talkmagic.co.uk

From Broadcast Magazine:

Derren Brown is changing tack with his next series for Channel 4, fronting three ob docs in which he will meet people who claim to have psychic abilities.

In Objective Productions’ Derren Brown Meets… [working title], the illusionist will live for five days with people who believe in the paranormal, in an attempt to get under their skin. It will be filmed in the UK and the US.

“These are very authored documentaries in which Derren uses his background as a magician to get to know people who might or might not be a fake, but who have a strong belief in what they do,” said Objective Productions head of magic Anthony Owen.

The series is a departure for Brown, whose TV work has, to date, mixed set-piece stunts such as Russian Roulette and The Events, which finished last week, with magic-based series, such as Tricks Of The Mind.

“After a show on a big scale like The Events, it’s important to reinvent what Derren does and ask what’s the last thing the audience would expect him to do,” said Owen.

At least two of the three 60-minute films will be produced and directed by investigative film maker Heenan Bhatti, whose credits include Paul Merton In India, Gordon Ramsay’s Nightmares and God’s Waiting Room.

Derren Brown Meets… was commissioned by C4 entertainment head Andrew Newman and will TX in 2010.

Next month, Brown will front a one-off special for C4’s 3D week.

I dunno. I'm finding it increasingly easy to simply ignore Mr Brown.

I agree. At least David Blaine was amusing in a "what the hell is he up to now!" kind of way. Seems to me like Derren wants to be taken seriously. Always a mistake for a magician. I'd far rather he stood in a block of ice for 6 months or whatever.

AND ALSO... Derren Brown poo poos the paranormal. Who'd a guessed? Sheesh. Still barking up that tree?

There. I've said it.

I don't really understand what he's doing at the moment. Why do people feel they have to go away from what they're known and loved for and try stunts like this.

From Derren this almost seems hypocritical, it's not as if he's Mr Honest about the methods that he uses. It's a shame, I really love Derren for what he's done but this just sounds like over stepping the line.

I think it's a great idea personally. I thought the events recently were on the whole quite pants.

If these documentries follow the same tack as his Messiah special this'll be great. Anything that shows mediums for the hacks they are gets my vote

Indeed - love him for what he used to do, but recently? I didn't think the events were up to par...meh...

I'll go break out the trick of the mind dvd...hopefully this new series will be better than the events

I agree with you guys. Its all getting a bit boring now. I know that he claims to be sceptical and be nice and neutral about it, but we all know his views on such things and he comes over like Dawkin's pet. Dawkins himself being a bigot rather than a scientist.

I guess Derren doesnt want to be seen as a ' pyschological illusionist ' or ' mentalist ' anymore, which is all fine and its up to him.

I understand Daniel Madison has been signed to Objective Productions, so maybe they'll be leaving magic to him and keeping Derren in a box marked ' Break in case of proof of the supernatural '.

I just think that anything that involves people's beliefs needs to be done very carefully. It's not fair to debunk meniums and the paranormal just because it's something that he doesn't personally believe in. Doing that just makes him as narrow minded and blinkered as the people that he's claiming to debunk.

It doesn't matter what anyone thinks about these things or what they believe, other people's beliefs should be treated with respect.

This is amusing. So before you've seen the show you slag it off? Genius.

Maybe, and this is a guess, he makes more money from touring than TV. Maybe he doesn't want to do effects on telly, but knows that being on telly will make people go and see him live, thus getting him more cash.

Or maybe, he really really really hates people that pretend to have powers they do not and con the public out of money. Maybe, he has enough cash now to do a personal project and try and show these gullible people how stupid they are being?

Either way, he's better than you.

damian, I don't think that there's any need to be so confrontational. You can say things in a nicer way than that, let's not let this thread turn into another stupid argement.

Well said Lady of Mystery. Damian, everybody has an opinion. You come across as very arrogant and rude. Tone it down, perhaps.

Lady of Mystery wrote:damian, I don't think that there's any need to be so confrontational. You can say things in a nicer way than that, let's not let this thread turn into another stupid argement.

I don't have the time or inclination to sugar-coat my point as to not offend people, Ms Mystery.

If you feel my plain-talking is confrontational, feel free to block me.

http://www.phpbbhacks.com/category/28/

xxx

Lenoir wrote:Well said Lady of Mystery. Damian, everybody has an opinion. You come across as very arrogant and rude. Tone it down, perhaps.

And I would defend to the death your right to your opinion. I don't insult you on this, or any thread though. And here you are calling ME names?

Zounds, the irony.

Facts are:

1) the show is not on and people are slagging it off
2) he is better than you
3) You called me arrogant and rude
4) I am being chastised for plain talking

You guys amuse me.

Lady of Mystery wrote:I don't really understand what he's doing at the moment. Why do people feel they have to go away from what they're known and loved for and try stunts like this.

I think it's called "jumping the shark".

It might be interesting, but is exposure through "understanding" what motivates a psychic to believe what people really want from him? I'm sure I remember something where he said his next book was going to be on the same lines.

There's always an argument for exposing people who cynically prey on others in any walk of life (that's what "Rogue Traders" is for), but he of all people should know that you can't fundamentally change the public's minds away from what they already want to believe.

damianjennings wrote: he really really really hates people that pretend to have powers they do not

Derren Brown wrote:fuses the power of suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship to predict and control human behaviour

Go figure.

According to his blog, the experience of making the first two were real eye-openers for him. I know in the past he's tended to cry fraud about anyone capable in the psychic field, and although I doubt he's become a true believer, I suspect he has a better understanding of how sincere a lot of practitioners genuinely are.