Question: My favorite TV show ...

Question: My favorite TV show when I was 11 or 12 was The Magician, starring Bill Bixby. I was crushed when it didn't last very long. Can you tell me when it aired, the show's premise, how many episodes there were and if there's any chance of seeing this show again? Thanks! — Chris H., Cypress, Tex.

Televisionary: Bixby (The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Incredible Hulk), an amateur magician himself, starred as wealthy illusionist and escape artist Anthony Blake, who'd been unjustly imprisoned in South America and decided to devote his time to making the world right for people in need. Of course, that making always involved mental acrobatics, sleight of hand and illusions. The show's 90-minute pilot kicked things off on NBC in March 1973. The 22-episode series debuted as an hour-long show in October, starting out on Tuesday nights and moving to Mondays the following January.

The network and producers tinkered with the series as it bumped along with weak ratings. (On Tuesdays it had to entice viewers away from the second half of CBS's Hawaii Five-O and it went up against the mighty Gunsmoke on Mondays.) At first, Tony lived in his customized jet (piloted by Jim Watkins) and often got involved in situations after receiving tips from a writer pal (Keene Curtis). But by the second half of the season, the plane was gone, Tony lived on the top floor of Hollywood's Magic Castle and Max and his wheelchair-bound son Dennis had pretty much faded from view.

None of the changes did much good. The Magician disappeared (sorry) after its first season.

As for where you can catch it now... I'm not sure, to be honest. The Sci Fi Channel used to run it in the mid-90s, but I don't believe it's on anyone's schedule now.