Close Up Kings, nuova programma televisivo sulla Magia
Deve ancora uscire in Italia, ma “Close Up Kings” sta riscuotendo grandi successi in USA, è prodotto da ZigZag, gli stessi di Troy. Parla di tre prestigiatori di New York, Magic Balay, Loki e Johnny Blaze, che girano gli States esibendosi con e le loro magie. Il programma e’ sul alcuni canali del network di Discovery, si spera che arrivi anche in Italia (DMAX?).
Aggiornamento: da facebook mi dicono che la trasmissione e’ già in onda su DMAX al lunedì, con il titolo di “I Re Maghi”…. https://www.facebook.com/groups/prestigiazione/367072670140317/?notif_t=group_comment Si va ad aggiungere ai tanti programmi di Magia che Dmax ha trasmesso. Attualmente oltre ai I Re Maghi ci sono Magic Camera con Michael Carbonaro, Tricked con Ben Hanlin e Derren Brown.
Close Up Kings is a street magic meets travelogue series bowing on Discovery’s international networks. The show came about after producer Zig Zag was working on a US pilot for another magic series, Troy (now on Channel 4 in the UK).
The Close Up Kings – Magic Balay, Loki and Johnny Blaze – are a group of street magicians that were working as consultants on the pilot, and the Zig Zag team were so taken with them and their talent they worked up a show for the trio.
The result is Close Up Kings, in which the eponymous performers travel from city to city taking on challenges and attempting to outdo one another.
The show is part magic, part travel series, says Zig Zag COO Kevin Utton. “They go to a different city and the magic they perform reflects the culture, lifestyle and personality of that city, so when they are in New Orleans the inspirations include Southern food, Voodoo and the Mississippi river.”
The relationship between the trio is key to the show, he adds. “There is a great camaraderie an they like to outdo one another – if one pulls a rabbit out of a hat another will pull out two rabbits… and the third one an elephant!”
The magicians travel to a different city in each instalment and destinations include New York, Miami, San Francisco and Toronto.
Discovery took the show for its channels in Europe and the Middle East. In Canada, specialty channel OLN came on board the series. There is also a Canadian coproduction partner in the shape of Toronto-based Yap Films.
Entertainment One has picked up rights for the rest of the world and Close Up Kings will be one of the headline factual titles for the distributor at MIPTV where it will be launched internationally.
Zig Zag is forging a reputation for magic shows with this and Troy as well as a YouTube channel, All Time Magic, and CEO Danny Fenton says there is strong demand from broadcasters. “We’re in a purple patch for magic. Broadcasters are hungry for it and there is a massive appetite among distributors for magic shows. The USP for this show is it follows a group rather than individuals and also the travel elements.”
The show: Close Up Kings
The producers: Zig Zag Productions, Yap Films
The distributor: Entertainment One
The broadcaster: Discovery Channel (international), OLN (Canada)
Format: 8x60mins
Concept: Magic series meets travelogue following the Close Up Kings as they journey around North America
Source http://tbivision.com/show-of-the-week/2014/03/show-of-the-week-close-up-kings/244442/
Zig Zag’s Close Up Kings travels globe
Discovery’s magic series Close Up Kings is to travel the world after producer Zig Zag closed a deal with distributor Entertainment One.
It is the latest UK deal for the US-based distributor, which continues to expand its British output following a first-look deal with Jonathan Drake’s Three River Studios agreed in January.
Zig Zag is also backing its international strategy with execs from the indie travelling to this week’s Realscreen Summit to pitch a slew of ideas to US broadcasters.
The 8 x 60-minute reality series, which follows a New York-based street magic trio as they travel across the US performing tricks, was originally ordered by Discovery in October.
Zig Zag chief executive Danny Fenton said that he hoped the deal would be the “first of many” with eOne, which is best known for distributing series including The Walking Dead and Peppa Pig.
“Zig Zag is excited to be doing another groundbreaking magic show – this time featuring the unique trio The Close Up Kings. We appear to have become somewhat of a magic magnet for the best new magic talent,” he said, referring to Troy, the indie’s magic series for Channel 4.
eOne president of international Peter Emerson added: “We are delighted to be in business with Danny and his talented team. We look forward to this being the start of a long and fruitful relationship.”
The deal was struck by Zig Zag’s vice president of commercial and current production Leila Monks and Justina Hemperek, eOne Television’s manager, factual acquisitions, UK & Europe.
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