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Penn Jillette

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Sabrina the Teenage Witch is an American fantasy sitcom series based on the Archie Comics character Sabrina Spellman which shares the title of the 1971 comic book series Sabrina the Teenage Witch . Created by Nell Scovell and developed by Jonathan Schmock , the series premiered on September 27, 1996, on ABC to over 17 million viewers in its " T.G.I.F. " lineup.

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110-501: Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician , actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller . The duo has been featured in numerous stage and television shows, such as Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Penn & Teller: Bullshit! , and is as of 2024 headlining in Las Vegas at The Rio . Jillette serves as

220-500: A 2008 edition of his Penn Says podcast, he expresses his appreciation for a fan who brought him the gift of a pocket Gideon Bible after a performance because he realized that this individual sincerely cared enough about him to try to help him. In January 2007, Jillette took the " Blasphemy Challenge " offered by the Rational Response Squad and publicly denied the existence of a holy spirit. Jillette appeared in

330-451: A Jill-Jet installed in a tub in his house, and that several of his female friends and friends' female spouses enjoy it a lot, but he is not aware of any other installations of a water jet in such a configuration anywhere else. Jillette created a private recording studio in his Las Vegas home. The addition, designed by Outside The Lines Studio and built by Crisci Custom Builders between October 2003 and June 2004 as part of his Las Vegas home,

440-479: A cat for trying to take over the world. The show includes contemporary pop cultural references, but also features fictional history (often explained as secrets hidden from mortals by witches) and science fiction elements. Story plots are often episodic, but some seasons feature running arcs, such as Sabrina's quest to find the Spellman family secret in season 3. Sabrina' s basic premise and "genial loopiness" earned

550-453: A certain degree of sleight of hand and carefully functioning mechanisms and devices to be performed convincingly. This form of magic was popular around the turn of the 19th century—today, many of the original mechanisms used for this magic have become antique collector's pieces and may require significant and careful restoration to function. Magicians describe the type of tricks they perform in various ways. Opinions vary as to how to categorize

660-422: A computer screen. The computer screen affords ways to incorporate magic from the magician's wand to the computer mouse. The use of computing technologies in performance can be traced back to a 1984 presentation by David Copperfield , who used a Commodore 64 to create a "magic show" for his audience. More recently, virtual performers have been experimenting with captivating digital animations and illusions that blur

770-637: A contestant on Dancing with the Stars , paired with professional dancer Kym Johnson . During 2010–2011, Jillette did a bi-weekly show on Revision3 called Penn Point . On August 16, 2011, Jillette's book God, No! Signs You May Already Be An Atheist and Other Magical Tales was released and made the New York Times Best Sellers shortly after, in the week of August 28, in the 14th position. An avid upright bassist, Jillette frequently accompanies jazz pianist Mike Jones , who opens for

880-533: A conventional magic show. Bizarre magic often uses horror, supernatural, and science fiction imagery in addition to the standard commercial magic approaches of comedy and wonder. Shock magic is a genre of magic that shocks the audience. Sometimes referred to as "geek magic", it takes its roots from circus sideshows , in which 'freakish' performances were shown to audiences. Common shock magic or geek magic effects include eating razor blades, needle-through-arm , string through neck and pen-through-tongue. Comedy magic

990-493: A documentary film tracing the life of an obscene joke known as "The Aristocrats" . It principally consists of a variety of comedians telling their own versions of the joke. From January 3, 2006, to March 2, 2007, Jillette hosted, along with fellow atheist , skeptic , and juggler Michael Goudeau , a live, hour-long radio talk show broadcast on Free FM . The show, Penn Radio , broadcast from his Vintage Nudes Studio in his Las Vegas home. The most notable recurring segment of

1100-479: A fan." In July 1999, Jillette was granted U.S. patent 5,920,923 for the "Jill-Jet", a hot-tub jet specially angled for allowing a woman to masturbate against the water stream. The patent expired in September 2018. He has credited Debbie Harry of Blondie for suggesting the idea, as the two of them were once in a hot tub and Harry made a remark about changing the jets for a woman's pleasure. Jillette liked

1210-735: A flight of stairs and computer graphics morph Sabrina into her room, lying on her bed next to Salem. In the seventh and final season, the computer graphics morph Sabrina arriving at Scorch . Upon pushing the door open, she is revealed to be walking into her house to greet Roxie, Morgan and Salem. The house pictured as the Spellman residence is a Victorian mansion located at 64 E. Main St. in Freehold, New Jersey . The exteriors for Westbridge High School are those of Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, New Jersey . The show went through many cast changes,

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1320-416: A given effect, and disagreement as to what categories actually exist. For instance, some magicians consider "penetrations" a separate category, while others consider penetrations a form of restoration or teleportation. Some magicians today, such as Guy Hollingworth and Tom Stone have begun to challenge the notion that all magic effects fit into a limited number of categories. Among magicians who believe in

1430-405: A head off, and then "restore" it, make something appear to move from one place to another, or they may escape from a restraining device. Other illusions include making something appear to defy gravity, making a solid object appear to pass through another object, or appearing to predict the choice of a spectator. Many magic routines use combinations of effects. Among the earliest books on the subject

