Channel 4 Seance Spooks 600 Viewers Into Complaining
Channel 4 fell foul of religious groups and psychics this week as it aired controversial illusionist Derren Brown’s Seance, attracting 600 complaints from those concerned about the programme’s content and treatment of the supernatural.
The programme saw Brown turn his mind-reading and illusory skills on 12 volunteers attempting to contact members of an alleged teenage suicide pact in a part pre-recorded, part live television special on Monday night.
A spokeswoman for Channel 4 confirmed that the channel had received around 400 complaints, with media-watchdog Ofcom receiving around 200 more. However, the spokeswoman claimed that the majority of complaints were made before the seance had been shown and that only 30 were received from concerned viewers after the event.
She said: “We knew the show was going to challenge various beliefs for both sceptics and believers in the occult, but you can never put a number on the amount of complaints that you will get. We were keen to challenge people’s beliefs and get the thinking a bit more. We are very pleased with how the show has been received.”
Despite a frosty reception by religious groups and concerned believers, the programme performed well. It notched up an average audience of 2.8 million and a 21.5% share of the available audience, especially impressive given its late night time slot.
Brown has courted controversy before, angering many by playing a televised game of Russian roulette, claiming to be using live ammunition and risking suicide in the process. However, Channel 4 claims to have no intention of dropping the one-off specials from their schedules, stating: “There is no need to reconsider the way we commission, as long as shows are original and thought provoking then it is something that we are going to want to take.”
Channel 4’s reputation for controversial programmes is a well documented and integral part of its remit. In 2001 the broadcaster received record complaints when it aired a special paedophilia edition of the satirical Brass Eye series. The programme drew a frenzy of public and political condemnation despite consistently high audience figures for both the first screening and subsequent repeats (see Brass Eye Row Continues).
Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com
Recent Television Stories from NewsLine BBC Steps Up Pressure To Get Thompson On Board Allen To Clarify ITV Strategy At Crucial Board Meeting BSkyB Initiative Drives Audience Measurement Forward
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive