“The Next Uri Geller” show 2 (2nd season 2009) – Opinion, tricks, explanations

This is a report about one of the second season shows from 2009. You may also:
» Display all my reports about this season 2.
» Display everything about the first season 2008.
» Display all articles about Uri Geller.

The third show was waiting, and last week we were threatened with both one of Geller’s own fooling of the people, erm, “live experiment” and a performance by Vincent Raven. The press release didn’t mention them, but focused on the second attempt – noncompetitive – of Amila’s water tank act which went wrong last week. Now does this make it any more plausible that the mishap was unintentional, or on the contrary? You may speculate…

The mentalist from Saarbrücken explains the mishap this way: “The experiment demands a high concentration. The connection between me and Simon Gosejohann just wasn’t right.“

An explanation for the press, I guess… has to fit the show. Unfortunately. (Not just) my suggestion: Get rid of Ui and turn it into magician casting (and call it that)! Well, if you were hoping that Amila’s 2nd attempt spares us from Vincent’s and/or Uri’s performaces, you’ll probably disappointed: at least raven Asael and his “daddy”‘s appearence were explicitly announced – Tuesday morning, however, unclear due to medical problems (which Pro7 turned into a “mysterious illness”, of course). Short as the last show was, they won’t have to cut anything out anyway.

Except for that, in the actual contest the four remaining contestants from the first show will compete: Jan Becker, Jan Rouven – “his life is literally on the knife’s edge”, he said on his homepage –, Danny Ocean and Ully Loup — the press release had no room left for them, by the way.

ProSieben also didn’t say much about the celebrities, only mentioning Jana Ina Zarrella who also were in show 7 of 2008 – where she called herself “very very superstitious and easily impressed”, i.e. fitting perfectly in the show –, and her husband Giovanni, former Bro’Sis singer and thus another casting show result. So only another actress is missing, we’ll see who it will be.

The Show

“The show that makes headlines” is starting – Gödde and Geller speak (incl. short clip and international news website screenshots) about the failed water tank “experiment” last week which, as mentioned, will be repeated tonight, and Amila briefly enters the stage in a red dress – “concentration was most important, and that was just missing”, which is why she immediately leaves again to concentrate… yeah, sure. And Uri announces his “experiment”: Contacting the dead, but nobody should be afraid. Guess it will be Ully who does the scaring of the gullible…

Celebs: Giovanni is the skeptic counterpart to his superstitious wife. And the DSF host and race driver Christina Surer from Switzerland is also there, already being mystically miseducated. And a doctor’s there due to the “danger” of the “experiments”.

Contestant 1: Jan Rouven

Dramatized clips of last week’s archery. Today: “The bed of death”, a premiere in front of an audience, he says; a framework with six hanging swords, triggered by ropes, above a board with prepared handcuffs and painted-on body shape. Janaina’s got to help him. Demonstration: A watermelon in the middle, a sword falling down into it. “Don’t try this at home!” 5 remain, 4 of which will miss him, 1 hit him deadly.

Jana Ina is told to hang the 5 ropes, the assignment of which she can’t see due to the box they’re going through (and there might be more hidden in the box – it’s doubtfull that the ropes are directly connected to the swords), onto 5 numbered hooks – and Christina has to hold her hands in front of Jan’s eyes. Then of course the usual mentalist routine with palms pressing against each other and inner voice babble. Then Jan opens his shirt and makes himself “comfortable” on the bed, and of course Jana Ina then – after a countdown (for the radio remote control’s timing?) 3,2,1 – pulls the 1st rope. She fears Jan would remain unscathed and she die from a heart attack… Next rope – her concentration and inner voice is always asked if it’s safe or dangerous, Jan asks her to put this rope back; rope from hok 3. Two left – alright, he’s making it thrilling, but does he have to ask dozens of times whether she’s sure about #5? Unnecessarily long.

Then of course the crosscheck with the deadly placed sword after he left the bed.

Geller’s opinion: Great performance.

Contestant 2: Danny Ocean

Clip from last time’s fork bending. This time he wants to find lost things with a pendulum – hey, that’s something I could use too! Audience in the first few rows had matchboxes with numbers under the seats, from which the people have to take any number of matches and then toss the box onto the stage. With unnecessarily long talking until he reached the “at 3” for the simultaneous throws – then it won’t be noticed when he drops a prepared box himself (which would be an option for this trick)…

Jan swings the pendulum above the celebs’ hands, Christina is picked and is told to turn off her reason – and pick a card with one of the matchbox numbers on. The pendulum then is said to tell him where on stage the box lies. That is, he swings it such that he gets to the place he already knows. Christina believes in the power of the pendulum, so the turning off her reason worked well. And 200(?) boxes offer enough possibilities to make this trick even longer and more boring. As does the number of matches which he counts agonizingly slow and then swings the pendulum at the appropriate moment.

Geller was missing the blowoff and some energy. Me too.

Geller’s Bullshit

At least Verena briefly enters the stage. Preparation: clear a table, get a glass and your camera ready. Commercials. Few commercials. Uri wants all of Germany to participate – as if all of Germany was watching! Put glass upside down on the table’s center – and one finger from everone on it. Oh dear, that cheap mysticism trick. AND STOP MENTIONING EINSTEIN, URI! Our energy – including “Achad Shtaim Shalosh” (1 2 3 in Hebrew) – is said to move the glass. Which of course moves. By unconcious movements of the participants, that is, since that’s how this routine works on ouija boards and the like. And, fittingly, Geller writes “yes” and “no” on the table – are we supposed to do that too? Mommy’s gonna be mad!