1540-692: A high level of world renown. He opened a second theatre in Glasgow in 1845. Towards the end of the century, large magic shows permanently staged at big theatre venues became the norm. The British performer J N Maskelyne and his partner Cooke were established at the Egyptian Hall in London 's Piccadilly in 1873 by their manager William Morton , and continued there for 31 years. The show incorporated stage illusions and reinvented traditional tricks with exotic (often Oriental ) imagery. The potential of

1650-670: A juggling act during the years immediately following their 1973 graduation. In 1973, Jillette graduated from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College . In 1974, he was introduced to Teller by Weir Chrisemer, a mutual friend. The three then formed a three-person act called Asparagus Valley Cultural Society which played their first act together on August 19, 1975 at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival , and later in San Francisco. In 1981, he and Teller teamed up as Penn & Teller , and went on to do

1760-442: A limited number of categories (such as Dariel Fitzkee , Harlan Tarbell , S.H. Sharpe), there has been disagreement as to how many different types of effects there are. Some of these are listed below. Many magic routines use combinations of effects. For example, in " cups and balls " a magician may use vanishes, productions, penetrations, teleportation and transformations as part of the one presentation. The methodology behind magic

1870-407: A live audience, who provide the remote viewer with a reassurance that the illusions are not obtained with post-production visual effects . Many of the principles of stage magic are old. There is an expression, "it's all done with smoke and mirrors", used to explain something baffling, but effects seldom use mirrors today, due to the amount of installation work and transport difficulties. For example,

1980-401: A period in which performance magic became a staple of Broadway theatre , vaudeville , and music halls . Meanwhile, magicians such as Georges Méliès , Gaston Velle , Walter R. Booth , and Orson Welles introduced pioneering filmmaking techniques informed by their knowledge of magic. Magic has retained its popularity into the 21st century by adapting to the mediums of television and

2090-483: A result of the COVID-19 pandemic after a libertarian group asked him to speak at an anti-mask rally. "The fact they sent me this email is something I need to be very ashamed of, and I need to change" adding "Many times when I identified as Libertarian, people said to me, 'It’s just rich white guys that don’t want to be told what to do,' and I had a zillion answers to that — and now that seems 100 percent accurate." In

2200-684: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the live performance category. Their star, the 2,494th awarded, is near the star dedicated to Harry Houdini. The following day they were recognized by the Magic Castle with the "Magicians of the Year" award. Penn credits magician and skeptical activist James Randi for his career. During an interview at TAM! 2012 , Penn stated that "If not for Randi there would not be Penn & Teller as we are today." He went on to say that "Outside of my family... no one

2310-478: A successful Off Broadway and later Broadway theatre show called "Penn & Teller" that toured nationally. Jillette served as host and presenter of the first touring performance by avant-garde band the Residents in 1983. The performance (titled The Mole Show and based on their "Mole trilogy" of albums) featured Jillette coming out between songs telling long and intentionally pointless stories . The show

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2420-446: A theatre or auditorium. This type of magic is distinguished by large-scale props, the use of assistants and often exotic animals such as elephants and tigers. Famous stage illusionists, past and present, include Harry Blackstone, Sr. , Howard Thurston , Chung Ling Soo , David Copperfield , Lance Burton , Silvan , Siegfried & Roy , and Harry Blackstone, Jr. Parlor magic is done for larger audiences than close-up magic (which

2530-428: A third-party candidate." Magic (illusion) Magic , which encompasses the subgenres of illusion , stage magic, and close-up magic , among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It is to be distinguished from paranormal magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It

2640-599: A week. It originally aired in Australia on the Seven Network during its first run. In Canada, the show is available on Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) since the 2021 international launch and rebranding of the service. In Russia, the first show of the series took place on the TV channel "Russia" on November 8, 2003, where it was originally broadcast until January 31, 2004 under the name "Academy of Witchcraft" and

2750-440: Is Gantziony's work of 1489, Natural and Unnatural Magic , which describes and explains old-time tricks. In 1584, Englishman Reginald Scot published The Discoverie of Witchcraft , part of which was devoted to debunking the claims that magicians used supernatural methods, and showing how their "magic tricks" were in reality accomplished. Among the tricks discussed were sleight-of-hand manipulations with rope, paper and coins. At

2860-493: Is a form of street performing or busking that employs a hybrid of stage magic, platform, and close-up magic, usually performed ' in the round ' or surrounded by the audience. Notable modern street magic performers include Jeff Sheridan , Gazzo , and Wittus Witt . Since the first David Blaine TV special Street Magic aired in 1997, the term "street magic" has also come to describe a style of 'guerilla' performance in which magicians approach and perform for unsuspecting members of

2970-416: Is a witch. As a novice witch, her spells often go awry. Her witch aunts Hilda and Zelda Spellman ( Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick , respectively ) counsel her on the proper use of her magic and give her moral advice. Sabrina lives with Hilda and Zelda until she leaves for college at the beginning of season 5. Additionally, Hilda and Zelda must take care of Salem Saberhagen ( Nick Bakay ), a witch turned into

3080-465: Is available to stream on Hulu , The Roku Channel , Amazon Prime Video , Pluto TV and Paramount+ . In the United Kingdom, Sabrina previously aired on ITV and Nickelodeon , while it later began airing on Pop Girl , a free-to-air children's channel. The series was slightly edited for content on UK children's channels. In July 2012, which previously broadcast the first two seasons and

