Doug Henning's World of Magic


Doug Henning's World of Magic was the first of seven annual prime-time television specials starring magician Doug Henning, which aired live on NBC Friday, December 26, 1975. Bill Cosby was the show's special guest, along with Gene Kelly and musical guest Lori Lieberman. The show ran live without commercials under the sponsorship of Mobil.
The first effect showed a close up on Doug's hands manipulating a nickel, then a jukebox production of Cosby. He introduced a number of novel illusions, including a version of Buatier De Kolta's Vanishing Lady illusion and concluded with an up-tempo version of Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell.
The special was the top rated show for the evening, with a reported 50 million viewers, making it the highest-rated magic special of all time. The show also won the Christopher Award for outstanding achievement. In 1977, the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork.