Criss Angel is often cited as bringing magic back into the mainstream pop culture with his successful A&E series Mindfreak.  On October 24, Angel will team with fellow mentalist Uri Geller on NBC's Phenomenon to assess the skills of 10 performers, some mentalists and some claiming genuine psychic abilities, who have their hopes pointed at securing a piece of Angel's real estate on the pop culture landscape.  Audiences will votes to advance performers, but not before Angel and Geller have a chance to assess the would-be Houdinis.  Angel held a press conference today to share his feelings on participating in the show, and to give a preview of how he would be judging the contestants.

With the intention to bring forth a unique and mysterious live competition series, NBC has recently inked a deal with Criss Angel, illusionist famed for Criss Angel: Mindfreak, and Uri Geller, known for his claimed psychic powers, to team up for a new series called Phenomenon.

Inspired by an Israeli version judged and monitored by Uri Geller, Phenomenon is a reality series that features an intensive search for the next generation mentalist.  Each week, 10 hopeful mentalists must compete to demonstrate an extensive array of mystifying talents in front of weekly celebrity guests who participate along with a studio audience.  While Geller and Criss Angel assess and evaluate the participants, viewers at home will determine the winner.