3190-454: Is commonly used by children's magicians and mentalists . Corporate magic or trade show magic uses magic as a communication and sales tool, as opposed to just straightforward entertainment. Corporate magicians may come from a business background and typically present at meetings, conferences and product launches. They run workshops and can sometimes be found at trade shows, where their patter and illusions enhance an entertaining presentation of

3300-531: Is for a few people or even one person) and for smaller audiences than stage magic. In parlor magic, the performer is usually standing and on the same level as the audience, which may be seated on chairs or even on the floor. According to the Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians by T.A. Waters, "The phrase [parlor magic] is often used as a pejorative to imply that an effect under discussion is not suitable for professional performance." Also, many magicians consider

3410-430: Is more important in my life. Randi is everything to me." From 1987 to 1989, Jillette provided financial support to David and Jad Fair of the art rock band Half Japanese for their record label 50 Skidillion Watts . This allowed the band to release the albums Music to Strip By , The Band That Would Be King and Charmed Life . When asked about his assistance Jillette said, "anybody who listens to Half Jap becomes

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3520-713: Is often referred to as a science (often a branch of physics) while the performance aspect is more of an art form. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series) The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina, who, on her 16th birthday, learns she has magical powers (a departure from the Archie Comics series, in which she has known of her powers since an early age). She lives with her 600-year-old aunts, witches Hilda (played by Caroline Rhea ) and Zelda (played by Beth Broderick ), and their magical talking cat Salem (voiced by Nick Bakay ), at 133 Collins Road in

3630-506: Is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin , has become a popular theatrical art form. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant , Howard Thurston , Harry Kellar , and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic",

3740-471: Is the use of magic in which is combined with stand-up comedy. Famous comedy magicians include The Amazing Johnathan , Holly Balay , Mac King , and Penn & Teller . Quick-change magic is the use of magic which is combined with the very quick changing of costumes. Famous quick-change artists include Sos & Victoria Petrosyan. Camera magic (or "video magic") is magic that is aimed at viewers watching broadcasts or recordings. It includes tricks based on

3850-477: The 2020 United States presidential election , Jillette endorsed Andrew Yang in the Democratic primary . In an op-ed for CNN after that year's general election , he stated that he "used to identify as Libertarian", but voted for Joe Biden . In a January 2024 interview, he stated regarding the upcoming presidential election : "I'm going to vote Democrat, maybe that's all you need to know. I will not vote for

3960-966: The RIAA in the United States, double Platinum in Canada, and has sold over 700,000 copies worldwide. On June 11, 1999, Knowledge Adventure through Simon & Schuster Interactive and Havas Interactive officially announced the video games Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Spellbound , Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Brat Attack and Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Bundle of Magic for Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. On March 29, 2001, Knowledge Adventure through Simon & Schuster Interactive and Havas Interactive officially announced

4070-530: The internet , with magicians such as David Copperfield , Penn & Teller , Paul Daniels , Criss Angel , David Blaine , Derren Brown , Mat Franco , and Shin Lim modernizing the art form. Through the use of social media , magicians can now reach a wider audience than ever before. Magicians are known for closely guarding the methods they use to achieve their effects , although they often share their techniques through both formal and informal training within

4180-532: The magic community . Magicians use a variety of techniques, including sleight of hand , misdirection , optical and auditory illusions , hidden compartments , contortionism and specially constructed props , as well as verbal and nonverbal psychological techniques such as suggestion , hypnosis , and priming . The term "magic" etymologically derives from the Greek word mageia (μαγεία). In ancient times, Greeks and Persians had been at war for centuries, and

4290-516: The 17th century, many books were published that described magic tricks. Until the 18th century, magic shows were a common source of entertainment at fairs . The "Father" of modern entertainment magic was Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin , who had a magic theatre in Paris in 1845. John Henry Anderson was pioneering the same transition in London in the 1840s. Towards the end of the 19th century, large magic shows permanently staged at big theatre venues became

4400-442: The 18th century, magic shows were a common source of entertainment at fairs , where itinerant performers would entertain the public with magic tricks, as well as the more traditional spectacles of sword swallowing , juggling and fire breathing . In the early 18th century, as belief in witchcraft was waning, the art became increasingly respectable and shows would be put on for rich private patrons. A notable figure in this transition

4510-653: The 2019 Church of the SubGenius film J.R. ‘Bob’ Dobbs and the Church of the SubGenius , where he spoke positively of the parody religion . Jillette has previously identified as a libertarian , and stated in 2003 that he may consider himself an anarcho-capitalist . He was a fellow at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute . In 2008, Jillette stated that there is not enough information to make an informed decision on global warming , that his gut told him it

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4620-595: The 20th century included Okito , David Devant , Harry Blackstone Sr. , Harry Blackstone Jr. , Howard Thurston , Theodore Annemann , Cardini , Joseph Dunninger , Dai Vernon , Fred Culpitt , Tommy Wonder , Siegfried & Roy , and Doug Henning . Popular 20th- and 21st-century magicians include David Copperfield , Lance Burton , James Randi , Penn and Teller , David Blaine , Criss Angel , Derren Brown , Dynamo , Shin Lim , Jay & Joss and Hans Klok . Well-known women magicians include Dell O'Dell and Dorothy Dietrich . Most television magicians perform before

