Derren Brown: TV Specials
Derren Brown - Inside Your Mind contains material from the three Mind Control specials and first TV series.
DERREN BROWN: Mind Control 1 broadcast 27 December, 2000
- DB introduces the programme as not containing "magic tricks", but "mind control" and goes on to expose a simple card trick in which the viewer chooses one of five cards, DB removes one, and it is revealed that the chosen card has disappeared (the final four he shows are completely different to the original five so all of them disappeared)
- in a Young Offenders' Institution DB reads the mind of one of the boys who has chosen a word, and reveals it having written it on a pad before the boy tells him
- DB uses another volunteer and controls the movements of the volunteer's hand by moving his own hand up and down; DB then gets a second volunteer to control the first subject's hand in the same manner
- DB explains synchronicity between twins and demonstrates it with a pair of twins each moving their arms and legs independently at the same time although they cannot see each other. With another pair of twins he touches one and the other feels his touch.
- DB visits a London Boxing Gym and picks a boxer as a volunteer; the boxer is shown easily able to lift a girl, however when DB says "now" the boxer is unable to lift the girl. He then repeats this with another boxer, but his third volunteer is still able to lift the girl and DB abandons this final attempt in good humour.
- return to the synchronicity trials where DB gets one of a third pair of twins to choose and write a number between 1 and 1000, the other twin then writes the number on a pad (DB refers to this as automatic writing in the stage show and Seance)
- return to the Boxing Gym and this time DB is successful in stopping the third boxer lift the girl
- DB sends volunteers on "horror trips" by making them confront their fears and then making them real in their minds
- DB plays with three poker players and identifies the cards two of them have chosen at random from a deck of cards, he then gets the first player to identify the third player's card correctly; during the first two he offers an explanation of his methods
- DB divining qualities looked for in a man by two models, and a winning chat up line for a third
- a psychology student at Royal Holloway incorrectly choosing which of two envelopes DB has placed a £5 note, then a £10 note, and then a £20 note. The student then puts the £20 in one of three envelopes and mixes them up out of DB's sight while keeping track of the money: he then asks "Is it in this one?" for each envelope, and she has to answer "Yes" each time. DB finds the money. DB then puts £50 and the rest of the money in one of two envelopes, and the student picks the wrong envelope and leaves empty-handed.
- DB correctly mind reading the memories of two subjects in detail
- a psychology student at Royal Holloway incorrectly choosing which of two books DB has placed £50 underneath four times in a row
- another volunteer is taken on their "horror trip" by facing their fears
- DB playing three hands of poker with one player for £20 a hand using just ten cards (minimum required for one hand each) and wins each hand, despite the other player having chosen the cards in each game; for the final game the player chooses the cards as they are shown face up, and still loses to DB
- without revealing their choice a stockbroker selects one of five envelopes, DB divines the choice and places a cheque for £10,000 in the envelope he believes the subject has chosen. The subject then gets to open and keep the contents of the other four envelopes meaning DB has gambled the money on his ability to read the stockbroker's mind correctly with an 80% chance of losing
- a spectator is chosen at random to identify the caricatured subject of one of DB's paintings; DB tells the spectator to change their mind several times until DB stops him and the spectator names Orson Welles. The picture is revealed to be of Orson Welles.
