Every gigging magician always gets the same line: "You should be on the telly, have you seen that Penn and Teller thing? What do you think about 'The Magicians' on telly? I only ask because my whole fucking life revolves around the telly."

I'm sorry but, broadly speaking, I don't think most magic should be on the TV at all. Of course grand illusions and other stage-based material convert really well to screen for those that like that sort of thing, but close-up magic on television is all wrong. You might as well televise massage, then everyone who watches it can believe they have experienced a back rub.

At every gig, I and other jobbing magicians convert people from "Meh, I don't care for magic." (people who think they know what magic is having experienced it through a TV producer's rolling eyes) to "Wow, that is amazing! You're the best magician I've ever seen!" (probably not, just the only one you've ever encountered in real life).

You see, TV takes extremely talented close-up artists and presents them to the TV viewing public in a manner that strips away the very spark of wonder that makes close-up magic the memorable and unique form of entertainment it is. Close-up magic has a profound and personal effect on those that experience it. Light entertainment schedules can never do it justice.