4730-562: The Great. Herrmann was a French magician and was part of the Herrmann family name that is the "first-family of magic". The escapologist and magician Harry Houdini (1874–1926) took his stage name from Robert-Houdin and developed a range of stage magic tricks, many of them based on what became known after his death as escapology . Houdini was genuinely skilled in techniques such as lockpicking and escaping straitjackets, but also made full use of

4840-468: The Hat Productions involved for the first season only. The opening titles of the first three seasons show Sabrina in front of a mirror posing with four different costumes and outfits as the cast members' names quickly flash on the bottom of the screen. The first three outfits are always the same, but the fourth one changes from episode to episode. At the end, Sabrina would say something related to

4950-467: The Persian priests, called magosh in Persian, came to be known as magoi in Greek. Ritual acts of Persian priests came to be known as mageia , and then magika —which eventually came to mean any foreign, unorthodox, or illegitimate ritual practice. To the general public, successful acts of illusion could be perceived as if it were similar to a feat of magic supposed to have been able to be performed by

5060-507: The Residents. Jillette was a contributor to the now-defunct PC/Computing magazine, having a regular back-section column between 1990 and 1994. Jillette was the primary voice announcer for the U.S.-based cable network Comedy Central in the 1990s through the early 2000s. In 1994, Jillette purchased a house in the Las Vegas Valley and dubbed it "The Slammer". It has been featured in dozens of television shows and articles and

5170-613: The Table. He throws up a Pack of Cards, and causes them to be living birds flying about the room. He causes living Beasts, Birds, and other Creatures to appear upon the Table. He blows the spots of the Cards off and on, and changes them to any pictures. From 1756 to 1781, Jacob Philadelphia performed feats of magic, sometimes under the guise of scientific exhibitions, throughout Europe and in Russia . The "Father" of modern entertainment magic

5280-535: The Teenage Witch: The Complete Collection 25-disc DVD set was released from Australia by Via Vision for Region 0 , including all seven seasons of the show plus the TV movies Sabrina Goes to Rome and Sabrina Down Under . During its four-year run on ABC, Sabrina was the highest-rated series among the network's TGIF line-up. In the 2000–2001 season, the show moved to The WB after a negotiation dispute with ABC. While ABC

5390-674: The Teenage Witch: The Complete Enchanted Series 24-disc DVD box set was released from the United Kingdom by Universal Pictures for Region 2 . Then on January 27, 2021, a repackaged and slightly more compact edition of the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: The Complete Series Region 1 DVD set (still with 24 discs) was released from the United States by Paramount Home Entertainment . On June 21, 2023, Sabrina,

5500-599: The Teenage Witch: The Complete Series Pack —which included an individual DVD set for each of the seven seasons, totaling 24 discs—was released from the United States by Paramount for Region 1 . On February 16, 2016, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: The Complete Series 24-disc DVD set was released from the United States by Paramount Pictures for Region 1 , as well. On August 15 of the same year, Sabrina,

5610-681: The act's orator and raconteur. Jillette has published eight books, including the New York Times Bestseller, God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales . He is also known for his advocacy of atheism , scientific skepticism , the First Amendment , as well as previously identifying as a libertarian , a position he disavowed in 2020. Jillette was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts . His mother, Valda Rudolph Jillette (née Parks; 1909–2000),

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5720-506: The actual words. The columns are no longer available on the current Excite.com site, but have been republished with permission at PennAndTeller.com. Starting in 2003, Jillette, along with Teller, began producing and hosting the show Penn & Teller: Bullshit! on Showtime . In the show, the two analyze cultural phenomena, debunk myths, criticize people and aspects of society they deem " bullshit ". In 2005 with actor Paul Provenza , Jillette co-produced and co-directed The Aristocrats ,

5830-407: The ancient magoi. The performance of tricks of illusion, or magical illusion, and the apparent workings and effects of such acts have often been referred to as "magic" and particularly as magic tricks. One of the earliest known books to explain magic secrets, The Discoverie of Witchcraft , was published in 1584. It was created by Reginald Scot to stop people from being killed for witchcraft. During

5940-446: The audience close to the magician, sometimes even one-on-one. It usually makes use of everyday items as props, such as cards (see Card manipulation ), coins (see Coin magic ), and seemingly 'impromptu' effects. This may be called "table magic", particularly when performed as dinner entertainment. Ricky Jay , Mahdi Moudini , and Lee Asher , following in the traditions of Dai Vernon , Slydini , and Max Malini , are considered among

6050-525: The craft as authentic magic, such as The Amazing Kreskin on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . At age eighteen, he saw a show by illusionist James Randi , and became enamored of his approach to magic that openly acknowledged deception as entertainment rather than a mysterious supernatural power. Jillette regularly acknowledges Randi as the one person on the planet he loved the most besides members of his family. Jillette worked with high school classmate Michael Moschen in developing and performing

6160-580: The devil and the occult. During the 19th and 20th centuries, many stage magicians even capitalized on this notion in their advertisements. The same level of ingenuity that was used to produce famous ancient deceptions such as the Trojan Horse would also have been used for entertainment , or at least for cheating in money games . They were also used by the practitioners of various religions and cults from ancient times onwards to frighten uneducated people into obedience or turn them into adherents. However,

