I don’t really recall Penn and Teller not being around. I don’t remember them getting famous, they were just famous. For what? I kinda don’t know – Vegas? I suppose each knows more about magic or illusions then most folks being passed off on tv and such. But what makes the pair an appropriate choice for heading up what amounts to an investigative tv show?

Is it Teller’s adherence to a craft moving from Buster Keaton to Jacques Tati and Harpo Marx? Probably not. But since he doesn’t speak, and Penn’s a reasonably intelligent guy, that should be enough.

The fact that Penn and Teller’s Bullshit has been on the air for eight seasons at this point and not made some sort of proper dent into popular culture is a shock. Granted, the show’s on Showtime. But so is Dexter. And Dexter has a rather high profile following even in its forth season. So is there a reason that Penn and Teller haven’t hit the big time?

Covering topics as disconnected as prostitution and bottled water doesn’t exactly ensure a regular fan base. One week’s episode might be completely engrossing to a viewer while the following week presents nothing other than an opportunity to flip to a different station.

Basically aping a documentary stance, which has obviously gained traction over the last decade or so, does lend the show a sort of cache that no longer resides in broadcast news’ coat pocket. Even taking such a stand point in the production of a weekly show still leaves the question, why should we trust these guys?

The entirety of the show is supposed to reveal different facets of a single argument. There’s always the pro vs. con thing going on which count government employees, think tankers and scholars. Any given show might find Penn siding with the grass roots people or the degree holding talking heads. That’s how broad the show is.

Pervading each episode, though, is the host’s obvious Libertarian ideals. Even without being aware of that pseudo-political party, it’d be easy to figure the host as a financial conservative, but socially, pretty liberal. It’s an odd confluence of beliefs, usually leading Penn to at least once a show tell viewers that better government is smaller government.

Regardless of whether or not one agrees with that standpoint, it should be met with appreciation. There aren’t really too many other shows – real shows, not Fox News Broadcasts – that work with an ideology and bare it out with facts (even if sometimes those facts are from scurrilous sources).