Derren Brown: Apocolypse

Not saying I think it was faked or not but watch the water bottles by his feet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIO7p-fzYe8

This has already been explained. The ambulance journey took a long time and the driver stopped several times along the way so they could check on Steven and ensure he wasn't freaking out too much. This footage was merged together, so when the bottles appeared to move it was because it was from a different pit stop - obviously they didn't have time to show everything in full as the events took place over a couple of days and they only had two 45 minute shows.
 
Having watched the second episode, there's no way that chap was an actor. Not a chance.

I've only watched it for half an hour and I'd say there's a very good chance he's an actor. Nothing he says or does feels realistic in any way.

He's done this before on past shows. A random phone booth ringing in the street. Someone goes and answers it (only certain types of people would do this rather than just walk past), get hit with babble that overloads their brain and they lose consciousness. At least that was his explanation. There could also be some form of chloroform type substance released by the phone that would knock him out.

You don't actually think they would drug people, do you?

No offence intended, but you sound like exactly the sort of person this show is aimed at. Gullible, and willing to explain away every criticism.

I also couldn't see any "hidden earpieces" in anyone's ears. This isn't 24, they'd be quite noticeable if they were there.
 
I've only watched it for half an hour and I'd say there's a very good chance he's an actor. Nothing he says or does feels realistic in any way.

No offence intended, but you sound like exactly the sort of person this show is aimed at. Gullible, and willing to explain away every criticism.

I also couldn't see any "hidden earpieces" in anyone's ears. This isn't 24, they'd be quite noticeable if they were there.

I'm one of the biggest cynics going.

If that bloke is an actor I look forward to seeing him in some future roles. He's pretty good - much better than all the other ones they used.

Although he can't do this now can he? How could he possibly appear in future roles after this? He's just signed off on his supposed career for the sake of this one show. Does that make sense to you?
 
Here's a hidden earpiece by the way:

294600676_791.jpg
 
Just watched the conclusion, utterly infuriating tripe. The protagonist is clearly hired by Derren because he appears more retarded and gullible than the viewers who think he's real.


  1. Honestly, a ****ing zombie apocalypse and no one thinks to arm themselves? That simply goes against human nature. Even mental retardation of the highest order cannot cancel out a survival instinct as such. Not once was it even mentioned or discussed.
  2. That "Paramedic" looked nothing like a paramedic. Far too "manly" if you get what I mean. I would have asked a few EMT related questions and easily ousted him.
  3. There were dozens and dozens of cameras and those black domes they use to cover them, any idiot would easily know they're being recorded.
Gosh I wish someone even slightly more "cleverer" was the subject of this "experiment". They could have easily ruined it for Derren. But that's the thing, that outcome would never happen because he was hired.
 
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What a load of rubbish, the fact he insists that he is not an actor makes it worse.

Btw the whole sleeping phone thing is nonsense, it's very dangerous having people who are standing up to collapse or faint as they may hit their head, so it can't ever be real.

When the whole premise of the show is that he is not in on it and he is, it takes a lot of it away.
 
Okaaaaay. Aside from the little details of explicit implicit cameras and men being too manly (what?), perhaps it's best if people were to actually think outside the box rather than what they saw on their TV screens. Let's look at how many conspirators there are.

We have Derren who will have undoubtedly told his friends and family after a few drinks. The fact that the lead was a actor is after all, the biggest part of the show.

We also have Derren's manager, publicist and PR firm who will have all colluded with him to release the propaganda where he states that Steven is not an actor.

We have the writers and producers who are of course all in on it as they write Steven's lines as well finding him and paying him. They will of course have told other people about their fantastic plan to fool the nation. TV producers aren't introverts without egos.

Then we have Equity, the actors union who will have been consulted for a contract with Steven. If they hadn't then the production would get into big trouble for having a lead actor in a prime time terrestrial show with no relation to Equity and the union would make sure that the producers and production company never get's an easy ride ever again. So, Equity needs to keep schtum.

We of course have Steven who will have friends, family and randomers (old school mates, friends-of-friends) on Facebook will have all seen him on telly. None of them will sell their story to the tabloids as apparently everyone is great a keeping a secret that they haven't even been told to keep. It nearly goes without saying the Steven will never get work as an actor again (nor had he before).

Then we've got the actors who played the other characters in the post-apocalypse world. They will of course have mingled with each other between takes and most likely will have met Steven at the rehearsals.