6270-472: The fact-checking website Snopes dedicated a page to debunking the trick. German magician Wittus Witt performed interactive magic tricks live on TV from 1993 to 1997. Viewers were able to call Wittus Witt live in the television studio and perform a magic trick with him directly. In total, Witt performed this special magic 87 times, every other week. Theatrical magic describes a dramaturgically well thought-out performance that has been specially designed for

6380-521: The famous Pepper's Ghost , a stage illusion first used in 19th-century London, required a specially built theatre. Modern performers have vanished objects as large as the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, and a space shuttle, using other kinds of optical deceptions. Magic is often described according to various specialties or genres. Stage illusions are performed for large audiences, typically within

6490-580: The female user when the female user sits in the seat." An article in the June 2006 issue of Playboy shed additional light on the invention. Originally, it was to be called the "ClitJet"; however, he stated that "Jill-Jet" was more suitable because it included his name in the title. On the Penn Radio show, telling the listeners about the photo shoot for the Playboy article, Jillette mentioned that he has

6600-486: The fictional town of Westbridge, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston area. The series aired on ABC for its first four seasons, with the final episode on the network on May 5, 2000. The final three seasons ran on The WB from September 22, 2000, to April 24, 2003. Sabrina the Teenage Witch chronicles the adventures of Sabrina Spellman ( Melissa Joan Hart ), a girl who discovers on her 16th birthday that she

6710-411: The final three seasons are accompanied by a new vocal theme song and feature Sabrina at various locations around Boston : Harvard Bridge , Boston Common , Union Oyster House , Massachusetts State House , Quincy Market , Newbury Street , Harvard University , Tufts University and Beacon Hill . In the credits for Seasons 5 and 6, after leaving Newbury Comics on Newbury Street , Sabrina walks down

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6820-440: The first of which involved the unexplained departure of Sabrina's best friend Jenny Kelly ( Michelle Beaudoin ) and her teacher Mr. Pool ( Paul Feig ) at the end of the first season. At the beginning of the fourth season, Valerie permanently departs the show along with Libby. Valerie's character moves away to Alaska with her family, while Libby transfers to a boarding school. After the fourth season, several secondary actors left

6930-645: The first season was shown. Later, all seven seasons were shown in the period 2004-2006 on the STS channel (premiered on March 9, 2004). In 2007, CBS Home Entertainment (through Paramount Home Entertainment ) released seasons 1–3 on DVD. CBS later released seasons 4–7 on DVD. The official copyright holder for the series (as with all series originally produced by Viacom Productions) is CBS Studios Productions, LLC. For this home video release, music has been changed and many episodes are edited. Some musical performances were cut due to music licensing. On July 27, 2010, Sabrina,

7040-589: The foremost practitioners of close-up magic. Escapology is the branch of magic that deals with escapes from confinement or restraints. Harry Houdini is a well-known example of an escape artist or escapologist . Pickpocket magicians use magic to misdirect members of the audience while removing wallets, belts, ties, and other personal effects. It can be presented on a stage, in a cabaret setting, before small close-up groups, or even for one spectator. Well-known pickpockets include James Freedman , David Avadon , Bob Arno , and Apollo Robbins . Mentalism creates

7150-712: The hospital. By his birthday, March 5, 2015, he had lost 105 lb (48 kg). He follows Joel Fuhrman 's nutritarian diet, which means that he eats little or no animal products, no processed grains, and no added sugar or salt. Penn is featured in Eating You Alive , a 2016 American documentary about food and health. In an interview with Big Think in 2020, Jillette said he is a vegan . Jillette identifies as an atheist . His cars' license plates read "ATHEIST", "NOGOD" and "GODLESS". "Strangely enough, they wouldn't give me 'INFIDEL,'" he said. In 2005, he wrote and read an essay for National Public Radio claiming that he

7260-450: The idea enough to pursue a patent application at the USPTO under the patent title "Hydro-therapeutic Stimulator". The abstract of the patent explains that a "discharge nozzle is located within the tub and connected to the outlet, mounted to the seat so that the discharged water from the circulation pump automatically aligns with and is directed to stimulation points (e.g., the clitoris ) of

7370-413: The illusions that I held dear, rugged individualism, individual freedoms, are coming back to bite us in the ass." He went on to elaborate, "[I]t seems like getting rid of the gatekeepers gave us Trump as president, and in the same breath, in the same wind, gave us not wearing masks, and maybe gave us a huge unpleasant amount of overt racism." In a 2024 interview, he said he renounced his libertarianism as

7480-1024: The impression in the minds of the audience that the performer possesses special powers to read thoughts, predict events, control other minds, and similar feats. It can be presented on a stage, in a cabaret setting, before small close-up groups, or even for one spectator. Well-known mentalists of the past and present include Alexander , The Zancigs , Axel Hellstrom , Dunninger , Kreskin , Deddy Corbuzier , Derren Brown , Rich Ferguson , Guy Bavli , Banachek , Max Maven , and Alain Nu . Theatrical séances simulate spiritualistic or mediumistic phenomena for theatrical effect. This genre of stage magic has been misused at times by charlatans pretending to actually be in contact with spirits or supernatural forces. For this reason, some well-known magicians such as James Randi (AKA "The Amazing Randi") have made it their goal to debunk such paranormal phenomena and illustrate that any such effects may be achieved by natural or human means. Randi

