Earlier in his life, stage magician Tony Blake had spent time in prison for a crime he had not committed. Prison had been a particularly distasteful experience for a man of his background, and had left him with a strong sense of concern for personal freedom and individual rights. Once he got out, he put his talents as an illusionist and escape artist to use helping people in danger and preventing crimes. Syndicated columnist and novelist Max Pomeroy was a close friend of Tony's and was often responsible for bringing him cases. Max's paraplegic son, Dennis, although confined to a wheelchair, also became involved in the cases, as did Jerry Wallace, the pilot of Tony's private airliner, The Spirit.

Mid-season Tony took up residence at Hollywood's famous Magic Castle, where many of the most renowned magicians in the world preformed, and some of them were seen on this show. The magic acts preformed by Blake were also genuine: Bill Bixby was an amateur magician.

from 1978 to 1982 Bill Bixby had another sucessful TV Series called "The Incredible Hulk" also starring body builder Lou Ferrigno