Magicland
Encyclopedia
Magicland was a television magic
show for children that ran for 23 years on the Memphis, Tennessee
, station WMC-TV
. It holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuously running television magic series in the world.
The show was created by presenter Dick Williams
, who was recruited to WMC-TV in 1965 as a staff announcer and weatherman. Williams was a magician in his spare time and had started a magic show under the title Magicland for his previous station KGNC
in Amarillo, Texas. Management at WMC-TV liked the sound of that show and persuaded Williams to create something similar for them. He agreed, but thought the series would only last for about a year. Instead it eventually ran for 23 years and nearly 1,200 episodes.
Magicland was a weekly half-hour live-audience show aimed at children and aired at 10am on Sunday mornings. Dick "Mr. Magic" Williams performed tricks and illusions, juggled clubs and scarves, and is often remembered for his signature magician's finger aerobics. He was assisted by his wife Virginia, who, in addition to her onscreen role, sewed costumes, organized props, arranged music and directed other assistants.
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
show for children that ran for 23 years on the Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, station WMC-TV
WMC-TV
WMC-TV is the NBC affiliate television station for the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. The station serves roughly the western third of Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, northeastern Arkansas and the southeastern corner of Missouri over the air on satellite and on various cable systems. Its...
. It holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuously running television magic series in the world.
The show was created by presenter Dick Williams
Dick Williams (magician)
Dick Williams is a former television and radio presenter and magician who holds the record for hosting the longest-running television magic show in the world. Under the name "Mr Magic" he presented the show Magicland on WMC-TV in Tennessee from 1966 until his retirement in 1989...
, who was recruited to WMC-TV in 1965 as a staff announcer and weatherman. Williams was a magician in his spare time and had started a magic show under the title Magicland for his previous station KGNC
KGNC
KGNC is a radio broadcast service in Amarillo, Texas, USA. It operates KGNC and KGNC-FM . Both stations are owned by the Morris Communications Company since acquiring the Amarillo Globe-News Publishing Company in 1972. KGNC was formed when the Amarillo Globe-News Publishing Company purchased two...
in Amarillo, Texas. Management at WMC-TV liked the sound of that show and persuaded Williams to create something similar for them. He agreed, but thought the series would only last for about a year. Instead it eventually ran for 23 years and nearly 1,200 episodes.
Magicland was a weekly half-hour live-audience show aimed at children and aired at 10am on Sunday mornings. Dick "Mr. Magic" Williams performed tricks and illusions, juggled clubs and scarves, and is often remembered for his signature magician's finger aerobics. He was assisted by his wife Virginia, who, in addition to her onscreen role, sewed costumes, organized props, arranged music and directed other assistants.