7590-429: The last costume (often a pun or a joke related to the costume or the content of the episode), and then magically disappear from head on down. The opening sequence was changed for the fourth season, featuring a completely new theme and the show's main characters, starting with Sabrina, floating in bubbles while their names are displayed in gold letters and a voice chants "Secret" in the background. The opening credits for

7700-442: The lines between magic tricks and reality. In some cases, the computer essentially replaces the online magician. In a 2008 TED Talk, Penn Jillette discussed how technology will continue to play a role in magic by influencing media and communication. According to Jillette, magicians continue to innovate in not only digital communication but also live performances that utilize digital effects. The 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns ushered onto

7810-542: The magician's Las Vegas show. On March 16, 2018, Jones released a live jazz album with Jillette entitled The Show Before the Show which consisted of ten tracks played by the duo at the Rio Las Vegas . Jillette additionally performed at the famed Green Mill Cocktail Lounge to coincide with the album's debut. Jillette was one of the contestants on The Celebrity Apprentice season 5 , beginning on February 19, 2012. He

7920-579: The name "Luka"). Jillette has told multiple stories regarding the red fingernail on his left hand. In one, Jillette's mother told him to get a manicure because people would be looking at his hands. In response to this, he had all of his nails painted red as a joke. Jillette has also claimed that the red fingernail provides excellent misdirection and is "just plain cool". In direct response to questions about his red fingernail, Penn has stated "People are asking about my fingernail. Wear my Dad's ring and my Mom's nail polish . Just for remembrance and respect." On

8030-407: The nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Mechanical magic is a form of stage magic in which the magician uses a variety of mechanical devices to perform acts that appear to be physically impossible. Examples include such things as a false-bottomed mortar in which the magician places an audience member's watch only to later produce several feet away inside a wooden frame. Mechanical magic requires

8140-421: The norm. As a form of entertainment, magic easily moved from theatrical venues to television magic specials. Performances that modern observers would recognize as conjuring have been practiced throughout history. For example, a trick with three cups and balls has been performed since 3 BC and is still performed today on stage and in street magic shows. For many recorded centuries, magicians were associated with

8250-521: The performances of his rivals, John Henry Anderson and Alexander Herrmann . John Henry Anderson was pioneering the same transition in London . In 1840 he opened the New Strand Theatre, where he performed as The Great Wizard of the North . His success came from advertising his shows and captivating his audience with expert showmanship . He became one of the earliest magicians to attain

8360-427: The podcast Skepticality in 2012, Jillette said that he was considering changing the meaning of the red nail polish, telling his child it is for them. Jillette says that he has an addictive personality and claims to have never had "so much as a puff of marijuana or a drop of alcohol" because he does not trust himself to do it in moderation. In December 2014, Jillette's blood pressure caused him to be admitted to

8470-411: The products offered by their corporate sponsors. Pioneer performers in this arena include Eddie Tullock and Guy Bavli . Gospel magic uses magic to catechize and evangelize. Gospel magic was first used by St. John Bosco to interest children in 19th-century Turin , Italy to come back to school, to accept assistance and to attend church. The Jewish equivalent is termed Torah magic. Street magic

8580-440: The profession of the illusionist gained strength only in the 18th century, and has enjoyed several popular vogues since. Opinions vary among magicians on how to categorize a given effect, but a number of categories have been developed. Magicians may pull a rabbit from an empty hat, make something seem to disappear, or transform a red silk handkerchief into a green silk handkerchief. Magicians may also destroy something, like cutting

8690-418: The public on the street. Unlike traditional street magic, this style is almost purely designed for TV and gains its impact from the wild reactions of the public. Magicians of this type include David Blaine and Cyril Takayama . Bizarre magic is a branch of stage magic that creates eerie effects through its use of narratives and esoteric imagery. The experience may be more akin to small, intimate theater or to

8800-665: The range of conjuring techniques, including fake equipment and collusion with individuals in the audience. Houdini's show-business savvy was as great as his performance skill. There is a Houdini Museum dedicated to him in Scranton, Pennsylvania . The Magic Circle was formed in London in 1905 to promote and advance the art of stage magic. As a form of entertainment, magic easily moved from theatrical venues to television specials, which opened up new opportunities for deceptions, and brought stage magic to huge audiences. Famous magicians of

8910-547: The restricted viewing angles of cameras and clever editing. Camera magic often features paid extras posing as spectators who may even be assisting in the performance. Camera magic can be done live, such as Derren Brown 's lottery prediction. Famous examples of camera magic include David Copperfield's Floating Over the Grand Canyon and many of Criss Angel 's illusions. Classical magic is a style of magic that conveys feelings of elegance and skill akin to prominent magicians of

9020-490: The show after appearing in Seasons 5 and 6. Producers felt that his character was not well received by fans and also had to make some budget cuts for the show's seventh and final season. Miles was never properly written out, leaving his fate undetermined. Sabrina's love interest Josh, played by David Lascher , left for Prague after appearing from Seasons 4 through 6; Lascher reportedly wanted to pursue other projects. To fill

9130-550: The show comparisons to the 1960s television series Bewitched . The show spanned seven years over seven seasons, though each season was not a year. The unofficial pilot of the series was the April 1996 television movie Sabrina the Teenage Witch . The movie, produced by Viacom and Hartbreak Films and aired on Showtime , starred Melissa Joan Hart as the title character, Sabrina Sawyer, and Charlene Fernetz and Sherry Miller as Sabrina's aunts Zelda and Hilda, respectively. When

