Derren Brown’s Death Won’t Be Aired — If It Happens.Inside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

Derren Brown is Ready

Although the advertisements for Mr. Brown’s death defying effect say that it will be shown “Live,” Channel Four tells the Guardian that it cannot broadcast the show live. Under the regulations that govern such things in England, they must present the attempt with a sleight tape delay.

This weekend’s “live” program will be on a slight tape delay to allow the network to comply with British requirements that you can’t show some person, magician or not, kill himself. There is no such rule in the United States. In fact, Mr. Brown will not be permitted to use a real gun within the confines of the U.K. because they are not legal. Again, in the United States, he could use an Uzi if he wanted to. I don’t know if these differences are good or bad; maybe they are just different.

To overcome the limitation on the use or possession of handguns, Mr. Brown will perform the almost-live stunt from an undisclosed location. There is some concern – apparently –…

Derren Brown is Ready

To overcome the limitation on the use or possession of handguns, Mr. Brown will perform the almost-live stunt from an undisclosed location. There is some concern – apparently – that Mr. Brown might fail. The network has developed “an appropriate message” to tell viewers what happened as Mr. Brown gave the revolver one last pull of the trigger.

But Mr. Brown believes the precautions are unnecessary. “If I am not 100% sure, I will not pull the trigger. It would be humiliating but it would be preferable to the other consequences. It is a real gun with a real bullet and I am really putting it against my head.”

Authorities are concerned the stunt will cause copycat attempts that could end in death. Rick Naylor, vice president of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales, said the stunt sent out the “entirely the wrong message” and could “end up with some tragedies.”

Read the full article in the Guardian here. You can also read some interesting comments from those who will be viewing the show on a bulletin board in the U.K. by clicking here.