7. Master the media

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“It was the making of Houdini”. That’s how one magician described Houdini’s dramatic “Mirror Handcuff escape”. In London’s Hippodrome, in 1904, Houdini wowed the 4000 gripped audience members as he broke free from handcuffs designed by the Daily Illustrated Mirror to be impossible to escape. The resulting international media coverage was seismic for Houdini’s career. But was it a masterful escape? Or a brilliantly conceived piece of mutually beneficial publicity? Derren Brown explores how Houdini became the ultimate master in media manipulation. And how his ability to self-mythologise in the media suggests there was something fishy going on in the Hippodrome that day. Far from being a let-down, however, Derren argues Houdini’s weaponisation of the media is a sign of his genius. His invented near-death river escapes demonstrate a canny ability to spin in a very modern way. His understanding of the media then helped to secure Houdini’s name as a pioneer aviator! Presenter: Derren Brown Writer/Producer: Calum McCrae Additional research: Alice Homewood Sound designer: David Crackles Executive producer: Sophie Ellis Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke A Strawberry Blond production for BBC Sounds and Radio 4