Overview

He is googled on average 2,500 times a day. He dazzles the mind of the young and old. His name was the starting point of this website's name. He is Derren Brown. Born in Croydon, albeit becoming known as a "witch" by many today (including David Tennant), he studied Law and German at university; his being the University of Bristol. His passion for hypnotism and magic did start within the Bristol Campus however, when he attended a hypnosis show conducted by Martin Taylor - who is also the proud owner of http://www.hypnotism.co.uk - and from that moment, Derren was hooked. He walked out saying to one of his friends "I want to be a hypnotist", with his friend agreeing he wanted to be a hypnotist too. Derren corrected his friend in reply : "No, I really want to be a hypnotist".

True to his word, from then on, he studied relentlessly the skills of conjuror and hypnotists. Derren went on to perform hypnosis shows at the Bristol University, under the guise of his stage name (which sounds very much like a vampire's name; the desired effect or meaning of the name is unknown) Darren V. Brown. After leaving university, Brown started actively publicizing him to the world. It was not long for Channel 4 to realize Derren's potential, and he was offered a contract to a pilot show; Derren Brown : Mind Control. From there it spiralled...

Life Achievements

Derren's career has been so successful, his list of achievements are near-endless. A look on the Derren Brown Wiki page demonstrates this perfectly. I therefore will limit the list to only memorable or high public interest events, and Brown's activities.

Memorable Television Shows

• The Events

Derren's newest TV outings, a set of four one-hour specials, each with a different theme. The first of the Events - How to Win the Lottery - gained the most media attention (a detailed description of which can be found below) and started the series with its 'to win' theme. The following episodes: How To Control the Nation, How to Be a Psychic Spy and How to Beat A Casino followed 'to control', 'to fool', and 'to trick' themes. As of yet, three specials have been aired, with How To Beat A Casino to broadcast on Friday 2nd October. Personally, so far, I think 'Psychic Spy' has been the highlight of the series, with a fluid pace, completeness and just Derren's signature incredibility factor that (unfortunately) How To Win the Lottery and How to Control the Nation lacked.

• The Event Live: How to Predict The National Lottery

As part of The Events, Derren's newest set of specials, on Wednesday the 9th 2009 (shortened it reads: 09/09/09), Derren Brown predicted that nights draw live as the draw was being done. Each number - bar the bonus ball (which he didn't predict anyway) - matched Derren's prediction; his own set of 6 imitation lottery balls. This stunt supposedly took him over a year of preparation.

• Mind Control

His first ever full series, broadcast in 2000 by Channel 4. This series was an almagamation of his three pilot specials (these specials were Derren's first true TV presence) along with some new material.

• Seance

Derren claims this as the most complained about TV show, and it certainly did bring up quite a stir. Over 700 complaints were officially filed by members of the public. Seance was out to show just how much you can believe in supposedly paranormal activities, which have widely-available scientifically proven "normal" explanations.

• The System

The System, a Channel 4 special sparked interest through Derren's claims of a "foolproof and guarenteed" way of winning at the horses. In reality, the methods behind the continous wins of Khadisha were a matter of probability, strengthened to belief because of confirmation bias. Derren openly revealed that confirmation bias is behind many supernatural happenings; including alternative medicine.

Popular Online Videos

• Derren Brown: Subliminal Advertising

Derren turns the tables on advertising agencies. After a prelude about the subliminal messages, ads transmit, Derren asks two men who work in "Ad Development" to create an ad for a stuffed animals chain. Their end designs then very closely matched, a design Derren had dreamt up hours earlier. Personally, I think the end "reveal" of the effect was what brought in the mass of hits.
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• Derren Brown: Paying with Paper

The pure boldness of this stunt must have pulled in hits. Derren uses blank paper to buy fish, a hot-dog and a $4500 platinum ring. Oddly, the fishmonger and jeweller accepted the worthless paper as real; Derren leaving quite abruptly after with a cheeky smile on his face. The hotdog was not accepted in exchange for blank paper however. Derren quickly scarpered (paying the hotdog man) passing it off as a light-hearted joke. "I thought they accepted that here" is pure genius.
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• Derren Brown: Waking Dead (also known in the virals as "Zombie")

Brown describes what can be paraphrased as "safe fear". Wishing to investigate this further, Derren (along with a guy called Mick) made an arcade game called "Waking Dead". It takes a man who plays it into a catatonic trance. Derren transports this man to a real-life version of the game, leaving the man involved very shaken. Strangely amusing.
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• Derren Brown: Russian Scam

This is crazy. Derren literally walks up to someone, chats for a bit about Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and then the man hands over his phone, watch and housekeys, without hesitation or non-compliance. Then, after a few seconds or so, the man realizes what has happened and asks for his items back ... Derren just repeats the whole thing again! This video signifies why Derren Brown is so unique and fresh.
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Memorable Stage Shows

• Derren Brown: Something Wicked This Way Comes

The effects themselves are impressive, and routines vary considerably throughout. The conclusion involves Brown playing back a recording of the show that had been shot by a man called "Coops". Having just completed his final stunt he then picks bits from his show where he had dropped in suggestive remarks that go un-noticed first time round but, on this review, you hear Derren basically saying what is going to happen in the final stunt.

• Derren Brown Minder Reader: An Evening of Wonders

Derren's 2007/2008 show. Featuring more traditional roots of "magic entertainment", and charlatans. Full of audience participation and extremely well paced, it is Derren like you have never seen him before. The finale date revelation still sticks in my mind. Annoyingly, there wasn't anything revolutionary or particularly different in this show, unlike "Something Wicked". Alas, it was still very watchable with plenty of laughs along the way.

Quote

All of Brown's quotes are so funny and entertaining ... in context. You really need to hear Derren say them for them to appear funny, although "Have your cake and eat it... there's no other reason to have a cake" is definitely a rare exception.