Many years ago I saw an episode of the Paul Daniels Magic Show.
He did a variation of Follow the Leader. My memory of this are a little vague but I remember he had two boxes and I think he used spools of red and white thread.
He would change the color TAB on the front of the boxes and then the spools would follow. It was a brilliant effect.
My questions are: Does anybody know what episode this was on? And was this a commercial effect? If so, who designed it and is it ever available?
(My gut instinct is Ali Bongo had something to do with it.)

Go to 4:33 on this clip.

https://youtu.be/IjAWizu9Tyk?si=2Nvyqpf1OXtJzV49

I only have wild guesses!

It's easy to forget how technically excellent Paul Daniel's was. This routine is well executed sleight of hand, great routining and a little help from a couple of somethings (I assume).

I feel this trick is somewhere in Eric Lewis' book trilogy.
I just found it in Lewis' book 2: A continuation of Miracles, starting on page 175, called :" Rotund follow the Leader" using ping pong balls.

Isn't that the Cafe at its best? Fantastic.
That is a book with which I am not familiar.

Chris, Check your Facebook Messenger chats.... I think you'll find something.....

By the way, there are three books in the Eric Lewis Trilogy: A choice of Miracles, A continuation of Miracles, and The Crowning Miracles. All published (and seemingly out of print) by Mike Caveney. Well worth looking for! My highest recommendation... about 670 pages in total!

This routine is probably a bit like "Oil and water" - of more interest to magicians than lay people. What a masterclass though in excellent routining, timing, mild misdirection and natural sleight of hand. There are no other principles involved (took me a while!)....brilliant.

Paul did a variation of this for Joel Machingter and myself in his hotel room using red and white smaller blocks. It was an old Loyd effect.