The first magician I remember seeing on television was Mark Wilson. I remember he had a syndicated show that I watched every Sunday morning for a couple of years. A few years later, the big star in magic was Doug Henning. He had several prime time specials which I made sure never to miss. Although his act had the big illusions, he also did some nice closeup magic which I always found more fascinating.
Moving forward, David Copperfield and Lance Burton were the next generation of big time magicians who also had a significant television presence. I don’t see magic performed on television any longer and I wonder why. Perhaps in a world with CGI movies and such great technical advances, people aren’t impressed with the big stage illusions, which have often had their secrets revealed.
In the end, I guess the illusions could not compete with all the new found “reality” on television. I think someone should produce a TV show where a magician makes all the housewives of wherever disappear. Now, that I would watch!