- Title: Phobophilia
- Date: 5th January 1996
- Summary: PHOBOPHILIA IS A TERM COINED BY THE MESMERISING PENN & TELLER MEANING 'THE LOVE OF FEAR' WHICH JUST ABOUT SUMS UP THEIR ENTERTAINMENT PHILOSOPHY. THIS ONE HOUR SPECIAL FOLLOWS ON FROM THEIR EARLIER SUCCESS WITH THE 1994 CHANNEL 4 SERIES - THE UNPLEASANT WORLD OF PENN & TELLER - AND IS SET TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH, SCREAM, TREMBLE AND MAYBE JUMP ON THE PERSON NEXT TO THEM. THE SHOW WAS RECORDED AT CBS STUDIOS LA, IN FRONT OF A LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE, ALL OF WHOM HAV BEEN WARNED TO WEAR THEIR OLDEST CLOTHES. THEY WERE LEFT IN THE DARK (LITERALLY) BEFORE THE SHOW, AND SUBJECTED TO A WARM-UP TORTURE SESSION, SO THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF SCREAMING ONCE PENN & TELLER BEGIN THEIR ROLLER COASTER RIDE TO SPINE-CHILLING HOCU POCUS. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT NO ONE WILL GET HURT AND EVERYONE SCREAMS THEMSELVES SICK ANYWAY. THE SHOW INCLUDES SKETCHES WITH ACTORS WITH OR WITHOUT PENN & TELLER AND FEATURES PHOBIAS INCLUDING - FEAR OF WORMS, RATS, DOCTORS, CLAUSTROPHOBIA ETC. DURING THE SHOW, PENN & TELLER SNAKE THROUGH THE AUDIENCE, EXPLAINING HOW SOME OF THEIR TRICKS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE DONE AND SOMETIMES DOING CLOS UP SLEIGHT OF HAND. WHEN YOU SEE A HORROR MOVIE IN A CROWDED CINEMA, THE AUDIENCE IS PART OF THE SHOW, YOU HEAR THE FIRST SCREAM, LAUGH AT THE SCREAM, APPLAUD FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS AND SCARE EACH OTHER WITH REAL OR FAKE SCREAMS.
- Description:A SPECIAL FROM PENN and TELLER DEVOTED TO SCARING THE WITS OUT OF A STUDIO AUD- IENCE FOR THE PLEASURE OF VIEWERS AT HOME. THE SHOW WILL FEATURE A SE RIES OF SKETCHES (WITH GUEST ACTORS) WHICH COMBINE HORROR,MAGIC AND ILLUSION. Contains the bullet catch trick
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel X
- Genre:Documentary and Factual
- Producer:Channel X Communications Ltd.
- Programme Episode:Episode 1
- Transmission Date:05/01/1996
- Rights:On Request
- Decade: 1990s