TVSquad

Penn Jillette has always been outspoken. He and his silent partner in magic, Teller, have more than three decades showing audiences the secrets behind their most spectacular tricks. And on Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, which is about to enter its sixth season on Showtime, the pair debunk commonly-held beliefs about everything from the Bible and people who claim to speak to the dead to gun control and what the 9/11 conspiracy movement.

But those two platforms aren't enough for Penn. Up until recently, he hosted a syndicated talk radio show, which he gave up in part to concentrate on his stint on Dancing with the Stars this season. But he hasn't stayed silent; in January, Jillette started posting a series of short videos called Penn Says, which can be seen on the C Spot portion of Crackle, a Sony Entertainment website that has a number of exclusive video series. In these shorts, Penn turns on the camera and speaks extemporaneously about a topic that comes to mind, from Thomas Jefferson to the shelf life of calling Hillary Clinton a "bitch."

I spoke to Penn about Penn Says, the Hillary joke, Bullshit! and what he got out of being on Dancing with the Stars. The interview is after the jump.

One of my favorite forgotten television specials was Steven Banks: Home Entertainment Center, which aired on Showtime in the late 80s. The special took place in Banks' apartment as he continuously distracts himself with toys, cookies and musical instruments rather than writing a report for his boss. Banks is now a writer for SpongeBob SquarePants and sometimes performs as Billy the Mime. What I didn't know until recently is that Banks also had a short-lived series on PBS titled The Steven Banks Show. How that managed to slip by me, I'll never know, but I did find a great clip from the show featuring Penn and Teller performing a song with Banks called "Clothes of the Dead," a rockin' tribute to thrift stores. Check it out after the jump and thrill at the unconventional keyboard stylings of Teller. Enjoy:

Penn and Teller: Bullsh*t! is one of my favorite shows on right now, despite the fact I never watch it. You see, I don't have Showtime, so I have to catch it on DVD, or whenever I happen to be visiting my parents. For the third season, the skeptical duo takes on such issues as circumcision, family values, college, gun control, and all sorts of things guaranteed to make you think, make you angry, or possibly do neither of those things. I assume, though, that you will have some kind of mild emotional reaction. The set was originally supposed to come out this month, but obviously that has changed. Also, there's no word on bonus material, but I'll keep you posted on such developments.

Once while watching a movie with a friend of mine, one he had already seen, he turned to me halfway through and said, "I'm not going to tell you what happens in the movie, but just know that nothing is what it seems right now." I wanted to explain to him that saying that was just as bad as revealing the ending to me. Now, no matter what happens in the movie, I'm not going to be surprised because I now expect everything. I think this is why magicians, even the really great ones, never really impress me. I know it's going to be a big set up, and then, ta-da, some great reveal. Lather, rinse, repeat.

That's why I've always had a fondness for Penn and Teller, who know it's not enough to just do tricks, but to really make the audience squirm while doing so. Oh yeah, and later this month they'll be guest programmers on TCM. On May 22 the duo will join Robert Osbourne to introduce and talk about four of their favorite films, one of which, Tod Browning's Freaks, happens to be one of my favorite movies, as well. The four-movie marathon will begin in May 22 at 8 p.m. with the Marx Brother's At the Circus. The marathon will also include F for Fake and The Sunshine Boys.

While many of the networks will undoubtedly keep a lot of crap on the air for another two seasons, this is actually good news. Showtime just picked up seasons four and five of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! The program is along the same lines as their live show, except, instead of debunking magic tricks, they debunk all sorts of things like magnet therapy, reflexology, Feng Shui, Ouija boards, baby myths, and chiropractors (don't shoot the messenger!). Season four of the show starts April 3 on Showtime. New episodes include examining the death penalty, prostitution and virginity.

Have you ever wondered what Teller (of Penn and Teller, of course) sounds like? He's the silent one and doesn't usually speak that often. I heard him a few years ago, and now you can catch audio of him on NPR reviewing The Glorious Deception, a book about magician Chung Lee Soo, written by Jim Steinmeyer.

[via TV Barn]