9240-455: The show was " Monkey Tuesday " and later "The Pull of the Weasel". On March 2, 2007, Jillette announced that he would no longer be doing his radio show. He stated that he is a "show biz wimp" and decided to stop doing the show so he could spend more time with his children. During the 2006–07 television season, Jillette hosted the prime-time game show Identity on NBC . In 2008, Jillette was

9350-475: The show was produced as well as the biweekly magazine Sabrina's Secrets. On October 27, 1998, Geffen Records released a soundtrack for the series. The album features songs by contemporary pop artists such as Spice Girls , Backstreet Boys , and Britney Spears . It also features Melissa Joan Hart's cover of " One Way or Another " from the Season 2 episode "The Band Episode". The album was certified Gold by

9460-425: The show's premiere, decided to leave the show. When the character of Sabrina started to attend college, the role of her aunts became less important. Broderick felt that the role of Zelda had nothing more to offer, while Rhea landed her own syndicated talk show, The Caroline Rhea Show . The aunts left for The Other Realm but returned in the series finale. Trevor Lissauer , who played Sabrina's housemate Miles, left

9570-527: The show, including Martin Mull and Nate Richert , who played Sabrina's boyfriend Harvey since the first season. Harvey's character was dropped in order to give the show a different look as Sabrina was about to attend college. The decision was later rescinded, and Richert appeared in three episodes of Season 5 and then returned as a series regular in Seasons 6 and 7. After the sixth season, Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick , who had portrayed Sabrina's aunts since

9680-406: The stage was exploited for hidden mechanisms and assistants, and the control it offers over the audience's point of view. Maskelyne and Cooke invented many of the illusions still performed today—one of his best-known being levitation . The model for the look of a "typical" magician—a man with wavy hair, a top hat, a goatee, and a tailcoat—was Alexander Herrmann (1844–1896), also known as Herrmann

9790-427: The television series debuted on ABC later that year, Hart became Sabrina Spellman, and Beth Broderick and Caroline Rhea replaced Fernetz and Miller as Zelda and Hilda Spellman, respectively. In 2000, the show was dropped by ABC and picked up by The WB . When viewership began to wane, the show was canceled after seven seasons. The television series was produced by Hartbreak Films and Viacom Productions , with Finishing

9900-405: The term "parlor" old fashioned and limiting, since this type of magic is often done in rooms much larger than the traditional parlor, or even outdoors. A better term for this branch of magic may be "platform", "club" or "cabaret". Examples of such magicians include Jeff McBride , David Abbott , Channing Pollock , Black Herman , and Fred Kaps . Close-up magic (or table magic) is performed with

10010-483: The theater and theater-like situations. It is not about individual tricks that are strung together, but about logical connections of tricks that lead to a story. The protagonists of this magic stage art were the German magician Fredo Marvelli , Punx , and Alexander Adrion . In the United States, they included Richard Hatch and Max Maven . Mathemagic is a genre of stage magic that combines magic and mathematics . It

10120-604: The third member of the Council. The show was created by Jillette's friend Nell Scovell . For a brief time in 1997, Jillette wrote bi-weekly dispatches for the search engine Excite.com . Each column ended with a pithy comment identifying which of the Penn & Teller duo he was. (For example: "Penn Jillette is the half of Penn & Teller that's detained at airports.") Jillette made a habit of linking many words in his online column to wacky sites that generally had nothing to do with

10230-475: The time, fear and belief in witchcraft was widespread and the book tried to demonstrate that these fears were misplaced. Popular belief held that all obtainable copies were burned on the accession of James I in 1603. During the 17th century, many similar books were published that described in detail the methods of a number of magic tricks, including The Art of Conjuring (1614) and The Anatomy of Legerdemain: The Art of Juggling ( c.  1675 ). Until

10340-528: The two subsequent movies before shutting down in October 2015. It has aired on 4Music since 2019, and previously on The Vault since 2014 until its subsequent rebrand as Trace Vault. In October 2021, the entire series became available to stream on Amazon Prime Video , but was removed at the end of September 2022. The show can be seen in the Republic of Ireland on RTÉ2 weekdays at 5:10 p.m. as part of

10450-577: The video game Sabrina the Teenage Witch: A Twitch in Time! for the PlayStation game system. An animated spin-off of the show, Sabrina: The Animated Series , started airing during the live action show's 4th season. The role of Sabrina was voiced by Hart's younger sister Emily Hart . Melissa Joan Hart voiced both aunts, Hilda and Zelda, and Nick Backay reprises his role of Salem. This series

10560-606: The void, the producers brought in Aaron, played by Dylan Neal , as Sabrina's love interest in the show's final season. In 2000, The WB network picked up the series after ABC canceled it. The show was syndicated by Paramount Domestic Television for reruns on local stations, including Tribune -owned WB affiliates. Reruns have aired on ABC Family , Nickelodeon / Nick at Nite , Noggin (as part of its teen block The N ), TeenNick , MTV2 , Hub Network , Logo TV , Antenna TV and Fuse . It currently airs on Rewind TV and

10670-516: The world stage a surge of online magic shows. These shows are performed via video conferencing platforms such as Zoom . Some online magic tricks recreate traditional card tricks and require user participation, while others, like Plato's Cursed Triangle, are based on mathematical, geometrical, and/or optical illusions. One such online magic trick, called Esmeralda's Crystal Ball, became a viral phenomenon that fooled so many computer users into believing that their computer had supernatural powers, that

