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truTV Puts the Trick in Magic Tricks with Hilarious New Series "Undercover Magic" (working title)
New Show Starring Comic Magician Michael Carbonaro
Set To Premiere in Summer 2014
What happens when you combine a mind-blowing magician with an insatiable practical joker? truTV has the answer in magician/prankster Michael Carbonaro, star of the brand new series Undercover Magic (working title), which has just been greenlit by the network. truTV has ordered 12 episodes of the hilarious new show, which is being produced for the network by Fields Entertainment and 11 Television, with Simon Fields and Kevin Healey serving as executive producers. Undercover Magic is slated to premiere in summer 2014.
Michael Carbonaro is a magician by trade, but a prankster at heart. In truTV's new series, Michael performs baffling tricks on unsuspecting people in everyday situations, all caught on hidden camera. Posing as an ordinary bartender or a seemingly unremarkable salesman, Michael astonishes marks by turning a tuft of hair into a puppy or pouring 12 pints of beer from an ordinary bottle. Whether the marks are alone or with their friends, everyone is left stunned and delighted, even though they have no idea what just hit them.
"What we love about Michael Carbonaro's approach to magic is that in addition to great illusions, he has a unique ability to connect with the marks and keep them engaged comedically without being snarky," said Chris Linn, president, head of programming for truTV. "And Michael does this in such a charming, fun way that, as a viewer, you actually wish you were the mark. Undercover Magic is shaping up to be a lot of fun, and we are very excited to be rolling out this new series early next summer."
Undercover Magic is one of several recent series for the network geared toward an audience segment known as "funseekers," viewers who love comedic reality shows that are exciting to watch, full of humor and slightly irreverent. truTV series targeted to the "funseekers" crowd include the over-the-top singing competition Killer Karaoke, which is set to return with new host Mark McGrath in 2014; Guinness World Records(R) Unleashed, hosted by Dan Cortese, which recently returned with new episodes; Panic Button, a new competition series that combines horror with hilarity; and the hit series Impractical Jokers, which kicks off a brand new season on Thursday, Jan. 2, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).
About Michael Carbonaro
Michael Carbonaro is an actor, magician, comedian and improv artist. He is a familiar face to television viewers thanks to his appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He has also played recurring roles on Happily Divorced, The Newsroom, 30 Rock, Wizards of Waverly Place, CSI: Miami and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Michael hosts and performs shows of comedy, magic and other weird acts at various clubs around New York and Los Angeles, including Joe's Pub, Caroline's On Broadway, The Box and Hollywood's Magic Castle. Michael is an OutFest Best Actor Award winner, as well as a two-time nominee for the Academy of Magical Arts "Magician of the Year" Award. Michael's website can be found at http://michaelcarbonaro.com.
About truTV
truTV, one of cable's fastest growing brands, offers a wildly entertaining look at the real world through outrageous characters, unpredictable situations and irreverent storytelling. Currently seen in 92 million U.S. households, truTV features such popular original series as Hardcore Pawn, Impractical Jokers, Guinness World Records(R) Unleashed, Lizard Lick Towing, Killer Karaoke, Upload with Shaquille O'Neal, Storage Hunters, Full Throttle Saloon, South Beach Tow, World's Dumbest... and Operation Repo. In addition, truTV is a partner in airing the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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