Advent Calendar 2020 Day 19: The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show, 1987

Unbowed by having being killed in an iron maiden two months earlier Paul had an appointment to keep, the ninth of his fifteen straight Christmas shows. No overarching theme this time as he milks Richard Whitmore with the aid of Michael Buerk, John Craven and Adam Raphael (who had a very brief stint fronting Newsnight), breaks the laws of physics with a child and toy car, introduces one armed card trickster Rene Lavand, a puppeteer and some climbers, and for a climax saws Felix Bowness' pantomime horse in half. Not having Bowness animatedly mouth at the second camera on the trick's reveal feels like a perfect opportunity wasted.

MORE OF THE MAN WHO EXCELS: 1980 in the Bunco Booth; 1985 with Snow White; 1990 with Paul in disguise (and singing)