ABC to air encore of Siegfried & Roy special tonight

Siegfried & Roy are starring in their own network TV sequel. ABC is airing an encore episode of “Behind the Magic” on “20/20” at 9 p.m. Friday.

The show originally aired in September. The two-hour special served as an exhaustive chronicle of the duo’s lives and career even before arriving in Las Vegas. The episode was a ratings hit, as it recounted the night at The Mirage when Roy was nearly killed after being dragged off the stage by the big cat Mantecore.

“He actually flatlined … or died,” said Dr. Jay Coates, a trauma surgeon at University Medical Center who operated on Horn just after the incident. “We lost vital signs on him.”

Such Las Vegas Strip headliners as Lance Burton, Penn & Teller and Criss Angel are interviewed. Producer Kenneth Feld, Mirage founder Steve Wynn, and the duo’s longtime partner and personal coordinator, Lynette Chappell, also are featured.

Days after the show’s original airing, Siegfried said, “I am happy. I am in disbelief, beyond belief, after watching all of it.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.