Anyway, the persion Christina was thinking about is well, since the glass moved to “yes” – which the old trickser speaks out in ful. Only advantage of this crap: Verena “cleavage of the show” Wriedt may read the phone numbers and addresses to call or mail, and the on-screen display is actually low enough to not cover anything…

Contestant 3: Jan Becker

Master of the apostrophe-combed thoughts. “The stage is yours” – I’m wondering when someone is taking this serious and atually dismantles the stage and takes it home with him… Short introduction, fold hands, stretch index finger, imagine as magnet, pseudohypnotic relaxing babble. Now hands forward, right palm upwards, imagine there’s a rock on it, arm lowers, left a balloon, pulls it up, and here I stop writing down that nonsense. And some folks are actually surprised that the arms are at a different height when they open their eyes again?? Oh dear.

The Zarrella couple is called on the stage, supposed to transfer thoughts, sitting on opposite ends. Lots of talk. Soul brotherhood, concentration, inner eye, spirit hovers over to the partner’s body. Giovanni got a piece of paper, Jana Ina has to cover her ears (but isn’t her spirit, her mind supposed to be in his body…?), Jan also holds his hand on her head (with loudspeaker telling her what she’s supposed to hear?), and Janan stands up, walks over and kisses her husband. Which is what the paper said. Well, this could very easily have been prearranged with this couple. And if not: see parentheses above.

Geller: Excellent!

Contestant 4: Lulu Ploy

Erm, stop, Ully Loup of course. “Ploy” would fit somehow, too… Uri hopes it’s gonna be spooky again – Inside Ully, there’s a chaos of fear, mourning, hatred, he says, and Uri’s not to ask him anything. But he’s just a human being, anyway. Oh?

The two unskeptical ladies are told to stand up, and he says he won’t play with their feelings and treat them with respect – well, we’ll see. Wants 2 objects of theirs that have a meaning for them (had been asked to bring them along). Janaina: wristband of her little son, feeling in one word: pleasure. Christina with something odd: joy and hope.

Ully had a teddy when he was a child? Really? Oh, to tear out one of his glass eyes. Which he brought. Remember: Lots of talking ⇒ short actual trick. Feels being watched and stuff. Gotta give him his due: He would have better chances at a psycho casting than anyone including Vincent… Fetches 5 small boxes, objects inside. Mix. He turns around, Christina holds a box behind his bald back head, and he “doesn’t feel what he wants to feel” – magnet or another kind of signal from the boxes? Put back. Next also. Wait a moment. Hey, that’s long enough already! Says he feels something for no. 3, put it at Christina’s place; No. 4: feels nothing, open, is empty. Etc.

Hands on the boxes, name feelings again, sure, open boxes, match of course.

Geller had goosebumps again, he said.

Viewer reactions

MMS video: Wine glass falls over – no wonder when just one guy pushes and the table isn’t that slippery. And a few banal e-mails. And a banal MMS video.

Recap with phone numbers for the decision. And again no immunity by Geller because they all were that great. At least Uri says so.

Noncompetitive: Amila

All three celebs are needed. Whe wants to “prove that failure makes her stronger” today. Amila in her “concentration phase” while Verena explains it all (details see last show). Let’s kill time with two anagrams of her other artist name Belinda Roy: nail 'er body – be iron, lady! Christina stands behind Amila while the other take care of the number lock.

And Amila spins down into the round water tank again, the water also raises her dress a little – camera, direction, where are you?? “Giovanni, concentrate!” Sure. Anyway, it works, 2801, everybody’s happy.

She got Geller’s full respect. He doesn’t have mine, but you know that already.

The decision

Jana Ina’s favorite is the sword “experiment”, Giovanni is impressed “that there’s actually a person who can command his wife”. And quickly another MMS movie in which the glas keeps gliding along after the finger left it. Seeing this, Geller believes in the beyond and considers videos evidence, I believe in a table held askew. But that’d be too boring and realistic for Uri.

Get well soon, Vincent, Uri says again he liked the performances today. Now the decision: Jan Rouven made it, One-Can Andy, erm, Danny Ocean put back, Jan Becker passes. Final decision: Ully Loup made it, Danny Ocean is out. Thus the show ends 3 minutes before the end announced in teletext and EPG (22:24) – or 6 minutes after that in the magazines.

Conclusion: Average, at most. Sharp swords (Rouven) and a somewhat atmospheric thing with just a few small boxes (Loup) on one hand, but boring pendulum and laying on hands in the middle. And Geller’s rubbish of course.

Ratings

Went up a little, but still bad: 2.03 million (6.3% market share) total, 1.36 mio (10.4%) 14-49 years.

---

See also:

• My pre-show report with all ten contestants.
• Skeptic’s dictionary: Uri Geller.
• ProSieben page about the show (German).

» Go to all my posts about Uri Geller. «

---

Photos: shadowvincent/Fotolia, wilhei66/sxc, shadowvincent/Fotolia