Vaudeville Productions and Crook Productions team up to find the next great magician for ITV
Derren Brown’s Vaudeville Productions and Crook Productions have been commissioned by ITV to co-produce a brand new magic competition show, The Next Great Magician (6 x 60’). Crook Productions is part of Andrew O’Connor and ITV Studios’ Cat’s On The Roof Media, and The Next Great Magician is Crook Productions’ first big entertainment commission since the group’s inception earlier this year.
The series will feature the world’s best magicians performing their greatest tricks, many of them for the first time ever on television, as they compete to be crowned The Next Great Magician. It will air on ITV next summer. Each episode will see five magicians perform their most sensational tricks, from close-up and comedy magic through to amazing illusions and incredible escapes, both in front of a studio audience and on location in front of astounded members of the public and celebrities. The magicians will judge each other’s performances, with each week’s highest-voted contestant going through to the final. In the grand live final, the five top magicians will perform even more astonishing new tricks in a battle to win a truly money-can’t-buy prize: their own television special on ITV.
Andrew O’Connor said: “Some of the world’s best magicians are hero-worshipped by their peers but are unknown to wider audiences, having never trusted a TV company to film them before. The Next Great Magician will see them perform their most remarkable tricks on TV and judge each other’s performances in what promises to be a mind-blowing and unmissable magical spectacular!” Elaine Bedell added: “We’re delighted to bringing The Next Great Magician to our entertainment slate, and to be working with Andrew and Derren who are the best in the business when it comes to magic and illusion production.”
The Next Great Magician is executive produced by Andrew O’Connor, Derren Brown and Matt Crook. It was commissioned by Elaine Bedell, Director of Entertainment & Comedy and Peter Davey, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment for ITV.
About Vaudeville Productions – Vaudeville Productions are currently producing Derren Brown: Miracle at The Palace Theatre in the West End and Derren Brown: The Push for Channel 4. About Crook Productions Run by Matt Crook, Crook Productions is the co-producer of the forthcoming series Thief Trackers and Honey I Bought The House. It is part of Cat’s On The Roof Media, the group founded by Peep Show co-creator Andrew O’Connor and ITV Studios. As well as Crook Productions, Cat’s On The Roof Media is the parent company for new production businesses Gameface Productions and Second Act Productions. Gameface Productions is a game show specialist run by The Cube creator Adam Adler, while Second Act Productions is a scripted comedy specialist that recently signed a first look agreement with comedy writer and producer Lee Hupfield.
