Derren Brown Live: Hero at 30,000 feet, C4 10pm

I love Derren Brown. Even though damn near everything he does is faked in some way, for the most part the execution and style of his tricks have made for fascinating and often gripping TV. But this was just a complete load of old arse, it didn't even seem to be making any serious attempt to fool the viewer, it was just obviously filled with the crappiest of actors. It was just Derren Brown going through the motions in the most laboured of manners, probably the poorest show of his I've seen.
 
That's what people said about The Events, some overreaching arc to give it a point. Never happened.

The bit at the end *was* the trick, to make the audience believe that something similar could happen to them in the next 30 days. It's planting that seed of possibility that makes some people want to buy into what was shown being real.

If he did repeat the same thing for the next show, who would believe it anyway after such an obvious work of fiction last night?
 
I am not too sure about the "hidden cameras" I am sure you can get HD quality cameras that can be hidden and if this wasn't the case wouldn't they just use hidden cameras and tell viewers the picture isn't as good for that reason? or was it one big oversight buy the makers?

I would like to know the following:

- When did he get his mobile phone back after the petrol station robbery, or did he magically get a new one? If it got given it back was he told why it was taken? Seemed odd to me

- Which insurance company did he work for, maybe someone could ask DB that cos then we can call to confirm he works there instead of being the actor most of us think he is

- Why did they make out like the final but would be live when i was only the link bit that was. I thought it was interesting they went to the trouble of Davina "throwing" to him to accentuate it was live but was this just a pre record and Davina knew what to say?

- The train line, what track was that? It must be one of the few with no third live rail?

- I think DB should do the decent thing and admit the Casino one was poor TV and so obviously a set and then go back to his original stuff we loved.

PJ
 
The slightly disengenuos piece in the first question is the inference that Matt didn't know the process he's going through. As Matt is a long time fan and goes to Derrens stage shows and leaves messages on his blog saying "Pick Me!" thats pretty much an outright lie by Derren.

Its also an inherent weakness in last nights show in that, similar to the criticism levelled at later Big Brother shows, I think exposure to previous shows has taught Matt how he ought to behave, and this level of self consciousness in his participation ruined the show.

And thats nobodies fault but Derren and his production staff, they should have looked at some of the first takes and politely said "no thanks" and got somebody a bit fresher.

Matt is not an ordinary man of the street, he is an avid Derren Brown fan--thats a heck of a difference. Especially if you want somebody to collapse like a ton of bricks when you touch their forehead.

For me an audition process is as good as somebody being a stooge.
 
people had the same brain 100 or 1000 years ago,
also I've been hypnotized a lot and you haven't.
I don't want this to get acrimonious but I know how important it is for sme people to have the last word, you can have it if you like.
 
Nothing, I just think that getting people to act irresponsibly is a crap way of empowering them.

(I know that none of the situations were actually real but I think my point still stanRAB.)
 
No Im not. But then again I arent revealing the hows and whys either. No plants.


You know what point I was making no need to make a huge post of it. I state tthe following having seen every stage tour of Derren browns and having knowledge of magic techniques for 25 years: there are no actors,or stooges in the audience.



1. No idea if this is referring to a post I made but I know nothing of hypnotism and 2. No he hasnt.
 
Same here!

I really thought there would be some point at the end, or a twist... or something. But this was just ridiculous, I absolutely do not buy the "let's just hypnotise him a sec while we pop him in a simulator" rubbish.

The posts on this thread had me in stitches, but I'm also sad that Derren has done something so lame.
 
Very suspicious. All the time the programme was being shown, posters were saying how fake it was and pointing out all the flaws. Then by 11.15 it's all amazing, heart warming, great etc. Perhaps Derren uses actors to post about the programme as well as appear in it!
 
DEFINITELY no conversation. He looks at the writing on the front of the envelope, deduces it's by a young kid who is probably trying to impress his mates and it probably says something rude about him in it, he throws it into the crowd as he talks about 'the kind of person' who might write such a thing (in a jokingly derogatory way) and then moves on. Absolutely no audience interaction other than getting an audience member to read out what's on the card.

It's is a little bit of a planted joke that he does every night, but it's only a bit of fun.
 
Unfortunately this isn't inventive its lazy.

He's getting some guy to undertake various role plays then dressing them up with psychological BS.

The van driver bit was an obvious role play with Matt recounting various blurbs already given to him. Wonder how many takes that took.

You can get just as motivated on a decent outward bound course.
 
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