[danterner]

There's some discussion on this show here, but now that the episode has aired I thought I'd create a thread. I saw the first episode last night and really enjoyed it. I was hoping that more of the show would be like the final segment with the ad wizards, where Derren "shows his hand" and explains more of the set-up to us, the audience. As it stands, a lot of the mind control tricks just went unexplained, like the thing with the conductor.

Anyone care to guess how he was able to guess what the conductor was conducting? Here's my thought:

There were probably relatively few "conductable" pieces on his multi-page list (pieces that would likely appeal to the conductor). Then, he probably did something to make those few "conductable" pieces stand out on the list. Maybe they were slightly bolded, or slightly indented on the list, or spaced differently - whatever. Just something to subconsciously draw the eye to them. Say that narrows the list of possible choices to 3 that the conductor is likely to select between. Of those, two start slowly, one starts uptempo. The conductor starts an uptempo piece and so Derren is able to guess it correctly. With the slow pieces, he has a 50/50 shot, and actually guessed wrong but then re-guessed and got it right.

 

[lawilson2]

I also enjoyed the show. I saw him on YouTube play chess with 9 master level or higher people, and it was amazing. I wish they would have explained them as well like they did the last one. Simply amazing how the mind works with suggestion.

 

[supasta]

My SP didn't pick this one up for some reason. I had no idea it had aired. Off to check the ToDo and the SP...

 

[stalemate]

My SP didn't pick this one up for some reason. I had no idea it had aired. Off to check the ToDo and the SP...

It airs first on Sci-Fi and then later on USA. Maybe your SP is set up for USA.

 

[supasta]

It airs first on Sci-Fi and then later on USA. Maybe your SP is set up for USA.

Exactly what it was! Made the change to Sci-Fi.

 

[danterner]

Also showing on Bravo, I believe.

 

[FourFourSeven]

I was hoping that more of the show would be like the final segment with the ad wizards, where Derren "shows his hand" and explains more of the set-up to us, the audience.

The set-up shown to us was extremely unlikely the way he actually accomplished the trick. I've seen other magicians do the "I'll write something and put it in this envelope, you come up with something, then open the envelope and see that I match it" trick. No subliminal messages necessary.

That being said, he's clearly an accomplished magician (or mentalist, more accurately), and I'll continue to watch his show because I enjoy well-performed magic and he admits it's trickery, rather than pretending he has mystical powers like so many of the charlatans you see on television these days...

 

[MasterOfPuppets]

I watched the show, had a tough time getting into it.
Paid with blank paper...swiped some wallets and stuff. No real rhyme or reason to do it, just didn't pack much suspense for me.
I'll check it out again...hopefully the next episode gives me some incentive to be interested.

 

[mitchb2]

As it stands, a lot of the mind control tricks just went unexplained, like the thing with the conductor.

Derren Brown doesn't do tricks. His huge brain is an encyclopedia, plus he's able to employ methods of suggestion learned from the mentalism masters.