NBC has announced Phenomenon, a new reality competition series that will follow mentalist Uri Geller and Criss Angel Mindfreak illusionist Criss Angel as they search for "the next great mentalist," will premiere on Wednesday, October 24 at 8PM ET/PT.
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Phenomenon is based on a popular Israeli reality competition series called The Successor, which premiered earlier this year and featured Geller as a judge and mentor.
He'll be joined by Angel for the previously announced NBC adaptation, which will follow a similar format to The Successor with 10 contestants competing each week and having their acts tested through a series of challenges in-front of a panel of celebrity guest judges as well as a studio audience.
While Geller and Angel assist the Phenomenon contestants as well as provide their insight, home viewers will be the ones who vote to determine which act eventually claims the show's $250,000 grand prize following its five-week broadcast run.
"To be able to showcase the unique talents of this stunning and mysterious genre on live television, where absolutely anything can happen, ups the ante enormously," said Craig Plestis, NBC's executive vice president of alternative programming.
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In addition to its two-hour Halloween broadcast on Wednesday, October 31, NBC will broadcast each of Phenomenon's one-hour episodes live and also implore home viewers to try and debunk the contestants' tricks.
"We hope viewers will watch with their friends and talk about and debate what they see, making this a truly interactive television experience," added Plestis.
Phenomenon is a co-production of Granada America, Keshet Broadcasting, and Kuperman Productions in association with SevenOne International, which controls the worldwide rights to the show's format. It is executive produced by Suzy Lamb, Michael Agbabian and Dwight Smith.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio