Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Magician's deceptions are extra tricky in fun reality show.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Carbonaro Effect
What's the Story?
THE CARBONARO EFFECT is a reality series featuring actor and illusionist Michael Carbonaro performing tricks in front of unsuspecting folks, and then convincing them that what they're seeing is real. Hidden cameras capture the magician posing as a sales clerk, a doctor in training, a car wash attendant, and other roles. As he works at each "job," Carbonaro plays his tricks on the people he's interacting with. After each stunned reaction, Carbonaro continues to perform his job as usual, often offering seemingly rational, commonsense explanations for the phenomena. As a result, some people actually begin to believe that what they're seeing is genuine.
Is It Any Good?
This funny series features a wide array of illusions performed by magic pro Carbonaro in hopes of fooling people into believing that what is happening is a normal occurrence. From convincing a store customer that the orange he's eating serves double duty as a human-made storage container, to making a patient believe that he's hallucinating, Carbonaro combines well-performed tricks with smooth talking to illustrate how folks can be convinced of something that they would ordinarily not believe.
It's fun to watch, especially when people begin to accept the explanations offered for each weird or anxiety-provoking event, some of which are more outlandish than the trick itself. Some of the more incredulous reactions may also make you chuckle. But The Carbonaro Effect also demonstrates how easily some people can be manipulated into believing something that they know, fundamentally, isn't rational. It's a bit disturbing, but still manages to be very entertaining.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about magic. How do illusionists manage to perform tricks without people noticing what's really happening? Where do they learn how to do this?
Is the purpose behind the The Carbonaro Effect just to entertain people with magic tricks? Or is it pointing to something more serious?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 4, 2014
- Cast : Michael Carbonaro
- Networks : truTV , Netflix
- Genre : Reality TV
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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