Phenomenon
Phenomenon was a competition show judged by mystifier Uri Geller and illusionist Criss Angel and hosted by Tim Vincent which debuted live on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 on NBC. The show featured ten contestants competing to become the next great mentalist, to be determined by viewers voting by phone and online. The contestants performed their effects on celebrity guests each week. The winner of Phenomenon would win $250,000. On October 30, 2007, during an interview with Larry King about the show, Angel said "No one has the ability, that I'm aware of, to do anything supernatural, psychic, talk to the dead. And that was what I said I was going to do with Phenomenon. If somebody goes on that show and claims to have supernatural psychic ability, I'm going to bust them live and on television." The winner of the first season was Mike Super. The series was cancelled on April 2, 2008, after NBC announced its 2008–2009 schedule.
Who would love this
- ♥Students of reality television history and "golden era" reality TV disasters.
- ♥Fans of Criss Angel or Uri Geller who want to see their conflicting philosophies clash in real-time.
- ♥Viewers who enjoy "cringe-worthy" television and high-tension, unscripted live broadcasts.
Who might not
- ✗People who prefer sincere, polished, or well-produced talent competitions.
- ✗Viewers looking for genuine, evidence-based demonstrations of mentalism.
- ✗Those who find staged conflict and unprofessional judges (who frequently talk over contestants) frustrating rather than entertaining.
