The third season of Justin Willman's "Magic for Humans" arrives Friday on Netflix, and it may be just the trick to elevate quarantined viewers' spirits.
Willman says the timing of the new season is a blessing when people need it. "Right now people are craving escapism, wanting something to watch and feel good about, something you can watch with your grandmother and kids."
The series blends magic, comedy and social experiments without the use of CGI or camera tricks. The seven new episodes were filmed in 2019 and will explore themes of fear, self-care, tradition, vices and more.
Willman, 39, typically would've spent the past couple of months promoting "Magic for Humans" on talk shows. Instead, he's at home in Los Angeles with his wife, Jill Sipkins, and their 1 {-year-old son, Jackson.
Even from home, though, he's busy promoting his show.
"I'm playing to the new medium and still blowing minds within these limitations and challenges and coming up with creative strokes," he says. "We were thrown a curveball, but it's a curveball we're able to handle."
Being in quarantine, he says, has been a shock to the system. He had been scheduled to be on his "Magic in Real Life" tour, "and all in the course of a week, everything slowed to a halt."
"It's super sad, but I'm trying to find the silver lining _ trying to make the best of it."
Willman has been enjoying spending time with his son, who appears with him in a series of occasional videos on social media. Jackson unwittingly spoils his dad's "Quarantined Magic Lessons."
"He's at an age where everything is magic to him _ he's a funny straight man," Willman says. "I've discovered he has a pretty amazing comic timing, busting me on my tricks. People are finding it very funny. I found its comedic angle truly by accident.
"I'm looking forward to showing it to him when he's older. He'll probably roll his eyes at me."
Willman hopes to inspire other young magicians with his Social Distancing Magician Starter Kit.
"I always wanted to make a magic kit and put it out there," says Willman. As a youngster, he was disappointed with the quality of the magic kits that were available. Back then, he became interested in magic after breaking both arms in a fall (from a bike, while wearing rollerblades). During his recovery, he felt isolated.
"This was my chance," he says. "I've got time now, so I said, 'Let's create that magic kit.' We're all stuck in our homes feeling helpless.
"The response has been great. A lot of parents are getting it for their kids, but they're also getting it for themselves. Some of the parents always liked magic but never had a chance to do it."
Proceeds from the kits ($49 at justinwillman.com) go to DirectRelief.org, a COVID-19 relief fund, and the End Alz Association's efforts in the Alzheimer's community, which is being hit disproportionately by the pandemic.
Willman's mother, Sonja Willman, has Alzheimer's. The final episode of season two of "Magic for Humans" addressed her recent diagnosis.
Willman says the pandemic will cause viewers to see elements of the series through a different lens. In a recurring segment called "Close-Up Magic," he approaches strangers and leans in so close that their noses nearly touch. "'Hey, you wanna see some close-up magic?'" he asks them. "And I do the trick right to their noses. With social distancing, it now takes on an element of danger we didn't expect."
Another episode finds Willman performing magic at a nudist colony _ where he's also naked.
"It may sound scandalous on the surface," he says, but the episode includes a lot of blurred scenes. The episode plays to his fear of being onstage without clothes.
"As a magician, it takes on an extra layer. I need pockets _ places to put my stuff. I need my props. In the fear episode, I pick five of my real-life fears and face them head-on."
In season three, he also lampoons influencer culture, levitates at a car wash and talks to kindergartners about their bucket lists.
When "Magic for Humans" launched in 2018 _ he says it was Netflix's first magic show _ he was able to do what he wanted without first submitting a pilot.
"Netflix got out of my way, but I didn't want to get my hopes up," he says. "It's so easy to work hard and put something out there, and then it disappears into the ether. I've learned to manage my expectations. I made a show I was proud of, and whatever happens happens.
"The fact that season three is coming out is so surreal. Making three seasons is a huge win."
Videos from the show have been viewed more than 150 million times on social media.
Willman, whose first magic and comedy special was "Sleight of Mouth" in 2015 on Comedy Central, is astounded by the success of "Magic for Humans."
"You don't realize the reach of a streaming platform like Netflix that goes around the world, where people don't have to wait for a specific time to see a show," he says. "Every day is like a premiere day when someone sees your show. You're in their living room, and you're making them smile _ entertaining them."
From 2009 to 2013, Willman hosted "Cupcake Wars" on Food Network and has seen his fan base grow as a result of "Magic for Humans."
"When I meet people on the road, they really feel like they know me," he says. "I didn't expect that."
And he says the show has evolved to become more personal. He has lowered the guard he had up during Season 1.
As much as Willman loves the series, he's eager to get back on the road to perform for fans in person, his favorite part of his career. The new tour dates are now scheduled to run August to November.
"Hopefully that sticks," he says. "We're all playing it day-by-day. But fans have been really understanding and eager to see it happen when it happens.
"I'm eager to get back out. The TV show is a passion, but the goal is to create new fans to entertain in packed theaters. I feel I'll come back better than ever with even more gusto."
