12, 2010

This show first aired at 7:30 Monday, June 14, 2010 on Network Seven and has changed to Sundays at 6:30 on 7Two. This is the same show as the US version with some minor changes. This show also began to air on Australian pay television network Fox8 on Wednesday 21st of September. This version is a duplicate of the American version.

List of Grand Illusions Revealed
Show One June 14, 2010	Death Saw De Kolta Chair Turning a Bentley into a Lamborghini Making a String Quartet Disappear Passing Through a Steel Wall
Show Two June 21, 2010	Head Being Cut off by a Guillotine Making a Girl Appear/Disappear from a Cabinet Houdini Milk Can Escape Knife Russian Roulette Chain Through Neck Penetrating A Plate Glass Window Without Shattering t
Show Three July 4, 2010	Making a Woman Disappear From a Cabinet and Reappear Somewhere Else Impaling a Woman With a Sword Passing Through a Steel Plate The Twister Surviving Being Cut Up in a Wood Chipper
Show Four July 11, 2010	Crushing A Woman With A Steel Plunger Assistant's Revenge Sawing a Girl in Half in a Torture Device Sticking a Rose Through a Girl Passing Through a Turbofan
Show Three July 18, 2010	This episode was a repeat of show three in a different order and with a different narrator. Making a Woman Disappear From a Cabinet and Reappear Somewhere Else Passing Through a Steel Plate The Twister Impaling a Woman With a Sword Surviving Being Cut Up in a Wood Chipper
Show Five July 25, 2010	Teleporting From One Oil Drum to Another Topsy-Turvy (Flipping a Box But Not the Girl Inside It) Magically Writing On a Slate Board Cutting a Girl In Three Teleportation
Show Six August 1, 2010	Levitating a Girl on a Table Making Girls Appear in a Crystal Cylinder "Twilight Zone" Door Disembodied Princess (Removing the Magician's Torso) Impaling a Girl on a Spike
Show Seven August 8, 2010	Houdini's Magic Trunk Making a Girl's Middle Disappear Evil Spirit Pyramid - Conjuring Spirits Catching a Selected Card in the Air with a Sword Escaping the Blades of Death
Show Eight August 15, 2010	Magic Barrel (Through the Eye of a Needle) Houdini's Fish Bowl Playing Card Through Street Window Asrah levitation Making Girls Appear In Mid Air Holding Breath Under Water For 18 Minutes
Show Nine August 22, 2010	Making a 1200cc Motorbike Disappear in Mid Air Spinning a Girl Upside Down Spirit Room with Disappearing Medium Levitating a Foot off the Floor Making a 5 Ton Military Vehicle Appear From Nowhere (In an Empty Parking Lot)
Show Ten August 29, 2010	Woman Vanishes From Steel Plate In Mid Air Crushing A Woman With A Steel Plunge Transformation Of Skeleton To Dummy To A Girl Floating Through A Solid Steel Frame (No Wires) Penetrating A Plate Glass Window Without Shattering It
Show Eleven September 5, 2010	Producing Girls From Within Triangle Screen Making Live Birds Appear And Vanish From Boxes Crushing A Woman And Putting Tube Through Her Body 16 Ton Trolley Car Levitates And Disappears
Show Twelve September 12, 2010	Making A Girl Vanish In A Giant Game Of Three Card Monte Creating A Woman From A Cloud Of Smoke Hand Being Cut Off In Guillotine Knife Russian Roulette Dividing A Woman In Three And Head Over Heels Walking On Water (Surrounded By Spectators)

This list covers only large-scale illusions. Other smaller tricks were exposed in between those listed above.

References

1. ^ "Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed - Episodes - tvb.com". http://programme.tvb.com/variety/breakingthemagicianscode/episode/. Retrieved 2010-08-08.