Hypnosis is regulated by law in the UK:
“...the performance shall be so conducted as not to be likely to cause harm, anxiety or distress to any person in the audience or any hypnotised subject"
https://www.horsham.gov.uk/licensin...ion-demonstration-or-performance-of-hypnotism
Seems to rule out 'Apocalypse'...?
This post is excellent an din particular the final paragraph which I have highlighted in bold:
"Written by Donald Robertson
on 27/10/2012 at 7:08 pm
Permalink
"Perhaps I can add something. I’ve been involved in teaching and using hypnosis from an evidence-based perspective for nearly 20 years. First of all, that’s just not how hypnosis works or how a normal hypnotic subject would typically respond. However, with regard to shows like this in general… It is a criminal offence to hypnotise someone for entertainment purposes without having a licence under the Stage Hypnotism Act 1952. The Home Office Guidelines for issuing licences stipulate that the participant must give their informed consent (which would defeat the whole purpose of Apocalypse) and that “the performance shall be so conducted as not to be likely to cause harm, anxiety or distress to any person in the audience or any hypnotised subject” (again, that is breached by the whole concept of the show). So as far as I can see, there’s no way a licence could be issued for genuine hypnotism to be used in this way in the show, and under those circumstances the television channel would presumably not clear it for broadcast, as they have their own regulations in relation to the laws, etc., that govern performances of this type.
It’s long been common for stage hypnotists and similar performers to employ stooges. The first rule of using stooges is, of course, that you need to tell the audience something like “I can assure you that there’s absolutely no way we’re using stooges.” As I recall Derren Brown also said he wasn’t using a fake gun for the Russian Roullette trick he did but the tabloids got the police to confirm that no gun licence had been issued because they had been satisfied by the show’s producers that it was not a fake gun. I think it’s quite reasonable to assume that shows like this, in general, are often made using stooges, aspiring actors who are following a script, pretending to have been hypnotised.
A problem here for Derren Brown, I think, is that many viewers appear to have already noticed that the whole set up, although very professionally done in some ways, just doesn’t have the ring of authenticity about it. The actors are a bit wooden and unconvincing at times. In part, that should make viewers wonder why the subject doesn’t seem to question what’s going on more. It also appears too convenient that he never does anything that would interfere with the script unfolding. For example, if he’d refused to get in the ambulance, or wandered off at any point to think things over, or started to quiz the other characters, that would potentially ruin the show. He also doesn’t mumble or speak over other people, etc. All of which adds to the impression that he’s behaving like an actor, speaking lines, and following a script."
http://www.grumpymiddleagedman.co.u...taged-and-fake-is-steve-brosnan-as-actor-new/
Someone else has pointed out that no-one swears. Ever. A Zombie apocalypse with zero swearing from the doomed humans...?
