# The Carbonaro Effect (2014)

> A magician turns ordinary people's everyday errands into hidden-camera moments of astonishment through baffling tricks.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/54345

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 92
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: reality, comedy
- Created by: Michael Carbonaro
- Network: truTV
- Cast: Michael Carbonaro
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3559912/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: playful, wholesome, whimsical, warm, breezy

## What critics say

Audiences broadly enjoy the lighthearted hidden camera magic tricks and Michael Carbonaro's playful, good-natured pranks.

## Synopsis

The Carbonaro Effect (2014-2020) is an American truTV reality comedy built around magician Michael Carbonaro, who also created the show. Carbonaro plays himself, a magician by trade and a prankster by heart, who stages baffling tricks on unsuspecting people going about everyday situations. Each episode is a run of hidden-camera ambushes, with the magic landing on bystanders, shoppers, and passersby who have no idea what just hit them. The engine is the reaction itself: a stunned double take, a laugh, a moment of disbelief that the performer then builds on with another trick. The format runs five seasons and ninety-two half-hour episodes, a self-contained set of stunts rather than a continuing story, so any episode can be watched on its own. The tone is light, warm, and playful, with a sense of wonder that stays on the right side of teasing. Fans of Candid Camera, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and Ellen's Game of Games will find the same blend of surprise, sleight of hand, and affectionate mischief.

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- [Magic for Humans (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/69876)
- [The Real Hustle (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/3505)
- [Deception (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/62593)
- [Los simuladores (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/308)
- [Game Changer (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/107086)
- [Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54103)
- [Mind Field (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61077)
- [Shut Eye (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/58876)

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