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How Johnny Carson Used ‘The Tonight Show’ to Expose a Self-Proclaimed Psychic

Carson consulted James Randi and used show-provided props, leaving Geller unable to perform his usual feats.

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On August 1, 1973, Johnny Carson welcomed Uri Geller—an illusionist claiming to have both psychic and psychokinetic powers—onto The Tonight Show. Up until that point, Geller’s big claim to fame was demonstrating his so-called “ability” to bend spoons with his mind. Carson, having been an amateur magician in his early years, suspected Geller was a phony and decided to test out his theory in front of a live audience. But what Carson didn’t tell Geller beforehand was that this appearance was only intended to expose Geller’s lies to the masses.

You see, prior to the show, Carson safeguarded all the props Geller would be using with the help of former magician and scientific skeptic James Randi........

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