no TopFlix. Mystery Magical Special is an American television special aired on Nickelodeon. Advertised as a Halloween-themed program, the special was originally produced in 1986, but continued air, often multiple times, every October for several years afterward. Primarily, the special was designed to show off the talents of stage magicians Lance Burton and Tina Lenert, as well as capitalise on Marc Summers' then-newfound fame as the host of the game show Double Dare. Shiri Appleby and Jonathan Brandis and Trenton Teigen also appear, and John Astin makes a cameo appearance.