While he preferred the term Conjuror to Magician, Paul Daniels was first and foremost an entertainer whose career on Stage and Television in the UK spanned several decades. He had his own show on the BBC that lasted 15 years, and also served as moderator on numerous quiz and game related programs including WIPEOUT, EVERY SECOND COUNTS and the kid's show WIZBIT. His theatrical and technical expertise led him beyond his own stage performances to the creation of physical effects for such productions as Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Like some of his peers, Daniels took great pleasure in exposing charlatans and hoaxers ( a segment of his long running series was called the Bunco Booth). One of his early targets was Uri Geller but, the two later became close friends (at least that's what Uri says). He later ran into a bit of controversy himself in 1987 when he re-created a Houdini stunt involving an Iron Maiden (the torture device not the band) for a Halloween special. The trick which involved escaping from the device before it closed via a clockwork mechanism appeared to go wrong and the screen went black resulting in a flood of shocked calls to the BBC switchboards. While in more recent years the public taste for Magic acts may have shifted, Daniels remained a popular and recognizable figure on British television. Paul Daniels passed away last thursday (3/17/16) at the age of 77 in his home in Berkshire. BBCÂ OBIT HERE