To Claim or Not to Claim
Every now and then I have a conversation with someone who has seen a couple of my shows, but hasn’t read my books or writings, and believes I claim to do all sorts of things that I really don’t. As I had such a discussion last night, and as I’ve been talking about the importance of testing psychic claims that could be fraudulent, I thought I would clarify a few points regarding my own work for anyone in any doubt.
Firstly, regarding the ‘tricks’ as performed in the older shows:
1. I have never used stooges. People generally imagine I must do if they can find no other explanation. But I don’t: it would be artistically repugnant, totally unnecessary, impractical, and would spell career suicide.
2. My techniques are rooted in conjuring magic and hypnosis. All else is most likely misdirection and should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt.
3. I have never claimed to use NLP to achieve my ‘tricks’. On the contrary, I have written very critically about it in Tricks of the Mind. I reserve the same scepticism for subliminal messaging, as well as a lot of body-language reading and the like.
Now, I have largely moved on from performing those sorts of tricks. So, as regards the specials, such as The Experiments and others:
1. Again, the people used are never stooges or set up in any way. They generally apply through an open audition process, whereby we meet or interview them and look at various qualities they possess which would be useful (for example their jobs, beliefs, or how suggestible they are).
2. The contributors are always psychologically screened if they are going to go through a ‘tough’ experience. Without giving away what the show is, or giving them any clue that they will be used in it, we arrange for our preferred participants to have interviews with an independent psychologist who ensures that they will be ‘robust’ enough for the show. This is an important part of our duty of care, which we take very seriously throughout the entire process of making the programmes. And the ‘heroes’ of these specials always emerge exhilarated and delighted to have been part of it.
3. If I make a statement on these shows, it will be true. Nowadays, the Channel 4 lawyers check every word to make sure there is no misleading of the viewer: this is a huge issue in the TV industry at the moment. The joke in the office is that a magician can’t even say ‘this is a normal deck of cards’ on TV nowadays if it isn’t, and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.
I know that fans will know all this already, but it’s always worth repeating. Have lovely days and enjoy tonight’s show if you’re watching.
Dx
Exclusive Sneak Preview: Derren Brown – The Guilt Trip – 4th Nov
The Experiments – The Guilt Trip, airs Friday 4th November at 9pm on Channel 4.
Derren Discusses The Gameshow
If you head over to Channel 4′s website for the Experiments you will be able to see an exclusive interview in which Derren explains where the ideas behind the show came from.
Click the link below to view:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/derren-brown/articles/derren-brown-on-channel-4
Derren Brown – The Gameshow: Tonight at 9pm Ch4
Just a little reminder that the second episode in ‘The Experiments’ series airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.
Leave your thoughts on the show in the comments section below, or click here to watch a sneak preview 
Exclusive Sneak Preview: Derren Brown – The Gameshow
The Experiments – The Gameshow, airs Friday 28th October at 9pm on Channel 4.
Trailer: Derren Brown – The Gameshow – 28th Oct
The Experiments – The Gameshow, airs Friday 28th October at 9pm on Channel 4.
Sneak Preview of 4th Experiment – Derren Brown: The Secret of Luck
Here’s a little bit of info about the forth experiment of the series which will air on Friday Nov 11th. It comes from the press release:
Derren Brown returns to our screens with “The Experiments”, a brand new four part series for Channel 4. Each stand-alone episode asks and answers a single question regarding human behaviour, and features Derren’s inventive and jaw-dropping mixture of stunts, suggestion and thought-provoking entertainment.
In ‘The Secret of Luck’ the fourth and final show of the series, Derren investigates what makes some people lucky and others attract only misfortune. This episode takes the form of a documentary fronted by Dawn Porter who acts as Derren’s secret agent, and this time the subject of the experiment is an entire town. Together Dawn and Derren plant a rumour about the lucky powers of a local statue and watch as it changes the lives of the residents.
Remember to tune in this Friday for the second episode in the series, The Gameshow.
The Gameshow (Episode 2), airs Friday 28th October at 9pm on Channel 4.
The Guilt Trip (Episode 3), airs Friday 4th November at 9pm on Channel 4.
The Secret of Luck (Episode 4), airs Friday 11th November at 9pm on Channel 4.
Derren Discusses The Assassin
If you head over to Channel 4′s website for the Experiments you will be able to see an exclusive interview in which Derren explains where the ideas behind the show came from.
Click the link below to view:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/derren-brown/articles/derren-brown-on-channel-4
The Assassin: Tonight at 9pm Ch4
I have been asked by those who ask such things to remind you that tonight on C4, 9pm is the first episode of my new series, Derren Brown: The Experiments.
We kick off with ‘The Assassin’. Here are some teeny teaser clips of tonight’s show which you may or may not enjoy.
If you like a little comment, then do feel free to comment throughout and after the show here on this blog.
What larks. Please enjoy the show.
Sneak Preview of 3rd Experiment – Derren Brown: THE GUILT TRIP
Here’s a little bit of info regarding the third experiment of the series which will air on Friday Nov 4th. It comes from the press release:
Derren Brown returns to our screens with “The Experiments”, a brand new four part series for Channel 4. Each stand-alone episode asks and answers a single question regarding human behaviour, and features Derren’s inventive and jaw-dropping mixture of stunts, suggestion and thought-provoking entertainment.
In ‘The Guilt Trip‘, the third show in the series, an unwitting participant is placed at the centre of an elaborate, hidden-camera murder mystery – can Derren convince him to admit to a murder he didn’t commit?
Remember to tune in this Friday for the first episode in the series, The Assassin.
The Assassin (Episode 1), airs Friday 21st October at 9pm on Channel 4.
The Gameshow (Episode 2), airs Friday 28th October at 9pm on Channel 4.
The Guilt Trip (Episode 3), airs Friday 4th November at 9pm on Channel 4.
