News Broadcasting
CNN goes on a ‘Quest’ for magic
MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN has announced that its show Quest seeks out magic. The show’s host Richard Quest seeks to discover the truth behind the dark arts of illusion. The Las Vegas glitz and glamour of David Copperfield contrasts with the cauldrons of English witches as Quest prepares to emulate the magicians with a trick all of his own. The show airs on 23 December at 12:30 pm, 8:30 pm, 24 December at 12:30 pm.
Topping the bill is American magician and illusionist, David Copperfield. During the past decade, his shows have grossed over one billion dollars, and his television performances have won him 21 Emmy Awards. He has vanished the Statue of Liberty, walked through the Great Wall of China and levitated over the Grand Canyon. Constantly redefining the realms of possibility, he has become the best-known illusionist of our time. The program reveals that he also covets a more secret passion – preserving the history of magic for future generations. With a few surprises along the way, Quest gets a guided tour of the Copperfield private collection, containing 80,000 objects of magic memorabilia, some dating back to the 16th century.
From the grandest of stages, the program moves to the intimate surroundings of the dinner table, with Fay Presto. This British magician plies her trade on the London restaurant scene, entertaining customers between courses, and she shares her passion for close up magic with Quest, and gives him an insight into the trials and tribulations of the nomadic ‘magician-for-hire’.
Aside from entertainment, it’s worth pausing to remember that there is perhaps a darker, mythical origin to the modern art of magic. In the quaint Cornish village of St. Buryan in the UK, lives certified witch Cassandra Latham, who could be described as a throwback to the village ‘wise woman’. Working from her cottage, she receives all manner of visitors, who request everything from a love spell to an old school cure for warts. With Cassandra providing Quest with a glimpse at ancient rituals, who has to question whether real magic exists!
Next, the show’s host visits ‘Sin City’, Las Vegas, where there’s ample scope to uncover what motivates the master magician. On stage at the Monte Carlo Hotel, Lance Burton creates a world in which gloves turn to doves and girls levitate across the stage. From sleight-of-hand tricks to grand illusions, Burton does it all and has been the hottest act in Vegas for over ten years. He describes his deep connection to magicians of the past, his philosophy of performance and why some tricks are timeless.
In addition to meeting some of the biggest names in the business, Quest faces his own ordeal as he seeks out the ‘magic touch’. Not content just to stare in wonder, he takes to the stage at London’s Magic Circle, alongside some of Britain’s top magicians.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
