Derren Brown Investigates 10th May CH4

[Mr. Jon Donnis]

Just saw an ad for Derren Browns new show where he meets people who claim to have proof of the paranormal.

Looks like the first episode is with Joe Power, and might just be sensationalism but looks like Derren rips s*it out of Joe

[Tetchy]

I have tickets to see Derren in Glasgow touring with his new show Enigma.
I cannot wait, I think it'll be the best thing i see all year (hopefully).

T

[fluffet]

This is exactly the kind of show I was hoping Derren would turn his hand to after his event shows of the last while.
Just him versus a range of different people with claims of an ability promises some real "don't miss" tv moments.From the clip it looks like he tackles them face to face with their claims and from the look of Joe Powers coupen in the excerpts it ain't gonna be pretty for the them.

3 shows ....Power, some american bloke ghost huntery type by the looks of the clip and who knows for the last ?

Can't wait to find out more

[fluffet]

derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/04/documentaries-10th-2/#more-11993

Here's Derrens blog on his ideas behind the series and his aims etc

There are three documentaries: one with a British psychic medium, another with a ghosthunter from the US, and a third concerns a Russian system of human development that claims to ‘cure’ blindness. Each has quite a different feel

I approached each of these situations with a balance: of a hope to be convinced, and an understanding of how easily we can be duped. It was a fascinating journey. One curious point is the way that scepticism is absolutely seen as the enemy by many of these practitioners. Possibly this is a point of confusion on their part: scepticism is only about reserving judgement until the evidence is weighed, as opposed to cynicism, which is blinkered by pre-supposing falsehood. One would like to think that paranormal practitioners would have faith in their evidence and would then welcome a ’sceptical’ approach. I think that most well-meaning practitioners, who genuinely believe that they have real evidence, do welcome such an approach. Many see some sort of intellectual rigour as an important component of discernment. Many welcome tests, others mock them (in the same way, I imagine, that many religious believers approach the question of God with a desire to understand intellectually the theological issues at hand, whereas others would find such things largely irrelevant to the question of living in their faith). Plenty of practitioners would call themselves ’sceptical’, for to profess no scepticism at all is to suggest that one will simply believe anything

As the spotlight falls on the importance of evidence, many people who mock believers imply that those who work with the ‘paranormal’ are not interested in the importance of evidence, as if it were something only the ‘rational’ side of the argument is capable of understanding. I think this is patronising and unfair. We all form our beliefs based on evidence and according to some private rationale: the question is more about the type of evidence being used. The ghost-hunter with whom I spent a week had a basement full of tens of thousands of spirit photographs and EVPs (audio recordings of ghosts). He knew what to look for to pick out a real one, or a fake, and knew when to reserve judgement. His life has centered around collecting evidence. Of course, someone else may put their hand up and say ‘But isn’t it all the same kind of evidence? Just a great collection?’ Here is an important difference between the way that a scientist and a believer classically approach evidence: the ‘true’ scientist tries to disprove what he believes, whereas the ‘true’ believer tends to look for evidence that confirms it. This allows us to be comfortable that the scientist’s conclusions are based on more solid ground.

[Tetchy]

Thanks for the clip Fluffet, at last C4 have something I can look forward too now Fr Ted is no more.

T
;D

[fluffet]

I miss Ted too Tetchy

[Mr. Jon Donnis]

Should be a good show

[Ma'amJo]

I hope I don't forget it's on - I always do that, look forward to something and then promptly miss it. It does look good.

[Amaris]

May 1, 2010 17:48:07 GMT Ma'amJo said:

I hope I don't forget it's on - I always do that, look forward to something and then promptly miss it. It does look good.

That sounds like me Jo!!

[Ma'amJo]

I'm glad it's not just me, Amaris!