ROGUE MAGICIANS PENN & TELLER STAR IN NBC MAGIC SPECIAL PERFORMED COMPLETELY UNDERWATER
DUO MAKES ENTIRE SUBMARINE DISAPPEAR IN TWO-HOUR EVENT SLATED FOR NOVEMBER 13
BURBANK, Calif. -- October 12, 2005 � Rogue magicians and eight-time nominees and two-time Emmy Award winners Penn & Teller ("Penn & Teller Go Public," "Penn & Teller's Bulls***t") travel to the Caribbean to present amazing feats � highlighted by making a submarine disappear � in the first magic special ever performed entirely underwater. The two-hour NBC special titled, "Penn & Teller: Off the Deep End," will premiere Sunday, Nov. 13 (7-9 p.m. ET).
Filmed offshore of Grand Cayman and the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas, the special features classically inspired and traditionally staged magic performed for the first time on the ocean floor. The clear, clean blue-green waters off of Grand Cayman offer a great view of a submarine, but even with more than a hundred scuba divers surrounding the ship, Penn & Teller can make it disappear.
In addition to the never-before attempted disappearing submarine illusion, highlights in the special include acts with hungry sharks, "psychic" dolphins, and the duo actually walking on water in a newly-devised super illusion.
The duo's trademark "sardonic" commentary accompanies each feat, and as they do in their Las Vegas stage act, Penn & Teller also reveal for the audience members who want to know: how they pull off their illusions.
Multi-platinum recording star Aaron Carter ("Aaron's Party," "Saturday Night") makes a guest-starring appearance for one of the tricks.
"We've been living in the Las Vegas desert for years," said Penn (Teller never speaks onstage, on-camera or off-the-cuff). "Nothing but cactus, sand, scorpions and Wayne Newton. And we realized it was time to do a show underwater. Magic needs a good head-soaking."
"In my 25 years of production, this was the most complicated shoot I've ever encountered," said executive producer Mark Wolper ("Salem's Lot," "Helter Skelter") He recalls that "Steven Spielberg told Larry King about the perils of filming 'Jaws' on the water, saying, 'it was like being in a kind of war zone. It was madness trying to make a film on the water and trying to second-guess the ocean and the currents and the winds.'"
Highlights of Penn & Teller's television credits include "Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular," "Penn & Teller's Home Invasion," the TV movie "Penn & Teller's Invisible Thread," and the previous NBC special "Don't Try This at Home."
In addition, Penn & Teller have appeared on a wide range of television, including NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Miami Vice," NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Hollywood Squares," NBC's "Today," NBC's "Saturday Night Live," "The Drew Carey Show," "Friends," "Dharma & Greg," "Home Improvement," and "The Simpsons."
Their cable series, "Penn & Teller: Bull***t!" is in its third season. The controversial show, which received two 2004 and 2005 Emmy nominations and the 2004 Writers Guild Award for Outstanding Comedy/Variety Series, tackles the frauds and fakes behind such topics as talking to the dead, alien abductions and even feng shui.
The team previously won an Emmy for the special "Penn & Teller Go Public," and have amassed a total of six nominations for their television work.
Penn & Teller appear nightly (except Tuesdays) in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Website: www.pennandteller.com
The executive producers for the special from The Wolper Organization are Penn Jillette, Teller, Mark Wolper ("Salem's Lot," "Helter Skelter") and the special's director Star Price ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"). Peter Golden ("The Aristocrats") is a consulting producer.
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