NBC Sets 6 Hours of 'Phenomenon'

Bowing in October, Series Promises Audience Participation

By James Hibberd

NBC's "Phenomenon" is no longer a mere prediction.

The reality series, announced by NBC Co-Chair Ben Silverman at the Television Critics Association' press tour in July as part of a mid-season slate, has been given a series order for six one-hour episodes.

NBC will premiere the show Oct. 24 at 8 p.m., filling a slot typically occupied by "Deal or No Deal." The series will air over five weeks, including a two-hour edition on Halloween night.

"Phenomenon" will air live, with 10 magicians and mentalists performing their acts for judges Criss Angel and Uri Geller. Viewers will get to vote on which acts win each round, with celebrity guests assisting in the performances.

"It's one of the most exciting and scary shows I've worked on in years. It's a fresh idea in this landscape," said Craig Plestis, NBC's executive VP of alternative programming, development and specials.

NBC plans to tease fans with the challenge of figuring out how the show's performers accomplish their tricks and whether any of the mentalists might have actual psychic talent. The show will include online forums and interactive games aimed at increasing viewer participation.

"It's going to create a great dialogue," Mr. Plestis said. "Home viewers will decide whether the acts are real or fake."

The October premiere will give NBC another reality vehicle to plug into its fall schedule. Currently "Deal or No Deal" and "The Singing Bee" can serve as all-purpose hole fillers, particularly for the 8 p.m. hour. But another inexpensive show that can provide solid lead-in viewership for NBC's

9 p.m. dramas is always welcome.

Mr. Geller rose to fame in the 1970s by claiming to have psychic abilities and performing on television. "Phenomenon" is based on Mr. Geller's successful Israeli show called "The Successor," where contestants performed their acts in hopes of following in Mr. Geller's footsteps.

Earlier this year, a clip from one "Successor" segment surfaced on YouTube that apparently showed Mr. Geller using a hidden magnet to move a compass. Magician James Randi performed the same trick on ABC's "The View" in an effort to debunk Mr. Geller.

NBC's version of the show adds professional magician Mr. Angel as a judge, who will lend a more skeptical voice to the proceedings.

"Phenomenon" is executive produced by Suzy Lamb ("Grease: You're the One That I Want") and by Michael Agbabian and Dwight Smith, both executive producers on NBC's "Hit Me Baby One More Time."

Updated 9/26: Third paragraph revised with new airing information.