Secrets of the Super Psychics
Encyclopedia
Secrets of the Super Psychics was a Channel 4
documentary special in the UK, first shown in the Equinox
strand in 1997, later reformatted as a shorter The Learning Channel episode in 1998: "Viewers eager to know more about the differences between science and claptrap should tune in".
The 90-minute film, made by Open Media
, was first shown in the UK under the title Secrets of the Psychics but is not to be confused with the earlier NOVA
documentary Secrets of the Psychics
.
The Times
said the documentary "...cast an enjoyably sceptical eye over 150 years of the paranormal". David Aaronovitch
described it in The Independent on Sunday as
Simon Hoggart
wrote in The Spectator
that this was
In 1998 the Broadcasting Standards Commission in the United Kingdom
rejected a complaint made by Uri Geller
, saying that it "wasn't unfair to have magicians showing how they duplicate those 'psychic feats'." The full text of the BSC adjudication is available on the internet at the Open Media
website.
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary special in the UK, first shown in the Equinox
Equinox (television)
Equinox was a long-running Channel 4 popular science and documentary programme. The series ran from 1986 to 2001, originally aired on a weekly basis....
strand in 1997, later reformatted as a shorter The Learning Channel episode in 1998: "Viewers eager to know more about the differences between science and claptrap should tune in".
The 90-minute film, made by Open Media
Open Media
Open Media is a British television production company, best known for the discussion series After Dark, described by The Daily Mail as "the most intelligent, thought-provoking and interesting programme ever to have been on television"....
, was first shown in the UK under the title Secrets of the Psychics but is not to be confused with the earlier NOVA
NOVA (TV series)
Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...
documentary Secrets of the Psychics
Secrets of the Psychics
Secrets of the Psychics was a PBS NOVA episode following James Randi's work. Also appearing in stock footage are Peter Popoff, Uri Geller, and many others....
.
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
said the documentary "...cast an enjoyably sceptical eye over 150 years of the paranormal". David Aaronovitch
David Aaronovitch
David Aaronovitch is a British author, broadcaster, and journalist. He is a regular columnist for The Times, and author of Paddling to Jerusalem: An Aquatic Tour of Our Small Country and Voodoo Histories: the role of Conspiracy Theory in Modern History...
described it in The Independent on Sunday as
a programme which showed two things very clearly. First that there are - and have always been - some extremely clever and ruthless illusionists out there. And - second - that there is an exceptional desire to believe that what these hoaxers tell us is actually true.
Simon Hoggart
Simon Hoggart
Simon David Hoggart is an English journalist and broadcaster. He writes on politics for The Guardian, and on wine for The Spectator. Until 2006 he presented The News Quiz on Radio 4...
wrote in The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
that this was
the first show ever to take on the notoriously litigious Uri GellerUri GellerUri Geller is a self-proclaimed psychic known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other supposed psychic effects. Throughout the years, Geller has been accused of using simple conjuring tricks to achieve the effects of psychokinesis and telepathy...
. They showed how all his parlour tricks could be easily duplicated by jobbing magicians without any help from paranormal powers.
In 1998 the Broadcasting Standards Commission in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rejected a complaint made by Uri Geller
Uri Geller
Uri Geller is a self-proclaimed psychic known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other supposed psychic effects. Throughout the years, Geller has been accused of using simple conjuring tricks to achieve the effects of psychokinesis and telepathy...
, saying that it "wasn't unfair to have magicians showing how they duplicate those 'psychic feats'." The full text of the BSC adjudication is available on the internet at the Open Media
Open Media
Open Media is a British television production company, best known for the discussion series After Dark, described by The Daily Mail as "the most intelligent, thought-provoking and interesting programme ever to have been on television"....
website.
External links
- From the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
Psychology Video Library: dates of transmission and programme description - Ten-minute extract (from YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
)