Ace of Wands (1970-1972)

Country of Origin: UK
Dates of Original Broadcast: 29 July 1970 - 29 November 1972
Number of Seasons: 3
Total Number of Episodes: 46
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

Tarot is a telepathic stage magician whose abilities were more genuine than those supposedly possessed by most of his ilk. Together with assistants Sam, a reformed ex-con, and the orphaned telepath Lulli, Tarot does battle with all manner of bizarre villains, calling on the arcane expertise of Mr Sweet, the tweed suited motorcyclist who ran an antiquarian bookshop.

A strange but fondly remembered kids show from the early seventies in which the forces of good are pitted against a gallery of grotesques the likes of which hadn't been seen on TV since the demise of Batman (1966 - 1968). Ace of Wands was ITV's first concerted effort to counter the runaway popularity of the BBC's Doctor Who (then just beginning its Jon Pertwee era) and provide a kid's show of its own that would alternately engage, entertain and often terrify its youthful audience. For its first two years it did well enough, with its off beat storylines and bizarre villains. Sadly, a number of changes were effected for the third and final season, Sam and Lulli being replaced by the less interesting Mikki, a telepathic reporter, and her photographer brother Chas, while Mr Sweet was now working for a university. The results were disappointing and the show disappeared for good after its final batch of 20 episodes, though its spirit lived on some 25 years later when the BBC pitched its own master magician, Jonathan Creek (1995) against rather more mundane adversaries.

SEASON ONE (1970)
One and One and One Are Four (29 July 1970 - 12 August 1970)
The Mind Robbers (19 August 1970 - 9 September 1970)
Now You See It, Now You Don't (16 September 1970 - 23 September 1970)
The Smile (30 September 1970 - 21 October 1970)

SEASON TWO (1971)
Seven Serpents, Sulphur And Salt (21 July 1971 - 4 August 1971)
Joker (11 August 1971 - 25 August 1971)
Nightmare Gas (1 September 1971 - 15 September 1971)
The Eye of Ra (22 September 1971 - 13 October 1971)

SEASON THREE (1972)
The Meddlers (19 July 1972 - 2 August 1972)
The Power of Atep (9 August 1972 - 30 August 1972)
Peacock Pie (6 September 1972 - 20 September 1972)
Mama Doc (27 September 1972 - 11 October 1972)
Sisters Deadly (18 October 1972)
The Beautiful People (8 November 1972)

Tarot - working title

SEE ALSO
Shadows: Dutch Schlitz's Shoes (1975)
Dramarama: Mr Stabs (1984)

PERIODICALS

Dreamwatch no.28 p.41 (UK)
article

BOOKS

The BFI Companion To Horror p.17
short article

The Complete Directory to Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Television Series pp.1-2
credits, episode guide

Encyclopedia of Television Science Fiction (3rd Edition) pp.3-6
credits, episode guide

Guinness Television Encyclopedia p.8
review

Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film and Television Credits Supplement Through 1987 pp.647-648
credits

magic, magicians, owls, psychics, telepathy

Last Updated: 15 October, 2009