Derren Brown to front ‘social experiment disguised as reality show’
Derren Brown: Incognito is described as a ‘mischievous psychological experiment’ and will feature 10 strangers who have to spend a week together.
Illusionist Derren Brown has described his latest TV series – a social experiment disguised as a reality show – as a “beautiful and extraordinary thing to make”.
The Channel 4 show will feature 10 strangers from “wildly different backgrounds” who move in together in a “mysterious institution” for a week.
Producers said that each of the contestants have the type of identity which leads people to make instant judgments about them and need to keep secret.
They offered examples which included a soldier, spy, priest and porn star.
Each of the strangers think they have one aim – to learn the identity of the other players whilst keeping their own hidden.
The six-part series will allow viewers to observe a “mischievous psychological experiment designed to explore how our identities shape who we are, how we act, and how our prejudices can sometimes blind us from the obvious”.
Brown, 54, was inspired to become an illusionist while at university, and became a household name in the early 2000s with a string of stage and TV shows, such as Mind Control, Trick Of The Mind, and Derren Brown Investigates.
Brown said: “This has been a fascinating new venture. With my previous shows I’ve normally had a clear idea of how things will conclude, this was very different.
“It’s a show about how we form opinions, live by our labels, judge others by them. And what happens when all that’s removed. It was a beautiful and extraordinary thing to make.”
Derren Brown: Incognito will see the contestants take part in games, while viewers can expect plenty of twists.
Channel 4’s head of live events, Tom Beck, said: “Any Derren Brown show is an event, but Incognito is unlike anything he has done before.
“A social experiment disguised as a reality show, it’s ambitious, mischievous, challenging and, with its central question about how our personal prejudices affect the way we judge others, it couldn’t be more timely.
“The end results are fascinating, moving and wildly entertaining and I can’t wait for people to see it.”
