Penn & Teller: Fool Us

Penn & Teller: Fool Us
Title Card
Also known as	Fool Us
Genre	Entertainment comedy
Format	Magic competition with live audience
Created by	Penn Jillette Teller Peter Adam Golden Andrew Golder
Presented by	Jonathan Ross
Starring	Penn Jillette Teller
Judges	Penn Jillette Teller
Narrated by	Dominic Byrne
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producer(s)	Andrew Golder Peter Davey Peter Adam Golden
Producer(s)	Johnny Thompson
Location(s)	The Fountain Studios
Running time	60 min. 90 min. (Pilot episode)
Production company(s)	1/17 Productions & September Films
Distributor	DCD Rights
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV, STV, UTV
Picture format	1080i
Original run	7 January 2011 (2011-01-07) – 8 April 2011 (2011-28-08)

Penn & Teller: Fool Us was a British entertainment comedy television programme. Hosted by Jonathan Ross, Fool Us was a magic competition show, which challenged magicians to perform in front of American magician/comedian duo Penn & Teller. If they could fool Penn and Teller, they would win a five-star trip to Las Vegas to perform as the opening act in Penn & Teller's world famous show at the Rio Hotel & Casino. It was announced on June 28, 2012 that ITV has cancelled the show.

Production

The pilot of Fool Us was first commissioned by John Kaye Cooper, the controller of entertainment for ITV. The pilot aired on 7 January 2011. In February 2011, it was announced that due to good viewing figures, a series of eight episodes had been commissioned, and would be produced by September Films and 1/17 Productions. The episodes began airing in June 2011. The eight episodes were filmed in a ten day filming block.

Episode List

The Pilot Episode

The pilot episode aired on January 7, 2011, and featured a total of six magicians, with a further three non broadcast segments appearing as extras on the ITV website. The pilot was 90 minutes long. In the pilot episode, both John Archer and Benjamin Earl fooled Penn & Teller.

1. Ali Cook – British Close-Up & Stage Magician
2. Richard Bellars – British Close-Up & Stage Magician
3. Michael Vincent – British Close-Up & Stage Magician
4. John Archer – British Magical Comedy Entertainer
5. James More – British Stage Magician & Illusionist
6. Benjamin Earl – British Illusionist

Other Competitors – Not Broadcast on ITV, but available on the ITV website

1. Morgan & West – British Close-Up & Stage Duo.
2. Damien O'Brien – British Street Magician.
3. Noel Qualter – British Close-Up Magician.

Episode 1

Episode one aired on June 18, 2011 at 8:00pm. In this episode, mind-reader Graham Jolley fooled Penn & Teller.

1. High Jinx – British Illusionist & Circus Duo
2. Jon Allen – British Street Magician
3. Graham Jolley – British Mind Reader & Mentalist

Episode 2

Episode two aired on June 25, 2011 at 8:00pm. In this episode, French card-magician Mathieu Bich fooled Penn & Teller.

1. Mark Shortland – British Magical Comedy Entertainer
2. Mathieu Bich – French Card Illusionist
3. Young and Strange – British Street Stage Illusionists
4. Daniel Madison – British Card Illusionist

Episode 3

Episode three aired on July 2, 2011 at 8:00pm. In this episode, no one fooled Penn & Teller.

1. Piff The Magic Dragon – British Magical Comedy Entertainer
2. Soma – Hungarian Illusionist
3. Alan Hudson – British Close-Up Magician
4. Damien O'Brien – British Street Magician

Episode 4

Episode four aired on July 9, 2011 at 8:00pm. In this episode, Illusionist Richard Bellars fooled Penn & Teller.

1. Daniel Kramer – British Illusionist
2. Romany, the Diva of Magic – Burlesque Dancer And Magician
3. Alan Rorrison – British Close-Up Magician
4. Richard Bellars – British Illusionist

Episode 5

Episode five aired on July 16, 2011 at 9:00pm. In this episode, British Mentalist Nick Einhorn and Victorian magicians Morgan & West fooled Penn & Teller.

1. Cubic Act – French Illusionists
2. Nick Einhorn – British Mentalist
3. Michael Vincent – British Close-Up & Stage Magician
4. Morgan & West – British Close-Up & Stage Duo

Episode 6

Episode six aired on July 23, 2011 at 9:00pm. In this episode, Swedish illusionists Brynolf & Ljung fooled Penn & Teller.

1. Gazzo – British Street Magician
2. Colin Mcleod – British Mentalist
3. Keelan and Charlotte – British Quick Change Artists
4. Brynolf & Ljung – Swedish Illusionists

Episode 7

Episode seven aired on July 30, 2011 at 9:00pm. In this episode, Shawn Farquhar and Etienne Pradier fooled Penn & Teller.

1. Shawn Farquhar – Canadian Close-Up Magician
2. Manuel Martinez – Cuban Illusionist
3. Etienne Pradier – French Card Magician
4. Chris Dugdale – British Illusionist

Episode 8

Episode eight aired on August 28, 2011 at 9:00pm. In this episode, Lee Hathaway fooled Penn & Teller.

1. Lee Hathaway – British Cabaret Act & Close-Up Magician
2. Jack Taperell – British Close-Up Magician
3. Laura London – British Illusionist
4. Paul & Martin Daniels – Renowned British Magicians

Unaired

Filmed but not shown were:

1. Chris Cox – British Mindreader
2. James Brown – British Stage Magician
3. Marc Oberon – British Card Magician
4. David Masters – British Illusionist
5. Noel Qualter – British Close-Up Magician
6. David Jay – British Illusionist

International Broadcast

• In Australia, this programme commenced airing on ABC1 each Saturday at 9:25pm from 1 October 2011.
• In New Zealand, this programme commenced airing on ChoiceTV each Saturday at 7:30pm from 28 April 2012.
• It has also been sold to BBC Entertainment in Scandinavia, Africa and Latin America to screen at a date yet to be announced.

International Versions

The format has been sold to Ukraine broadcaster STB, who will produce a local version.

External links

• Penn & Teller: Fool Us at TV.com
• Penn & Teller: Fool Us at the Internet Movie Database