That Old Black Magic (Goodies episode)
Encyclopedia
That Old Black Magic is an episode of the British
comedy
television series The Goodies
— a BAFTA
-nominated series for Best Light Entertainment Programme.
This episode is also known as "Black Magic" and as "Which Witch is Which?.
As always, the episode was written by members of The Goodies.
with them so that she can conjure up spirit
s of human
s instead of spirits of animal
s (which have been her only success). The Goodies think that she is a lunatic
— but they decide to hold the séance she has requested, and to play tricks on her. During the séance with Hazel, Graeme unexpectedly becomes possessed by an evil force.
Graeme starts a coven
, and Tim and Bill become worried about their public image, because Graeme is continuing to wear his "Goodies T-shirt
". Looking around the coven area, Tim and Bill notice a sign with the words "Virgins wanted". Later, wanting to stop Graeme, they arrive, pretending to be the sacrificial virgins
that Graeme has advertised for, and wearing long white dresses and long blonde wigs (Graeme complains about their appearance but decides to let them in anyway). Graeme, who has now changed his clothes, does some magic tricks and then, just as he is about to carry out the sacrifice
of the two "virgins", Hazel arrives and casts a spell over him, and the evil spirit leaves Graeme's body — only to be replaced by that of a spirit of a very lively and active Gibbon
, which Tim and Bill find difficult to capture.
When Graeme is eventually captured, Hazel is able to get the gibbon spirit to leave his body and he returns to normal. Then, tearing the pages from her book of spells, Hazel states that she will never use magic again, but her words are short-lived — Tim and Bill having also become unexpectedly possessed by spirits.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television series The Goodies
The Goodies (TV series)
The Goodies is a British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s. The series, which combines surreal sketches and situation comedy, was broadcast by BBC 2 from 1970 until 1980 — and was then broadcast by the ITV company LWT for a year, between 1981 to 1982.The show was...
— a BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
-nominated series for Best Light Entertainment Programme.
This episode is also known as "Black Magic" and as "Which Witch is Which?.
As always, the episode was written by members of The Goodies.
Plot
A witch named Hazel comes to the Goodies office, commenting that one of them has the power and that she wants to hold a séanceSéance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
with them so that she can conjure up spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
s of human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s instead of spirits of animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s (which have been her only success). The Goodies think that she is a lunatic
Lunatic
"Lunatic" is a commonly used term for a person who is mentally ill, dangerous, foolish, unpredictable; a condition once called lunacy. The word derives from lunaticus meaning "of the moon" or "moonstruck".-Lunar hypothesis:...
— but they decide to hold the séance she has requested, and to play tricks on her. During the séance with Hazel, Graeme unexpectedly becomes possessed by an evil force.
Graeme starts a coven
Coven
A coven or covan is a name used to describe a gathering of witches or in some cases vampires. Due to the word's association with witches, a gathering of Wiccans, followers of the witchcraft-based neopagan religion of Wicca, is also described as a coven....
, and Tim and Bill become worried about their public image, because Graeme is continuing to wear his "Goodies T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
". Looking around the coven area, Tim and Bill notice a sign with the words "Virgins wanted". Later, wanting to stop Graeme, they arrive, pretending to be the sacrificial virgins
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
that Graeme has advertised for, and wearing long white dresses and long blonde wigs (Graeme complains about their appearance but decides to let them in anyway). Graeme, who has now changed his clothes, does some magic tricks and then, just as he is about to carry out the sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
of the two "virgins", Hazel arrives and casts a spell over him, and the evil spirit leaves Graeme's body — only to be replaced by that of a spirit of a very lively and active Gibbon
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
, which Tim and Bill find difficult to capture.
When Graeme is eventually captured, Hazel is able to get the gibbon spirit to leave his body and he returns to normal. Then, tearing the pages from her book of spells, Hazel states that she will never use magic again, but her words are short-lived — Tim and Bill having also become unexpectedly possessed by spirits.
Spoofs and cultural references
- Black magicBlack magicBlack magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
- WitchcraftWitchcraftWitchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
- Witch-hazelWitch-hazelWitch-hazel is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America , and one each in Japan and China...
- Magician
- CovenCovenA coven or covan is a name used to describe a gathering of witches or in some cases vampires. Due to the word's association with witches, a gathering of Wiccans, followers of the witchcraft-based neopagan religion of Wicca, is also described as a coven....
- David FrostDavid Frost (broadcaster)Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE is a British journalist, comedian, writer, media personality and daytime TV game show host best known for his two decades as host of Through the Keyhole and serious interviews with various political figures, the most notable being Richard Nixon...