We then have the actors who played his family. They are all unknowns who have suddenly been spotted on TV by their connections which will total into the hundreds. And the actors who played his friends at the beginning AND the actors who were at his birthday party at the end.

We have the premises owner of the house where the fake family lived. But of course that would have been one of the actors' house or someone from the production. That way we tie just one of the loose ends in our big conspiracy.

Then we've got the crew. Camera, lighting, sound, art department, extras, catering, make-up and costume will have all known. They're would have been "takes" rather than a continuous roll and they will of course had seen Steven take direction from the director. All these people will go to continue working in the industry, probably telling their friends and family too about this amazing secret that they were a part of. Of course, none of these people will be selling their story. The stunt team would have been there for when Steven fell on the concrete to make sure he falls in a safe manner. We mustn't forget the post production team of loggers (watching all footage and noting down occurances), assistant editors, the editor and the sound mixing team. Let's hope they all keep quiet.

The medical advisor and psychiatrists were also in on it and presumably were just sitting there drinking tea as they are actually not needed. Of course if the truth were to come out, the psychiatrists will probably be hounded out of their jobs for going along with one big lie.

And then we get to Channel 4, the commissioners. They would have known that it's all a lie and yet went along with it knowing full well that someone (above) will eventually spill the beans and they will get a horrendous fine from Ofcom. You've also got the C4 legal team who would have been all over the show like a rash (being a terrestrial channel) but still would continue to allow the audience to be lied to. A big risk as the private entities that fund Channel 4 wouldn't be best pleased if they found it they were making television to deceive.

Then you've even got members on here! There are probably a handful who work in television who will no-doubt mix with people involved in the production (it can be a small industry) and will hear the truth. I look forward to when they leak it here, exclusively let's hope!


CIA agent identities have been leaked. Details of criminal involvement from the President of United States has been leaked. Countless confidential papers from British MPs have been leaked. Pictures from Scarlett Johansson's personal mobile phone have been leaked. These are all people that take their privacy very seriously (the CIA perhaps more so than Johansson), yet they sill suffer from spillages. So one would think that it is certain than someone of the many hundreds who can be associated with a TV show will break their silence.

Yes, secrets and conspiracy theories are juicy and fun and there are plenty of secrets that will forever be kept. But they are by specific organisations who use specific laws and techniques to keep information away from other people. They are not by the "people related to a Channel 4 entertainment show." But, if you still have faith in the ability for any number of people to keep a secret then just be on the lookout for the next time someone says to you "I shouldn't be telling you this but..."
 
It's hardly conspiracy theory, quite the opposite in fact. The logical minds look at this and think it's all quite unbelievable. Being able to make people drop to the floor asleep with some hoodoo voodoo over the phone is quite too ridiculous to believe. It's all very illogical and no one seems able to explain it. I wonder if these believers think God is real too, that's illogical stuff, but "the man on the telly says it's true so it must be".

I get the feeling you don't understand what "logic" really means.

It seems you are using it as synonym for "things I think are right".

As for this show, I can't decide on it. I think if it's real, then they chose "Steve" simply because they thought that he's enough of a moron to fall for it and go through the whole process.

He picks people who are susceptible to that sort of thing, so most if not all of the people who are convinced that it would have worked on them, well you're right, that's why Steve would have been chosen.

I don't believe people can be put to sleep as depicted, interestingly, neither does Derren it seems. It seems he believes that it "works" as much as the power of suggestion, and that the people who believe it are susceptible to falling for it.

To all the people going keyboard warriors in this thread, I'd like to think I'd be exactly the same (pull the nearest heavy pipe off the wall and start bashing heads with it) but it's not something you can make a call on definitely without having experienced such a situation.
 
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only derren and the person that hired him would need to know...

ever heard of an actor that improvises ? why would everyone need to know? all sorts of crap happens on tv sets and you dont hear anything about it...

theres a few "runners" on these forums and im sure they know all kinds of stuff they never bothered to tell anyone.
 
only derren and the person that hired him would need to know...

ever heard of an actor that improvises ? why would everyone need to know? all sorts of crap happens on tv sets and you dont hear anything about it...

theres a few "runners" on these forums and im sure they know all kinds of stuff they never bothered to tell anyone.

So only Derren and this "person" who you probably mean the producer, would know?

