DECEPTION: New show preview

Mynda and I attended New York Comic Con back in October and got the opportunity to check out a number of new shows that were slated for release mid-season. By far our favorite of those we saw was a new show called Deception, which premieres on ABC on March 11th.

Here’s the official description:

When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black [Jack Cutmore-Scott] has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, influence and illusion — the FBI. Using every trick in the book and inventing new ones, he will help the government catch the world’s most elusive criminals while staging the biggest illusions of his career.  The series is from writer/executive producer Chris Fedak (Chuck) and executive producers Greg Berlanti, Martin Gero [Blindspot] and Sarah Schechter. Illusionist David Kwong (Now You See Me) will co-produce. 

So, the show is basically a crime procedural…with magic. Actually, it turns out it’s more than that. We went to the panel out of loyalty to Chris Fedak, as Chuck will always hold a very special place in my heart. My initial reaction to the concept – magician helps catch crooks – was somewhat incredulous, but after seeing the pilot and getting to know the cast during the panel (embedded below), it became one of the highlights of the whole Con and a show that I’ve been looking forward to ever since.

The show reminds me of the old Mission Impossible series  – complete with elaborate sets and the classic “pulling off the mask” scenes. Although on Deception, it’s unlikely that anyone will get disavowed if the mission fails. That said, the stakes are high because they aren’t just going after petty street criminals, these are more like the FBI’s Most Wanted and Team Black has more on the line than just wanting to catch criminals – they have a personal stake in getting the FBI on their side.

Cutmore-Scott (the illusionist Cameron Black) is quite charming and the chemistry is pretty good all around between him and his team which includes Vinnie Jones as his strong man, Gunter (who is pretty much like every other Vinnie Jones character and I still can’t get enough!) and Ilfenesh Hadera, who plays Kay Daniels, Black’s FBI mentor and partner-in-solving-crime.

Check out the New York Comic Con show panel below and check out the premiere on March 11th!

Deception premieres March 11 at 10/9c on ABC!