#Penn & Teller: Fool Us: Season Nine; The CW Renews Magic Competition Series

(Photo: Jacob Kepler/The CW)

Abracadabra! The CW is making Penn & Teller: Fool Us return for the 2022-23 television season. The magic competition series will be back for its ninth year.

Penn & Teller: Fool Us is hosted by Alyson Hannigan and is judged by comedic illusionists Penn Jillette and Teller. In each episode, aspiring magicians are invited to perform their best trick to try and fool the world-famous team. Anyone who succeeds wins the right to perform with Penn and Teller in their celebrated show at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The live studio audience and the TV audience watch along with Penn & Teller as they try to figure out the secrets. The master magicians see the trick only once and have to immediately try to figure out how it was done. The live studio audience knows there are no camera tricks, secret edits, or helpful camera cuts — just real magic. Magicians in season eight include Jandro, Piff the Magic Dragon, Helen Coghlan, Paul Gertner, The Shocker, Magic Maxl, Jeki Yoo, Ben Seidman, Amanda Nepo, Shoot Ogawa, Ale Belotto & Guilia, and Mark Clearview.

The eighth season of Penn & Teller: Fool Us averages a 0.09 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 720,000  viewers. Compared to season seven (which was split between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons) that’s down by 35% in the demo and down by 12% in viewership in the live+same day ratings (including DVR playback through 3:00 AM). In the live+7 day delayed viewing ratings, the show gains about 23% more viewers.

Here’s a portion of Penn & Teller: Fool Us’ renewal announcement from The CW:

“Penn & Teller: Fool Us” Conjures Up a Brand New Season

Renewed for a ninth season, PENN & TELLER: FOOL US is a one-hour competition series celebrating magic and featuring the legendary duo Penn & Teller. On each episode, aspiring magicians are invited to perform their best trick to try and fool the world-famous team of Penn & Teller. Anyone who succeeds wins the right to perform with Penn & Teller in their celebrated show at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The remote studio audience and the TV audience watch along with Penn & Teller as they try to figure out the secrets. Penn & Teller see the trick only once and have to immediately try to work it out. The remote studio audience knows there are no camera tricks, secret edits or helpful camera cuts. This is all real magic.

Hosted by actress Alyson Hannigan (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “How I Met Your Mother”), PENN & TELLER: FOOL US is created and executive produced by Penn Jillette, Teller, Peter Adam Golden (“Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” “Penn & Teller: BS”), Andrew Golder (“Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” “Solitary”) and Lincoln Hiatt (“Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” “Solitary”), in association with 1/17 PRODUCTIONS and September Films (part of DCD Media).

The CW also renewed World’s Funniest Animals (season three) and Masters of Illusion (season 12) for 2022-23 today.

What do you think? Have you been watching Penn & Teller: Fool Us on The CW? Are you glad to hear that it will reappear for a ninth season for 2022-23?