So do Steven's family not know that they are actors? What about Steven's friends who were actors? Were they fooled too? The Channel 4 lawyers? They were fooled too? Surely they know Derren Brown is a showman so they'd like to know whether or not the lead is an actor? Steven's "real" family and "real" friends? They were fooled too? They still think he was an unwilling participant? They fooled the editors and the loggers who saw all footage, unedited?

It seems Derren and his producer has fooled everyone along the chain from conception all the way to broadcast. Except the internet. He managed to convince actors that they weren't acting. He got past the big wigs and their lawyers at Channel 4, but they just didn't quite manage it when it comes to the keyboard dissection of the internets.

Come on, arknor. How can Steven sleep at night? Knowing that 1) He's told a massive lie and 2) He's a terrible actor?
 
Okaaaaay...

Incredibly well said, this conspiracy theory nonsense is ridiculous.

For the people latching onto Derren hypnotising Steven over the phone, is that really so much less believable than someone being hypnotised in person? Here's the relevant part from his blog which you apparently missed the first time:

Derren Brown's blog said:
CAN YOU REALLY HYPNOTISE SOMEONE THAT QUICKLY AS YOU DID ON THE BUS?

Not completely from scratch, no. It does look impossibly quick. However, as we explained in the programme, one of the reasons we chose him because he was highly responsive to suggestion, which allows me to get him used (during the audition process) to the suggestion of going to sleep on command. You see him zonked out at the start of episode one, in the auditions. Once that’s in-built, it’s easy enough to trigger off again, weeks or even months in the future. His hyper-alert and confused state following the meteor attack, plus the total out-of-context surprise of my voice and person being suddenly present, really help too. There was no way we could start and finish the stunt without putting him to sleep on those occasions, so it was necessary to get him conditioned to this early on.
 
You assume hypnotism is real. Many people don't believe in it, which is where your defense fails.
 
This took about 3 seconds to find:

http://www.fullhypnosis.com/2010/03/proof-that-hypnosis-works.html

In 2003 the Harvard Medical School experimented with the effects hypnosis has on the speed of healing broken bones. The study took twelve people with broken ankles and used regular treatment on half of them, and hypnosis alongside the regular treatment for the other half.

The results were remarkable as those who had underwent hypnosis had healed as much in six weeks as those who did not had is eight and a half weeks. The proof hypnosis works here is self evident. Just by adding hypnosis into their rehabilitation people with broken bones healed over twenty five percent faster than those who merely used the regular treatment.

This study can be seen to be of particular importance to athletes who wish to speed up the recovery process so they can go back to training and competing.

Cromie, W.J. (2003) Hypnosis Helps Healing. Harvard University Gazette, May 8th 2003.

In 2009 at Hull University researchers found that hypnosis had a noticeable effect on brain activity when scanned. This shows that hypnosis is not merely a placebo treatment as some skeptics claim it to be.

Dr. Michael Heap, a psychologist involved in the study, concluded that hypnosis primes the mind for suggestion. Not only has this study shown proof that hypnosis works it has also adequately explained how it works.

Once the mind is primed to suggestion a hypnotist can then help their client achieve their goals. I have only touched upon three of the different studies into hypnosis but they have been many more. There is proof that hypnosis works for weight loss, IBS relief, skin problems, increased fertility and much more.

I think it's far more likely that Derren trawled through hundreds of applicants to hand-pick someone that this would work on as opposed to convincing hundreds of people to keep a secret, risking Channel 4's reputation etc.
 
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Okaaaaay. Aside from the little details of explicit implicit cameras and men being too manly (what?), perhaps it's best if people were to actually think outside the box rather than what they saw on their TV screens. Let's look at how many conspirators there are.

Good post. Don't expect the conspiracy nutcases to take any notice though.
 
I find this thread incredibly amusing. The number of people who are vehemently opposed to this show with no more evidence than their own conceited arrogance and certainty.

I know many of Browns stunts are annoying, and he says himself his work uses magic, misdirection and showmanship, but to have actually narked off a bunch of faceless internet guys who can do no more than keyboard warrior rage, lol. Just lol.
 
I find this thread incredibly amusing. The number of people who are vehemently opposed to this show with no more evidence than their own conceited arrogance and certainty.

I concur, the number of people claiming the show to be completely true with no evidence other than that the creator telling them so is astounding. ;)
 
I concur, the number of people claiming the show to be completely true with no evidence other than that the creator telling them so is astounding. ;)

Apply Occam's razor. Do you really believe a conspiracy involving hundreds of people and risking Channel 4's reputation is the most likely explanation? Did America fake the moon landings too?
 
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