There's a bit of a controversy about Derren Brown's latest programme, Apocalypse, in which Derren convinces an unsuspecting member of the public that the earth has been hit by a massive meteor and overrun by zombies. The problem is, the 'victim' has been identified as someone with a background in acting, leading to accusations that the whole thing may be fake. The rumours are swirling around Twitter, and the Daily Mail has also picked up the story.
I haven't seen the programme - planned to watch it this evening - but one thought did occur to me: maybe the guy is an actor, and that is the whole point. Perhaps the joke is on us, the audience, and is a reminder about not believing everything we see on television? Or maybe not.
I'll update this post when I've seen the episode, but in the meantime if you have any thoughts on the matter do share them in the comments!
Updated to add: I've now seen the first episode, and yes, I can see why some people are dubious about it. Not only for the reason mentioned above, but some other things don't make sense. For example: when Steve wakes up after apparently being unconscious for two weeks, at no point does he seem to wonder why his hair and beard* haven't grown. Also, why, despite a long period without food or water, he isn't the tiniest bit dehydrated. Those things would occur to me, maybe I'm odd. And finally: is it really possible to hypnotise someone into such a deep trance that they can walk some distance, get undressed, and put on a pair of pyjamas without knowing they're doing it? Hmm.
* OK, I wouldn't wonder about the beard bit, I've never got the hang of beard growth.
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