The origins of the series were in a locally broadcast show that Wilson arranged in
Dallas,
Texas, in 1955. That grew into other shows in
Houston and
San Antonio. With the introduction of videotape and the help of
Alan Wakeling, Wilson created
The Magic World of Allakazam as the first magic show to be videotaped and
nationally syndicated. It debuted on 1 October 1960 on
CBS and aired every Saturday morning on that network for two years. The shows were in
black and white and were sponsored by
Kellogg's. They followed a formula that Wilson devised and which he believed was essential for the success of magic on television—there should be a live audience, there should not be a
cut from one view to another during a trick, and viewers should know that they were seeing exactly what the studio audience saw. Puppet stories set in the Land of Allakazam involved the King (played by Towner) and his subject Perriwinkle (played by Barnes), opposed by the wicked magician Evilo (also played by Towner). In its first year of broadcast, cartoon shorts from
The Huckleberry Hound Show would be interspersed throughout the show, often times with Mark interacting with the animated characters when introducing them—the cartoons were dropped for the second season. In 1962, the show moved to
ABC without missing a week on air. In 1965, the series left ABC and was internationally syndicated. The series was one of the top shows in the
Nielsen ratings for Saturday mornings. It has been cited by a number of famous magicians as an early inspiration. ==Home media==