10780-425: The youth-oriented show TRTÉ . In Italy, the show aired on Italia 1 under the name Sabrina, vita da strega ( Sabrina, life as a witch ) from September 3, 1998 until May 28, 2004. In Australia, the show aired on Eleven , the free-to-air channel owned by Network Ten (upon which repeats of Sabrina had previously aired) at 6:00 p.m. and until December 6, 2013, with repeats at 12:30 a.m., seven days

10890-406: Was Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin , originally a clockmaker, who opened a magic theatre in Paris in 1845. He transformed his art from one performed at fairs to a performance that the public paid to see at the theatre. His speciality was constructing mechanical automata that appeared to move and act as if alive. Many of Robert-Houdin's mechanisms for illusion were pirated by his assistant and ended up in

11000-585: Was "beyond atheism,” stating “Atheism is not believing in God... I believe there is no God." His atheism, he has explained, has informed every aspect of his life and thoughts, and as such is as crucial to him as theistic beliefs are to the devout. Jillette encourages open discussion, debate, and proselytizing on the issue of God's existence , believing that the issue is too important for opinions about it to remain private. Jillette does not dismiss all who do believe in God: in

11110-517: Was a secretary , and his father, Samuel Herbert Jillette (1912–1999), worked at Greenfield's Franklin County Jail. Jillette became an atheist in his early teens after reading the Bible . He was subsequently asked to leave the church, after asking questions in a youth group that purportedly also made skeptics of his peers. Jillette became disenchanted with traditional illusionist acts that presented

11220-529: Was designed by his friend Colin Summers. He formerly recorded music there, and conducted his radio show at the studio inside "The Slammer". In 2016, he sold "The Slammer" so that his family could move to a less remote location. Starting in 1996, Jillette had a recurring role on Sabrina the Teenage Witch as Drell, the head of the Witches' Council. He and Teller both appeared in the pilot with Debbie Harry as

11330-482: Was designed to appear to fall apart as it progressed; Jillette pretended to grow angrier with the crowd, and lighting effects and music would become increasingly chaotic, all building up to the point where he was dragged off stage and returned, handcuffed to a wheelchair, to deliver his last monologue. During one performance, an audience member assaulted Jillette while he was handcuffed to the wheelchair. In later years, Jillette would contribute to two documentary films about

11440-549: Was fired from the show by Donald Trump during the Week 11 episode. Also on February 19, 2012, along with Michael Goudeau, he started the podcast Penn's Sunday School . In 2013, he returned for the All-Star Celebrity Apprentice season, where he successfully made his way to the finale, raising $ 663,655 for the charity of his choice, Opportunity Village. On April 5, 2013, Penn and Teller were honored with

11550-505: Was followed by a television film , Sabrina: Friends Forever , which in turn was followed by another series titled Sabrina's Secret Life . Neither Emily Hart nor Melissa Joan Hart returned for the television film or the follow-up series. An animated spin-off focusing on Salem the Cat was also slated to debut in the 2001-02 season before it was scrapped. A new animated spin-off was produced by Hub Network in 2013 called Sabrina: Secrets of

11660-494: Was named Vintage Nudes Studios by Jillette for playing cards that he had collected. The cards are displayed in the interior design in a manner which is meaningful to magicians . The studio was home to Free FM's Penn Radio show, and was the home of the Penn's Sunday School stream and podcast until it was demolished in 2016, along with his former home, "The Slammer". Jillette is married to Emily Jillette, and they have two children: Zolten and Moxie CrimeFighter (who sometimes uses

11770-708: Was not real, but his mind said that he cannot prove it. As of 2014, he has changed his position and now believes that climate change is occurring. He stated in 2008 that he "always" votes Libertarian , and endorsed Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson for President in 2012 and 2016. However, he participated in vote swapping in 2016 by voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the swing state of Nevada, in exchange for "10 or 11" of his friends promising to vote for Johnson in blue states like California and New York. In 2020, Jillette distanced himself from aspects of libertarianism, particularly surrounding COVID-19 . In an interview with Big Think , he stated, "[A] lot of

11880-421: Was the "foremost skeptic" in this regard in the United States. Children's magic is performed for an audience primarily composed of children. It is typically performed at birthday parties, preschools, elementary schools, Sunday schools, or libraries. This type of magic is usually comedic in nature and involves audience interaction as well as volunteer assistants. Online magic tricks were designed to function on

11990-571: Was the English showman, Isaac Fawkes , who began to promote his act in advertisements from the 1720s—he even claimed to have performed for King George II . One of Fawkes' advertisements described his routine in some detail: He takes an empty bag, lays it on the Table and turns it several times inside out, then commands 100 Eggs out of it and several showers of real Gold and silver, then the Bag beginning to swell several sorts of wild fowl run out of it upon

12100-432: Was willing to renew the show for a fifth season, the network was not willing to pay the reported $ 1.5 million per episode that Viacom Productions , which produced the show, wanted. The WB then picked up the show for a mere $ 675,000 per episode, but agreed to commit to 66 episodes. The series spawned a 1998 soundtrack and the release of several multiplatform video games beginning in 1999. A book series based on episodes from

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