|
|
| Home / TV's
Greatest Hits |
Ace
of Wands
 UK /Thames / 46x30m-e / 1970-72
Creator: Trevor Preston /
Music: Andrew Brown / Magical Advisor: Ali Bongo /
Producers: Pamela Lonsdale(1970-71), John Russell(1972),
|
 This
fantasy adventure series for kids had master magician Tarot along with two companions
tackling a collection of
fiendish villains most of whom seemed hellbent on world domination.
Tarot's intial assistants were Lulli Palmer and Sam Maxted
and Tarot was a renowned stage magician. The
title of the show comes from one of the cards in
the Tarot pack and the show actual had the
working title of Tarot for awhile.
Although meant for kids the shows plotlines were
aimed at everybody, with each story broken up
into generally four episodes ala Doctor Who.
Tarot was highly trendy, drove an e-type jag and
lived in an apartment above a London warehouse.
Lulli, Tarot's stage assistant shared a kind of
telepathic link with him whilst Sam was Tarot's
right hand man. Two other regular characters
were Mr Sebastian Sweet, a bookseller and last
but not least Tarot's owl Ozymandias.
 All
of Tarot's tricks were actually devised by
proper magician Ali Bongo. Most of the villains
Tarot did battle with also had magical powers
most notably Madame Midnight and Tun-Ju.
Ace of Wands was a very effects heavy show and
in fact was one of the first to use Colour Separation
Overlay techniques on a regular basis.
Season three (the final season) had some changes
when both of Tarot's assistants became
unavailable bringing in two new ones in the form
of journalist Mikki Diamond (who also shared a
telepathic link with Tarot) and her brother
Chas. Producer Pamela Lonsdale also had nothing
to do with this season having been given the job
of setting up Rainbow. Mr Sweet in this season
no longer had his bookshop but instead was based
at a university.
Unfortunately the first two seasons of the show
are no longer in existence as Thames saw fit to
wipe the masters to save on the cost of new
tapes.
|
Cast
Michael McKenzie as Tarot / Tony Selby as Sam Maxstead(1970-71) / Judy Loe as
Lulli Palmer (1970 - 71) / Donald Layne-Smith as Mr Sweet / Petra Markham as
Mikki(1972) / Roy Holder as Chas(1972)
|
|
|
|
|
|
