20 of the most relaxing reality TV shows to watch right now

7. Penn and Teller: Fool Us

It’s not easy to say that Penn Jillette is part of a “relaxing” program. He made his name as one half of Penn and Teller, the famed duo who has been performing magic tricks and stage acts together since the late 1970s. Since the mononymous Teller refuses to speak during the pair’s act, it makes sense that the quick talking chatterbox Penn Jillette is there to balance things out.

But, listen: Penn Jillette is not naturally a relaxing person, even when he is balanced out by the calm and collected (and utterly silent) Teller. He’s got a manic energy that extends past magic acts and into the worlds of inventing, political commentary, and acting. You sometimes get the sense that Penn goes home and literally bounces off the walls until he finally collapses into bed.

That’s partially what makes Penn and Teller: Fool Us a bit of a surprise. It’s got the ultra-energetic Penn, plus it’s set up in an inherently stressful competition format. The premise follows that aspiring magicians will perform their act in front of a live audience. Penn and Teller sit right in the middle of the front row — no pressure.

Once the trick is over, the host interviews the contestant. Meanwhile, Penn and Teller confer, oftentimes examining the props used in the act. If they think they’ve discovered the way in which the trick was performed, they’ll let the magician know.

But, here’s the turn: they let only the magician know. Regardless of whether or not Penn and Teller were fooled, the audience remains in the dark. This is one of the big rules when it comes to stage magic, as it’s considered seriously bad form to reveal the inner workings of a trick. So, even if a magician can’t quite fool Penn and Teller, they’re utterly nice about it.

If they do manage to trick Penn and Teller, they get a spot in the pair’s Vegas stage show, along with a shiny trophy.